By Maj. Quincy Mays
The Presidential Proclamation of September 30, 2015 declared the month of October as National Cybersecurity Awareness Month.
In support of this initiative, the United States Army conducts activities focused on raising awareness of the significance and increasing role cybersecurity plays in our daily lives. In the 8th Theater Sustainment Command, each week of October is focused on different aspects of cybersecurity and is designed to provide individuals the knowledge and tools to protect their online presence.
What is cybersecurity?
Cybersecurity is a combination of processes, procedures, technologies, and best business practices designed to protect our data, information systems, and networks from unauthorized access, exploitation, and malicious attacks.
Why is cybersecurity important?
Due to the increasing interconnectedness of our lives in cyberspace, all service members, DA civilians and family members must pay particular attention to cybersecurity and the security of their online presence. For example, one compromised computer can have a significant impact on readiness. Cybercrimes such as hackers infiltrating organizational networks have become common in the daily news. Unfortunately, despite the efforts of IT professionals, cybercrimes are likely to increase. This growth is fueled by the increasing sophistication of cyber criminals.
There is no one size fits all solution to this problem; the best protection is the implementation of disciplined plans and procedures that focus on security. With a significant amount of military data stored and transmitted with computer systems, it’s imperative that all DoD personnel understand the importance of maintaining good cybersecurity practices. Cybersecurity is everyone’s business, and all users must assist with this effort. Each user should seek to learn and practice measures that protect their online presence and the information of their fellow service members. Here are a few helpful steps:
• Don’t open emails or attachments that look suspicious
• Set strong passwords, and don’t share them with anyone
• Keep operating systems, browsers, and other critical software
optimized by checking for and installing updates
• Complete the Cyber Awareness Challenge training and sign Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) annually
• Limit the amount of personal information posted online, and use Privacy settings to avoid sharing information widely
Building a resilient and secure network infrastructure requires more than installing and updating software and programs. Each computer user must educate themselves on the proper ways to use and maintain their information systems – i.e., computer, smartphone, tablet, printer, and any other connected device. Individual users are the weakest component in any network system.
While October is focused on raising cybersecurity awareness, continual collective effort is also required year-round to ensure the security of our cyber infrastructure. All users are encouraged to participate in the events scheduled during October and to utilize the knowledge gained to better protect our critical cyber infrastructure. The 8th TSC Information Assurance section will conduct a Cybersecurity Awareness briefing on October 25 at Richardson Theater to provide more information about cybersecurity for all 8th TSC personnel and DA civilians. They will also have an information booth at the Fort Shafter Post Exchange from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on October 24.