Westminster, MD, Thursday, September 28, 2023 – The Carroll County Board of Commissioners proclaimed October as Cybersecurity Awareness Month today during Open Session. Founded in 2004, Cybersecurity Awareness Month, held each October, is the world’s foremost initiative aimed at promoting cybersecurity awareness and best practices. Cybersecurity Awareness Month is a collaborative effort among businesses, government agencies, colleges and universities, associations, nonprofit organizations, tribal communities, and individuals committed to educating others on online safety.

From mobile to connected home devices, technology is deeply intertwined with our lives. And while the evolution of technology accelerates, cybercriminals are working just as hard to find ways to compromise technology and disrupt personal and business lives. For 20 Octobers and counting, Cybersecurity Awareness Month aims to highlight some of the emerging challenges that exist in the world of cybersecurity today and provide straightforward actionable guidance that anyone can follow to create a safe and secure digital world for themselves and their loved ones.

Starting this year, the new theme of Cybersecurity Awareness Month is Secure Our World, with the main messaging revolving around four key cybersecurity best practices:

  1. Understanding the benefits of using a password manager and dispelling existing myths around password manager security and ease of use.
  2. Turning on multi-factor authentication on personal devices and business networks.
  3. Recognizing and reporting phishing – is still one of the primary threat actions used by cybercriminals today.
  4. Installing updates on a regular basis and turning on automated updates.

Cybersecurity Awareness Month continues to build momentum and impact with the goal of providing everyone with the information they need to stay safer and more secure online. Carroll County Government is proud to support this far-reaching online safety awareness and education initiative which is co-managed by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and the National Cybersecurity Alliance.

For more information about Cybersecurity Awareness Month 2023 and how to participate in a wide variety of activities, visit cisa.gov/cybersecurity-awareness-month and staysafeonline.org/cybersecurity-awareness-month/. You can also follow and use the hashtag #CybersecurityAwarenessMonth and #SecureOurWorld on social media throughout the month.

About Cybersecurity Awareness Month
Cybersecurity Awareness Month is designed to engage and educate public- and private-sector partners through events and initiatives to raise awareness about cybersecurity to increase the nation's resiliency in the event of a cyber incident. Since the Presidential proclamation establishing Cybersecurity Awareness Month in 2004, the initiative 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 and more resilient and remains a source of tremendous opportunity and growth for years to come. For more information, visit cisa.gov/cybersecurity-awareness-month and staysafeonline.org/cybersecurity-awareness-month/