404 Tech Support

The Significance of October to Computer Users

Jason

It’s October which means you’re going to start seeing pink ribbons all over the place and just the color pink everywhere. It’s on yogurt lids and even the NFL wore way too much pink last year. The reason behind everything becoming pink, like the leaves beginning to change colors, is that October is Cyber Security Awareness Month. October 2010 marks the sixth annual National Cyber Security Awareness Month. Sponsored by the National Cyber Security Division of the Department of Homeland Security, October is the month to remind everyone of cyber security and protection for computer users.

You can find out more about Cyber Security Awareness Month and how you can participate at the Stay Safe Online website.

National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM), conducted every October since 2004, is a national public awareness campaign to encourage everyone to protect their computers and our nation’s critical cyber infrastructure.

Cyber security requires vigilance 365 days per year. However, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA), and the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC), the primary drivers of NCSAM, coordinate to shed a brighter light in October on what home users, schools, businesses and governments need to do in order to protect their computers, children, and data.

Some participants include:

From Business Video News:

– Also as part of the launch event on October 4, TechAmerica and the NCSA will kick off National Cyber Security Awareness Month from the East Coast from 9 am to 11 am Pacific Time (12 to 2 pm Eastern Time), hosted by Lockheed Martin. Speakers will include Charles Croom, VP of Cyber Security Solutions, Lockheed Martin Information Systems and Global Solutions, and Phil Bond, President and CEO, TechAmerica.

– In addition, the NCSA and the Anti-Phishing Working Group will hold an all-day event on October 6 at Intel corporate headquarters in Santa Clara, California. The event will be a celebration and call to action to employ the new unified message created by a coalition of industry, nonprofit and government. Panels will discuss details of the campaign, the research that was conducted, and how together we can implement this message to make people safer and more secure online and create a culture of cyber awareness.

October 1st also marks what I’ve dubbed as Net Loss Day. Two years ago, Comcast implemented its 250GB limit on its “unlimited” Internet plan. I imagine as more videos and files are streaming online and files get larger because of increased broadband speeds, people are moving closer to that limit legitimately. You can read more about Net Loss Day in last year’s post which summed up the issue.

All kidding aside, the pink ribbon comes from the Susan G. Komen For the Cure organization, a great organization that is raising awareness and funds to combat breast cancer and help survivors. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month as well as CyberSecurity Awareness Month.