NIST Celebrates October as Cybersecurity Awareness Month

NIST is once again proud to be celebrating Cybersecurity Awareness Month this October! As this year has been one of the more challenging in memory, it is imperative that we continue to remember the importance of cybersecurity across the nation and ensure that all Americans have the resources they need to be more secure online. To show our dedication to cybersecurity, we have teamed up with the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) to be a 2020 Champion Organization, which means we are dedicated to promoting a safer, more secure, and more trusted Internet.

NIST, along with NCSA, other government agencies, and cybersecurity industry companies, have partnered for the past 17 years to highlight Cybersecurity Awareness Month. This year’s theme is “Do Your Part. #BeCyberSmart.” In the era of all sorts of phishing scams (coronavirus, Social Security, banking, general email), it is everyone’s job to protect personal and professional cybersecurity. That includes mobile and smart home devices, which are potentially vulnerable. You can expect to see or hear the phrase if “You Connect IT. Protect IT” from us during the month to prioritize the immense importance to protect mobile and smart home devices.

In past years, NIST held several cybersecurity-related events throughout October, including last year’s DC CyberWeek event, which brought people from all over the world to discuss and learn about the most current cybersecurity research and protection measures. Obviously, this year is going to look a bit different, but we still have some exciting events planned, even though they will all be virtual due to the global pandemic.

These include:

• October 1^st: Virtual Hill Kickoff for Cybersecurity Awareness Month – NIST’s Kat Magas will speak about Cybersecurity for the Internet of Things (IoT)
• October 8^th: Twitter chat hosted by NCSA, at 2 p.m. ET. Follow #BeCyberSmart to ask questions and learn practical steps to be more secure online.
• October 14^th: Social Security Administration Cybersecurity Month Presentation, from 1-2 p.m. ET – NIST’s David Temoshok will discuss Digital Identity Guidelines
• 1 blog per week on Cyber Insights – can mention the weekly themes each Monday
• October 22^nd: National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (NCCoE) Industry Day for IoT Workshop
• Each week, NIST’s Cybersecurity Insights blog will publish a new post about the importance of cybersecurity, written by a NIST staff member.
• Check our Cybersecurity Awareness Month events page throughout the month for links and additional events.

While you would probably agree that cybersecurity is a priority throughout the entire year, we invite you to check out important resources (like NIST’s Cybersecurity Awareness Month and NCSA websites), attend the Cybersecurity Awareness Month events, and follow us on Twitter @NISTcyber and as previously mentioned, our Cybersecurity Insights blog. Thank you for your help in improving cybersecurity awareness across the country and the world!