(light electronic music)
- Hello, I'm Secretary of Defense Mark Esper.
October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month
and I'd like to encourage each of you
to assess your personal cybersecurity
knowledge, practices, and habits.
Each of us is responsible for maintaining
our cyber awareness and proficiency.
Whether you are a deployed war fighter, civilian employee,
military family member, or contractor,
you are the Department's most effective cyber defense.
During the COVID-19 pandemic,
the expanded use of telework across the Defense Department
demonstrated the importance
of strong cyber hygiene to protect our networks.
While the rise of connected technologies has made our
workforce more productive and efficient than ever,
it has also created opportunities
for adversaries to gain access to sensitive information
and to disrupt the important work of the Department.
We cannot let that happen.
We must protect our people, our readiness, and our mission.
This is a chain of command responsibility first.
As such, I expect our leaders, military and civilian alike,
to take the necessary steps to protect
the personnel and systems in their
units, organizations, and offices.
We need you to be our first line of defense
in cyber and operational security.
Cybersecurity is also an individual responsibility.
As you execute your mission, regardless of rank or position,
be deliberate and careful with all sensitive information,
especially classified material
and controlled unclassified information.
Always exercise proper diligence
and please safeguard personally identifiable information.
Finally, report any suspicious activity,
both online and offline, to your chain of command.
When it comes to cybersecurity,
it is better to be safe than sorry.
Visit public.cyber.mil
for the most up to date cybersecurity
intelligence and best practices
including a guide for teleworking.
Cybersecurity must be a top priority for all of us.
It is about our nation's security,
our mission success, and protecting one another.
I am counting on each of you to safeguard
the sensitive information entrusted to the Department,
and in doing so, to protect our people,
our interests, and our Homeland.
Thank you.
(light electronic music)