ESET Ireland

October is upon us, reminding us to make choices every day that will scare cybersecurity threats away.

For many, October is a month of ghosts and ghouls, witches and wizards, pirates and pumpkins. After all, it culminates in the scariest day of the year – Halloween. However, it’s time not only to prepare for all things spooky. Far from it. October is also a month dedicated to a subject that, if ignored, can be far scarier than any trick-or-treater knocking on the door – cybersecurity.

In today’s technology-infused world where the cyber-threat landscape is constantly evolving, staying safe online and protecting our data is an absolute necessity. The list of potential threats can seem endless and many cyberattacks may hit closer to home than we think. In sum, we’re all at risk.

This is where campaigns such as European Cyber Security Month (ECSM), National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM) in the United States and Cyber Security Awareness Month in Canada come in. Throughout October, these initiatives will seek to raise awareness, change behaviors, and provide accessible resources in order to educate people on how to stay safe online. In so doing, the campaigns also highlight a number of simple steps that all of us can take to protect our personal, financial and/or professional data.

To achieve their goals, the campaigns often revolve around several themes that are split over the course of the month. In Europe, for example, there are two main themes this year – cyber-hygiene and emerging technology. Whereas the former theme explains, and prompts you to implement, simple behaviors to protect yourself from cyberthreats, the latter focuses specifically on new technologies, which come with additional risks of their own.

However, all these initiatives have a common underlying thread and their overarching message – that ‘cybersecurity is a shared responsibility’ – remains the same as last year and applies universally. After all, we all have a role to play when it comes to responding to the growing threat of cybercrime and staying one step ahead of cybercriminals.

In Europe, for example, a range of events are being organized to help promote the campaign’s goals. This includes a social engineering presentation in the United Kingdom, a kid’s cybersecurity roadshow in Denmark, and a travelling interactive phishing game in Belgium. Indeed, a whole host of European-wide activities and events are being planned, and 2019 is looking to be the biggest year yet. Take a look at the ECSM interactive map to find out what’s happening in your city. Want to get involved? Head over to the ECSM website to check out all the activities and events happening across Europe.

In a world increasingly vulnerable to cyberattacks, advocacy campaigns such as ECSM and NSCAM are vital in order to educate and increase awareness around the importance of ensuring you are safe and secure online. WeLiveSecurity is happy to support the worthy cause of the initiatives on both sides of the Atlantic, and ESET provides free cybersecurity resources of its own to help you become more cyber-aware.

written by Tomas Foltyn, ESET We Live Security