Governor Hochul Issues Proclamation Designating October as Cybersecurity Awareness Month and Highlights Resources for Small Businesses and New Yorkers

 

"See Yourself in Cyber" Theme Stresses the Growing Importance of Cybersecurity in an Increasingly Connected World

Read the Proclamation Here

 Governor Kathy Hochul today issued a proclamation designating October as Cybersecurity Awareness Month. As New Yorkers face growing cybersecurity threats, Cybersecurity Awareness Month is part of joint state and national efforts to engage and educate the public about cybersecurity and provide tools and resources to help them stay safe online.

"Whether you're a novice internet user or a tech savvy expert, cyberattacks pose a threat to all of us whenever we're online," Governor Hochul said. "This October, we are raising awareness for New Yorkers at all levels of the public and private sectors as we continue to lead the nation in aggressively combating evolving cybersecurity threats."

The theme for the 19th annual Cybersecurity Awareness Month - "See Yourself in Cyber" - highlights the growing importance of cybersecurity and encourages individuals and organizations to take the necessary measures to protect themselves in an increasingly connected world.

New York State Chief Cyber Officer Colin Ahern said, "Governor Hochulcreated the position of Chief Cyber Officer because she understands the importance of protecting the state's cybersecurity infrastructure from emerging threats and strengthening our cyber defenses. I am proud to serve in that role and am committed to establishing and building relationships across all levels of government and the private sector to ensure New York's critical infrastructure is secure and resilient."

 Each week in Cybersecurity Awareness Month focuses on a different topic:

• Understanding and implementing basic cyber hygiene practices, including the creation of strong passphrases, using multi-factor authentication, performing software updates and backing up data.
• Recognizing and reporting phishing attempts, whether they come through email, text messages, or chat boxes.
• Empowering individuals to not only practice safe online behavior, but also consider joining in the mission to secure our online world by pursuing a career in cybersecurity.
• Making cybersecurity a business priority by ensuring products and processes are "secure by design" and encouraging the consideration of cybersecurity when purchasing new internet-connected devices.

ITS also is coordinating a statewide cybersecurity poster contest for children in kindergarten through 12th grade, a timely opportunity for teachers to focus on keeping children safe online in a fun and informative way. Submissions are due Dec. 16, 2022. New York State winners will be featured on the ITS website and entered into the national contest sponsored by the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center. In addition, the agency provides a number of free resources to the public, including the Cybersecurity Awareness Toolkit, which includes cybersecurity-themed posters, calendars, brochures and other content that can be downloaded and shared to help promote and reinforce cyber safety themes in practical, informative, entertaining, and usable ways.

For more information, visit the ITS CISO website, follow the agency on Twitter (tag #NYSCyber) and Facebook.