12.10.17

Five cool things happening for National Cyber Security Awareness Month



National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM) is in full swing. The month and its events have become top of mind for people and businesses in recent years, given the staggering number of recent data breaches and global ransomware attacks.
The Equifax data breach, WannaCry ransomware and Petya/NotPetya attacks have dominated the news headlines. So, where do we stand on our cyber-health…and where do you stand?
NCSAM was launched by the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in 2004 as an effort to really bring awareness and education to the public. Since then, NCSAM has grown in both number of participants and significance, and the need is greater than ever given how much we all depend on the internet and mobile devices for our daily tasks. And hats off (white-hats that is) to the NCSA, the powerhouse and facilitator helping to coordinate efforts, and bring all these interesting cyber events to the people.
We searched out some of the interesting happenings around the country this month, so here are five going down for (October) that you can participate in:#
·         Cyberscoop is hosting DC CyberWeek (October 16-20, 2017) in Washington, D.C., which brings together experts, executives, innovators, influencers and decision makers from government and business sectors to learn, network, hack and improve cybersecurity outcomes. (By the way, have you checked out Cyberscoop recently? Some seriously good reporting is happening from their desk.)
·         ESET, thanks to help from tech start-up Wrapify, is sending a squad of #CyberAware vehicles on the roads, cruising around San Diego all month. One will be the designated “Cybersecurity Cash Car” popping up and parking in surprise locations around the city. When the game is on, anyone walking by can play some cyber-trivia, with a chance to win hundreds of dollars. What’s more, ESET will match players’ winnings with a donation to the National Cyber Security Alliance for its cyber education programs. (Follow @ESET to find out where the cash car is, and also for chances to play online.) The cars also sport an com/cybersecurity URL that houses free resources, and additional info.
·         Secure San Diego takes place on Thursday, October 19, 2017, from 8:00am-12:00pm PT. The Cyber Center of Excellence (CCOE) and the City of San Diego are teaming up to showcase region-wide efforts to nurture a more secure cyber environment. The conference will feature a presentation by William R. Forstchen, New York Times bestselling author of One Second After, as well as engaging conversation panels.
·         The RSA Conference and the National Cyber Security Alliance are teaming up for a webinar called “Can the Internet of Insecure Things Be Saved?” which will take place on Thursday, October 19, 2017, from 1:00-2:00pm ET. Michael Kaiser, executive director of NCSA, Mark McGovern, VP of Product Management at CA Technologies, and Ken Modeste, Cybersecurity Lead at UL, will present.

·         Educause Live! is hosting a security awareness webinar on Monday, October 23, 2017, from 1:00-2:00pm ET. Habitu8 Founder and Chief Product Officer Jason Hoenich will present. The webinar will examine the risks related to careless and poor awareness programs. The goal of this webinar is to bring about security awareness and to create an awareness program plan for your business.