History and Origins of Cybersecurity Month
United States of America
Since 2004, October has been recognized as Cybersecurity Awareness Month. This month was declared by the then President of the United States and Congress with the goal of having the public and private sectors work together to raise awareness about the importance of cybersecurity.
This initiative has gained importance over the years, with efforts between government and industry to reduce online risks and generate discussion about cyber threats on a national scale in the United States, as well as globally.
In 2023, the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) launched its awareness program called Secure Our World, which recognizes the importance of taking daily actions to reduce online risks and the risks of using connected devices. It also enables organizations to use this theme when preparing for Cybersecurity Awareness Month, that is, when preparing their own awareness campaigns.
Europe
On the European side, European Cybersecurity Month is the European Union (EU) campaign dedicated to promoting cybersecurity among European citizens and organizations, as well as providing updated information related to online security and sharing best practices.
Every year, throughout the entire month of October, hundreds of activities take place across Europe, including conferences, workshops, training sessions, webinars, presentations, and more, aimed at promoting digital security and cybersecurity hygiene.
This initiative is coordinated by the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA) and the European Commission, and is supported by each Member State and hundreds of government partners, including universities, think tanks, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), professional associations, and the private sector in Europe and beyond.
Since the first event in 2012, European Cybersecurity Month has been promoted under the slogan “Cybersecurity is a Shared Responsibility,” and in 2020, the motto “Think Before U Click!” was officially launched, which in Portuguese means “Pensa Antes de Clicar.”
And the rest of the year?
Although October is considered Cybersecurity Awareness Month, we must not forget that cybersecurity is something we should be concerned about every other month. I would go further: daily, throughout the entire year.
These are government initiatives, both in the United States and Europe, aimed at creating a period, at least once a year, during which various initiatives are held to raise cybersecurity awareness. However, all individuals and businesses should be aware that it’s not just during this month that they should focus on and invest in cybersecurity, but throughout the entire year.
Attacks do not happen only in October, but throughout the entire year. Therefore, it is important that people progressively protect themselves more over the year and across the years, implementing more controls that ensure their networks, devices, and accounts are progressively more secure.
Companies, schools, and other organizations
This can be an opportunity for companies, schools, and other organizations to join this initiative and also use the month of October to promote cybersecurity. This doesn’t require a great effort, as much of the material already exists and there can simply be a sharing plan in place.
This doesn’t mean that throughout the rest of the year there isn’t a need to continue raising awareness on this topic, but the month of October can be used for greater dissemination by entities, taking advantage of all the support provided by governments and other organizations for online promotion. This also allows for sharing various best practices, information about attacks, and how to protect oneself.
How to learn more
Anyone interested in following this topic more closely and learning more can visit the following websites:
- Cybersecurity Awareness Month by CISA;
- Secure Our World;
- European Cybersecurity Month by ENISA;
- ECSM – European CyberSecurity Month.
In addition to these websites related to Cybersecurity Month, there is a vast array of other content you can follow, including forums, books, courses, blogs (like nelsonlopes.net), among many others.
