Don't Be a Victim

Next month is National Cyber Security Awareness Month,  an initiative by the Department of Homeland Security to spread awareness of cyber security and increasing the resiliency of the nation in the event of a cyber incident.  I applaud their efforts here and think this is coming at a good time given the current cyber climate.  Educating people is the foundation of strong security.  It helps if the education is in a format that can be understand by all levels of society, which I think this accomplishes.

There have been a multitude of headlines recently of cyber crime which affect many places Americans frequent.   I believe many people are intimidated or confused by the term cyber security, and always fall back to what is easy for them.  Well, cyber security isn't just for geeks or tech-heads anymore, everyone must do their part.  The basic principles of protecting yourself and your interests on the internet should be well known to most by now, they just need to look at it in a different light and not be shied away by a few technical terms.  Raising awareness and reminding individuals of the simple steps they can take to protect themselves can help most people from being victimized and help ensure our country as a whole is more secure. 

Some of the tips referenced from the link above:

Set strong passwords and don’t share them with anyone.

Keep your operating system, browser, and other critical software optimized by installing updates.

Maintain an open dialogue with your family, friends, and community about Internet safety.

Limit the amount of personal information you post online and use privacy settings to avoid sharing information widely.

Be cautious about what you receive or read online—if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

I think the efforts shown here by the government are in everyone's best interests.  As InfoSec professionals this could be a useful method for educating your users about security, especially the ones who are the least tech savvy.  They should actually should be the focal point of this effort in an attempt to remove some of the haze surrounding cyber security.  You are only as secure as your weakest link.