Cybersecurity Awareness Month

Cybersecurity Awareness Month is an annual initiative held every October to raise awareness about the importance of cybersecurity. This year, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is spotlighting the systems and services that sustain our lives and economy, and the many organizations that own, operate or support our critical infrastructure.

Start with the core essentials

Cybercriminals prey on the basics. Close those gaps first.

• Empower employees to recognize phishing and report it. Train teams to spot suspicious messages and disclose them fast. This proactive approach builds trust, without shaming, and enhances our collective security posture.
• Mandate robust passwords (and a manager). Make unique, complex passwords non‑negotiable. This can significantly reduce the risk of unauthorized access. Ensure that all users adhere to this policy to safeguard against guessing or automated attacks.
• Enforce multi-factor authentication everywhere you can. Select phishing-resistant options where available to bolster defenses. Adding an extra layer of security makes it harder for attackers to gain access to your accounts.
• Keep business software up to date. Outdated software can harbor vulnerabilities. Prompt patching removes known footholds attackers can exploit.

Level up your defenses

Once the essentials are in motion, mature your posture with three high‑impact practices. 

1. Log and monitor the right things so you can quickly spot and investigate suspicious activity.
2. Back up critical data and practice recovery to minimize downtime and business impact during disruption, enhancing overall cyber resilience.
3. Encrypt data and devices so stolen files remain unreadable.

Strengthen the whole ecosystem, together

Cybersecurity is a team sport. If you experience a cyber incident, report it the appropriate channels. Sharing threat information helps everyone defend better. 

The most resilient organizations treat security as part of their identity and culture, not a bolt‑on control. Secure, all together means uniting people, technology and community to make a new world happen.

Though not easy, building a robust cybersecurity culture throughout the organization is worth the time and investment. A strong cybersecurity posture requires a collective effort, and cybersecurity shouldn't be seen as the sole responsibility of IT or cybersecurity departments. Instead, the most successful security strategies help build a culture that promotes security awareness across all business units. By embedding security into the very fabric of your organization and aligning security with core values, risk executives can foster an environment where every employee feels a sense of responsibility toward protecting company assets. 

When we work together — across all departments of an organization, in partnership with vendors and between peer organizations — we are better equipped to keep our organizations and communities safe from the looming threat of breaches.

Helpful cybersecurity resources 

Exercise cyber defenses across your people, process and technology with our Cyber Range. Capture the Flag (CTF) competitions challenge participants of all skill levels to solve cybersecurity problems, engaging them in dynamic and realistic settings.

Upskill teams using hyper-focused, hands-on education with Labs and Learning. These help learners gauge their understanding and track their progress, allowing professionals to identify their strengths and areas for further development.

Explore the latest actionable insights in cybersecurity within WWT Research. We share knowledge acquired through our lab work in the Advanced Technology Center and real-world project expertise via our client engagements.

We can all contribute to a safer digital world by participating in Cybersecurity Awareness Month.