October Is Cybersecurity Awareness Month

Every year in October, experts remind the public to take measures to keep their digital assets safe from intrusions.

“Make sure devices—computers, phones, tablets—are all up-to-date and that users are following their best cybersecurity practices,” said Drew York, Naval Information Warfare Center Atlantic lead systems engineer for cybersecurity.

“This fifth warfighting domain, that is cyber, it has no physical boundaries, has no political boundaries; and we all are touched in our daily lives,” York explained. “At work, but then also out of work, and our personal lives and in the commercial world beyond it.”

“We all are active players in that warfighting domain, whether or not we realize it,” York said. “I would find a way to implore everyone to do their part to reduce their own risk,” he added.
 

Malicious actors are constantly looking for opportunities, and the expert suggested which patterns they follow.
“So, what’s going to be a favorite target of hackers? It’s going to be what everyone uses,” York said.

The most common applications, and especially those open to communication with other devices, should be inspected closely.

“All those known insecure features that you probably don’t need that can be turned off, and I shouldn’t say insecure in a bad way—insecure meaning might allow more access than what is needed,” York explained.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of Cybersecurity Awareness Month, said the National Cybersecurity Alliance—a nonprofit organization that promotes best digital practices in government, industry and academia.