ROME, NY — Griffiss Institute (GI) has announced that it has become a Champion of National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM) 2015. Griffiss Institute will be joining a growing global effort among colleges and universities, businesses, government agencies, associations, nonprofit organizations and individuals to promote online safety awareness.
Celebrated every October, National Cyber Security Awareness Month was created as a collaborative effort between government and industry to ensure everyone has the resources needed to stay safer and more secure online. As an official Champion, Griffiss Institute recognizes its commitment to cyber security and online safety.
“Today, cyber security is a top concern for the government and industry, but it doesn’t stop there, “ said Bill Wolf, executive director of Griffiss Institute. “Everyone is at risk. Our networks are under daily attack by hackers, nation states and criminals. With all the recent widespread data breaches exposing everything from personal login credentials to health records, and credit card information, everyone must be savvy about cyber security and take necessary steps to protect themselves. Today, there are basically two groups of people: those who have been impacted by a cyber-attack and know it, and those who have been impacted by a cyber-attack and are unaware of it. We are all vulnerable. This threat is real and it’s not going away.”
Coordinated and led by the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) and the Department of Homeland Security, NCSAM has grown exponentially since its inception, reaching consumers, small and medium-sized businesses, corporations, educational institutions and young people across the nation and internationally. This year marks the 12th year of NCSAM.
“The Champion Program is a vital part of making National Cyber Security Awareness Month a success each year,” said Michael Kaiser, executive director of the National Cyber Security Alliance. “We are thankful to our 2015 Champion organizations for their support and commitment to our shared responsibility of promoting cyber security and online safety awareness.”
As part of Griffiss Institute’s NCSAM efforts, the GI will put up cyber security and online safety posters to help create awareness, and post daily cyber security and online safety tips via the GI’s social media sites and website.
For more information about National Cyber Security Awareness Month, the NCSAM Champions program, and how to participate in NCSAM activities, visit http://www.staysafeonline.org/ncsam. You can also follow and use the hashtag #cyberaware on Twitter throughout the month of October.
About Griffiss Institute
The Griffiss Institute was established in 2002 as an independent 501(c)(3) entity governed by a Board of Directors. The primary role of the GI is to advocate and facilitate the co-operation of private industry, academia and government in developing solutions to critical cyber security problems. Another prime role is to build upon technologies under development at the Air Force Research Lab (AFRL) Information Directorate to further strengthen the security of our nation’s cyber infrastructure.
About National Cyber Security Awareness Month
Now in its 12th year, NCSAM is designed to engage and educate public and private sector partners through events and initiatives with the goal of raising awareness about cyber security in order to increase the resiliency of the nation in the event of a cyber incident. Since President Obama’s proclamation establishing NCSAM in 2004, NCSAM has been formally recognized by Congress, federal, state and local governments and leaders from industry and academia. This united effort is necessary to maintain a cyberspace that is safer, more resilient and remains a source of tremendous opportunity and growth for years to come. For more information, visit http://www.staysafeonline.org/ncsam or www.dhs.gov/national-cyber-security-awareness-month.
About The National Cyber Security Alliance
The National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) is the nation’s leading nonprofit, public-private partnership promoting digital privacy and the safe and secure use of the Internet. Working with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), private sector sponsors and nonprofit collaborators to promote cybersecurity awareness, NCSA board members include representatives from ADP, AT&T, Bank of America, Comcast Corporation, EMC Corporation, ESET, Facebook, Google, Intel, Logical Operations, McAfee, Microsoft, Raytheon, Symantec, Verizon and Visa. Through collaboration with the government, corporate, nonprofit and academic sectors, NCSA’s mission is to educate and empower a digital citizenry to use the Internet securely and safely, protect themselves and the technology they use, and protect the digital assets we all share. NCSA leads initiatives for STOP.THINK.CONNECT.TM, a global cybersecurity awareness campaign to help all digital citizens stay safer and more secure online; Data Privacy Day, celebrated annually on January 28 and National Cyber Security Awareness Month, launched every October. For more information on NCSA, please visit http://www.staysafeonline.org/about-us/overview/.
About STOP. THINK. CONNECT.
STOP. THINK. CONNECT. is the global cybersecurity awareness campaign to help all digital citizens stay safer and more secure online. The campaign was created by an unprecedented coalition of private companies, non-profits and government organizations with leadership provided by the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) and the Anti-Phishing Working Group (APWG). The Department of Homeland Security leads the federal engagement in the campaign. Learn how to get involved at the STOP. THINK. CONNECT. Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/STOPTHINKCONNECT, on Twitter at @STOPTHNKCONNECT, and at http://www.stopthinkconnect.org.