NNA - This October, and for the second year in a row, the American University of Beirut is championing Cybersecurity Awareness Month. Founded in 2004, Cybersecurity Awareness Month is the world’s foremost initiative aimed at promoting cybersecurity awareness and best practices. The Cybersecurity Awareness Month Champions Program is a collaborative effort among businesses, government agencies, colleges and universities, associations, nonprofit organizations and individuals committed to the educating others on online safety. 

From mobile to connected home devices, technology is becoming more intertwined with people’s lives every day. And while the evolution of technology is moving at the speed of sound, cybercriminals are working just as hard to find ways to compromise technology and disrupt personal and business life. Cybersecurity Awareness Month aims to highlight some of the emerging challenges that exist in the world of cybersecurity today and provide straightforward actionable guidance that anyone can follow to create a safe and secure digital world for themselves and their loved ones. 

This year, the Cybersecurity Awareness Month’s main focal areas revolve around four key fundamental cybersecurity best practices: recognizing and reporting phishing – still one of the primary threat actions used by cybercriminals today; understanding the benefits of using a password manager and dispelling existing myths around password manager security and ease of use; enabling multi-factor authentication on personal devices and

business networks; and installing updates on a regular basis and turning on automated updates.

Now in its 19th year, Cybersecurity Awareness Month continues to build momentum and impact with the ultimate goal of providing everyone with the information they need to stay safer and more secure online. the American University of Beirut is a supporter of this far-reaching online safety awareness and education initiative which is co-led by the National Cyber Security Alliance and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency (CISA) of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

For more information about Cybersecurity Awareness Month 2022 and how to participate in a wide variety of activities, visit staysafeonline.org/cybersecurity-awareness-month/. You can also follow and use the official hashtag #BeCyberSmart on social media throughout the month.—AUB 

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