Cybersecurity Awareness Month
Creating partnerships to raise cybersecurity awareness at home and abroad.
About
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.
This is the 20th Cybersecurity Awareness Month and it has grown into a collaborative effort between government and industry to enhance cybersecurity awareness, encourage actions by the public to reduce online risk and generated discussion on cyber threats on a national and global scale.
Secure Our World: 2023 and Beyond
In recognition of the 20th year, CISA announced a new enduring cybersecurity awareness program, Secure Our World. Secure Our World reflects a new enduring message to be integrated across the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s (CISA) awareness campaigns and programs, and encourages all of us to take action each day to protect ourselves when online or using connected devices.
The program promotes behavioral change across the Nation, with a particular focus on how individuals, families and small to medium-sized businesses can Secure Our World by focusing on the four critical actions below. Secure Our World is the theme for this year’s Cybersecurity Awareness Month and will remain the enduring theme for future awareness month campaigns.
Four Easy Ways to Stay Safe Online
We can all collaborate to build a safer, more trusted digital world! By learning the four simple steps we can take to stay safe online at home, work and school, and sharing these tips with our community, we can all become significantly safer online.
Below are the simple actions we should all take not only during October, but every day throughout the year.
Staying Safe Online Is Easy With These Four Steps
Use Strong Passwords
Strong passwords are long, random, unique and include all four character types (uppercase, lowercase, numbers and symbols). Password managers are a powerful tool to help you create strong passwords for each of your accounts.
Turn On MFA
You need more than a password to protect your online accounts and enabling MFA makes you significantly less likely to get hacked. Enable MFA on all your online accounts that offer it, especially email, social media and financial accounts.
Recognize & Report Phishing
Be cautious of unsolicited messages asking for personal information. Avoid sharing sensitive information or credentials with unknown sources. Report phishing attempts and delete the message.
Update Software
Ensuring your software is up to date is the best way to make sure you have the latest security patches and updates on your devices. Regularly check for updates if automatic updates are not available.
Learn more business-related online safety advice at Secure Your Business.
Cybersecurity Awareness Month 2023 Resources and Partner Toolkit
CISA and the National Cybersecurity Alliance (NCA) have partnered to create resources and messaging for organizations to use when they talk with their employees, customers and memberships about staying safe online. Available resources include:
-
A PDF guide to Cybersecurity Awareness Month
-
A sample email to promote Cybersecurity Awareness Month to your employees
-
A sample press release to announce your participation in the 20th Cybersecurity Awareness Month
-
Sample social media posts and graphics. Don’t forget to use #CybersecurityAwarenessMonth and/or #SecureOurWorld in all your Cybersecurity Awareness Month related posts!
-
A branded video background you can use during conference calls
-
A branded email signature graphic
-
An infographic to educate you and your community on the 4 simple steps to stay safe online
-
A 101 presentation you can use to educate your colleagues, employees, and customers about Cybersecurity Awareness Month
-
A branded PPT template you can use to create your own presentations
Download the toolkit below. 
Cybersecurity Awareness Month 2023 Resources and Partner Toolkit
These materials are free and available to share with your community!
CISA Cybersecurity Awareness Month 2023 Webinar Series
CISA is hosting a series of free, virtual webinars every Tuesday in October 2023 (3rd, 10th, 17th and 24th) from 2-2:30pm EDT.
These webinars will introduce you to the four key online safety behaviors.
Related Content
Secure Our World
Simple ways to protect yourself, your family and your business from online threats.
Tip Sheets
Learn more about the Four Easy Ways to Stay Safe Online by downloading the Secure Our World Tip Sheets.
Animated Videos
Learn more about the Four Easy Ways to Stay Safe Online by watching our short, animated YouTube videos.