2018 National Cybersecurity Awareness Month weekly themes for quick reference:
Week 1: Oct. 1–5 THEME: Make Your Home a Haven for Online Safety
Every day, parents and caregivers teach kids basic safety practices ‒ like looking both ways before crossing the street and holding an adult’s hand in a crowded place. Easy-to-learn life lessons for online safety and privacy begin with parents leading the way. Learning good cybersecurity practices can also help set a strong foundation for a career in the industry. With family members using the internet to engage in social media, adjust the home thermostat or shop for the latest connected toy, it is vital to make certain that the entire household ‒ including children – learn to use the internet safely and responsibility and that networks and mobile devices are secure. Week 1 will underscore basic cybersecurity essentials the entire family can deploy to protect their homes against cyber threats.
Week 2: Oct. 8–12 THEME: Millions of Rewarding Jobs: Educating for a Career in Cybersecurity
A key risk to our economy and security continues to be the shortage of cybersecurity professionals to safeguard our ever-expanding cyber ecosystem. Raising the next generation of interested and capable cybersecurity professionals is a starting point to building stronger defenses. There are limitless opportunities to educate students of all ages – from high school into higher education and beyond – on the field of cybersecurity as they consider their options. In addition, veterans and individuals who are looking for a new career or re-entering the workforce, should explore the multitude of well-paying and rewarding jobs available. Week 2 will address ways to motivate parents, teachers and counselors to learn more about the field and how to best inspire students and others to seek highly fulfilling cybersecurity careers.
Week 3: Oct. 15–19 THEME: It’s Everyone’s Job to Ensure Online Safety at Work
When you are on the job – whether it’s at a corporate office, local restaurant, healthcare provider, academic institution or government agency ‒ your organization’s online safety and security are a responsibility we all share. And, as the lines between our work and daily lives become increasingly blurred, its more important than ever to be certain that smart cybersecurity carries over between the two. Week 3 will focus on cybersecurity workforce
Week 4: Oct. 22–26 THEME: Safeguarding the Nation’s Critical Infrastructure
Our day-to-day life depends on the country’s 16 sectors of critical infrastructure, which supply food, water, financial services, public health, communications and power along with other networks and systems. A disruption to this system, which is operated via the internet, can have significant and even catastrophic consequences for our nation. Week 4 will emphasize the importance of securing our critical infrastructure and highlight the roles the public can play in keeping it safe. In addition, it will lead the transition into November’s Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience Month, which is spearheaded by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Presidential Proclamation on National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, 2018
Issued on:
ALL NEWS
Under my Administration, our Nation’s cybersecurity is a Government-wide effort. Collaboration among all United States Government departments and agencies, including the Departments of State, Defense, Justice, Commerce, and Homeland Security, have improved Federal network cybersecurity, enhanced coordination with the private sector to protect critical infrastructure, strengthened our ability to detect and deter cyber threats, and expanded efforts to build the world’s best cybersecurity workforce. To advance these efforts, on September 20, 2018, I released the National Cyber Strategy, the first fully articulated cyber strategy for the United States in 15 years. This strategy makes clear that the Federal Government will use all means available to keep our country safe from cyber threats and to protect the American people in the digital domain.
While we are making great strides to help protect American businesses and individuals, the Government cannot secure cyberspace alone. The internet touches many aspects of our daily lives. Our ability to prevent and mitigate cyber threats will improve when all citizens adopt better cybersecurity practices to protect their systems and data. Each of us can contribute by requesting more security from the products and services we use; using multi-factor authentication on our digital accounts and devices; leveraging private, protected, and secure networks; limiting how much personal information and location data we share; and taking other actions to secure the applications we use every day. I also encourage every American to learn more about how to protect themselves and their businesses through the Department of Homeland Security’s STOP.THINK.CONNECT.
This month especially, I encourage all Americans to promote and improve online security. I also call on our industry and Government partners to work together to share information, build greater trust, and lead the national effort to protect and enhance the resilience of the Nation’s cyber infrastructure. I encourage and applaud industry efforts to produce products and services with full-lifecycle cybersecurity. Through continued cooperation between the public and private sectors, and by practicing personal risk-management, we can strengthen our Nation’s cyberinfrastructure for ourselves and for future generations of Americans.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim October 2018 as National Cybersecurity Awareness Month. I call upon the people, companies, and institutions of the United States to recognize the importance of cybersecurity and to observe this month through events, training, and education to further our country’s national security and resilience.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-eighth day of September, in the year of our Lord two thousand eighteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-third.
DONALD J. TRUMP
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
