By Kay Sikes, Identity and Access Management Specialist
2021 initiative highlights growing importance of taking measures to stay secure in a connected world
Catalyst Corporate has reaffirmed its commitment to Cybersecurity Awareness Month (CAM), held annually in October, by signing up as a 2021 Champion to promote the awareness of online safety and privacy. The Cybersecurity Awareness Month Champions Program is a collaborative effort among businesses, government agencies, colleges and universities, associations, nonprofit organizations and individuals committed to the CAM theme of “Do Your Part. #BeCyberSmart.”
Catalyst Corporate considers its employees a primary line of defense for the company and finds creative ways to engage and educate them about work and personal cybersecurity.
Some of Catalyst Corporate’s activities for its 6th year of participation include:
- Webpage dedicated to the CAM campaign
- Daily SANS RSS feeds related to cybersecurity
- Social Engineering Human Factor teams created to provide a fun, competitive way to promote an understanding of attack strategies and how human emotions play a role in those attacks
Technology continues to play a critical role in almost everything we do. Connected devices are deeply woven into how people communicate and access essential services. Despite these great advances in technology and the conveniences they provide, recent events show us how quickly our lives and businesses can be disrupted when cyber criminals and adversaries use technology to do harm. Cybersecurity Awareness Month sheds light on these security vulnerabilities and offers guidance for behaviors individuals can take to protect themselves and their organizations. Everyone has a responsibility to do their part in securing our interconnected world.
This year, CAM’s weekly focus areas will be:
- Understanding and implementing basic cyber hygiene, including strong passphrases, multi-factor authentication, software updates and data back-ups.
- Recognizing and reporting phishing attempts via email, text messages and chat boxes.
- Understanding the importance of creating a digital estate plan and providing resources and tools to do so
- Making cybersecurity a priority in business by making products and processes “secure by design” and considering cybersecurity when purchasing new internet-connected devices.
If everyone does their part – implementing stronger security practices, raising community awareness, educating vulnerable audiences and training employees – our interconnected world will be safer and more resilient for everyone.
Now in its 18th year, CAM continues to build momentum and impact, with the goal of providing information to stay safer and more secure online. Catalyst Corporate is proud to support this far-reaching online safety awareness and education initiative which is co-led by the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency (CISA) of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Learn more about Cybersecurity Awareness Month 2021 and how to participate in a wide variety of activities.