In 2004, October became National Cybersecurity Awareness Month (NCAM). The question is, why do we need an entire month dedicated to cybersecurity? Because it’s that important.
Think about the evolution of personal technology. Until about 20 years ago, the majority of people were not carrying cell phones in their pockets or laptops in their backpacks. But in the 21st century, technology has become easily accessible and heavily relied-upon. The vast majority of those technology users do not understand how that technology works or what the dangers are—they just know how to use it. Sure, there are some people who learn the ins and outs of technology and stay current in the tech world, but they are in the minority. Even though grandmas can now FaceTime their grandkids who are hours away and children can go to school online, odds are cybersecurity is not on their minds.
Enter NCAM. This month is intended to teach the average technology user about current technology capabilities, potential threats within those systems, and how the average user can protect himself. The 1970’s didn’t need NCAM. For the most part, the people who used technology regularly already knew how it worked and what could go wrong. But the 21st century needs NCAM. Everyday people can and do have extremely powerful technology in their back pocket, and they often don’t know how to properly use or protect it.
Next week, we’ll talk about what some of those security issues are, how to identify them, and what you can do to protect yourselves. See you then!
For more NCAM information, check out Free Security Awareness Training Videos for 2020 | CompTIA and https://www.cisa.gov/cybersecurity-awareness-month. These are free informational resources that we highly recommend to anyone wanting to learn more about cybersecurity.