Cybersecurity Awareness Month is rolling on and I wanted to share some updates, from a free cybersecurity webinar series to a one-day symposium and a YouTube video contest (with great prizes, of course). Now in its eighth year, Cybersecurity Awareness Month takes place every October in the U.S. and I think it's finally getting the kind of attention it deserves. After all, the future is being built on an open network so eventually everyone will need to know what they should (and should not) do to protect that network.
Something you should do if you are a small to medium size business is check out the SMB CyberSecurity Challenge, a four-part series of webinars that ESET is hosting for the Securing Our eCity initiative. They take place on each Wednesday of October and the first two are now available as recordings (that's "Escalating Cybersecurity: Simple Steps to Secure Your SMB," featuring Naresh Lachmandas, CIO, General Atomics, and Liz Fraumann, Director of Cybersecurity Awareness and Education, ESET; and "Creating and Managing a Cybersecurity Policy: Tips for the SMB," featuring yours truly). Next up, this Wednesday, is Securing Your Network: Safeguarding Your Business Data, featuring Mark Culp, Supervising Special Agent, FBI. I shall definitely be tuning in for that one.
Something you should check out if you are into video cameras is the "Cybersecurity Awareness Contest" where your video skills could win you $1,000 or one of five HD Hero Naked GoPros (if you're not into video I should point out that Hero Naked GoPro is a brand name for a wearable video camera). To win, you need to submit the best 30 second, PSA-style video (public service announcement) promoting online safety and Internet security.
Something you should consider if you live in San Diego, or want a really good excuse to come visit, is the Cybersecurity Symposium on October 25. This day-long event features some impressive speakers, including Jessie Knight, Chairman and CEO of SDG&E, Frost & Sullivan analyst Rob Ayroub, and Michael Kaiser from the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA). The symposium is part of the Securing Our eCity initiative that I mentioned earlier, a unique program that brings together companies, agencies, community groups and citizens, all in the name of increased cybersecurity awareness. As a year-round program, Securing Our eCity can provide any civic or business group, of 24 people or more, with a cybersecurity presentation, complete with expert presenter. Use the contact form to find out more. (Currently limited to the Greater San Diego area, but possibly coming to a city near you in 2012.)
