Cybersecurity Awareness Month Reminds Us to Be Prepared
By: Orange County Communications Department
Since 2004, the President of the United States and Congress have declared the month of October to be Cybersecurity Awareness Month, a dedicated month for the public and private sectors to work together to raise awareness about the importance of cybersecurity. Orange County takes cybersecurity seriously. Online threats to technology and confidential data are more commonplace than ever. It is important to stay cyber secure both at work and at home to deter cyber - attacks. Orange County has multiple lines of protection at the local, state, and federal level to help keep employees secure. County employees are required to regularly participate in cybersecurity training through KnowBe4. In this training, staff develop their security knowledge and culture to become more aware of network security, and become more proficient at recognizing threats. "Taking time to set up multi - factor authentication is one of the best ways to protect yourself ” said Larry Clement, Director of Information Technology. This process grants a user access to a website or application only after successfully presenting two or more pieces of evidence to an authentication mechanism. It is more secure than a password alone. This sentiment is echoed by the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), an organization of the Department of Homeland Security. This year, CISA has outlined four easy steps (with video instructions) to improve online safety, and one of those is utilizing multi - factor authentication. Other recommendations include using strong passwords and password managers, recognizing and reporting phishing attempts, and keeping your software current with the latest updates.
For more detailed information about cybersecurity, visit www.cisa.gov/cybersecurity - awareness - month.
Page 9 | October 2023
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