October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM)
It’s important for individuals, businesses, and other institutions to be proactively involved in their own cyber security. National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM)—a Department of Homeland Security-administered campaign held every October—is perhaps the most appropriate time to reflect on the universe of cyber threats and on doing our own part to secure personal and work-related devices, networks, and data.
Since 2004, NCSAM has been an annual, nationwide campaign to raise awareness about cybersecurity. At Odessa College we are working hard during NCSAM (and every other month!), through a variety of instructional programs, to build a strong foundation for a more secure, resilient and “cyber-secure” nation.
We all know that the cybersecurity situation is quite critical now, whether making an online purchase, visiting social media sites, or just making an appointment at a Doctor’s office. At OC we offer courses designed to motivate our students to stay safe and secure in the online universe. We teach our students “netiquettes”, help them safely enjoy all the benefits of online “surfing”, and empower them to use the internet as the main source to research or working on your assignment.
Further, Odessa College is committed to offering instruction not only in cyber security awareness, but in those courses which enable students to land high-paying jobs in the cyber security industry as well.
User education
The typical college campus scenario was described well by Bob Turner, CISO at University of Wisconsin-Madison, when he said, “… students have a full load, faculty work 60 hours a week, and the rest of the staff members are working on teaching, learning and research. With these busy schedules, cybersecurity awareness often takes a backseat to teaching and learning.”,
Unsecure personal devices
With faculty members and students bringing so many internet- and online-connected devices on campus, the IT cybersecurity staff members simply don't have the time available or sufficient contact to opportunities to make sure that all of those devices are safe and secure.
To tackle these challenges, Joanna Grama, director of the IT Governance, Risk and Compliance Program and cybersecurity programs at EDUCAUSE, suggests three standard approaches that will help reduce information security risks:
- A proactive, deep-defense approach
- User training
- Higher ed collaboration among institutions
The strategies will vary depending on each institution's risk factors and management plan for those risk factors. But Grama firmly believes that these standard approaches generally apply to most institutions.