Learn to Stay Safe Online during National Cyber Security Awareness Month

October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM), an annual campaign dedicated to raising awareness of cyberattacks and the importance of cybersecurity. Launched in October 2004 by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA), NCSAM features initiatives and events designed to educate public and private sector partners on the tools and resources required to stay safe online.

Cybersecurity Statistics

According to the 2017 MetLife and U.S. Chamber of Commerce Small Business Index survey:

• 60 percent of small business owners are concerned about cybersecurity threats
• 59 percent of business owners do not have a contingency plan to deal with a cyberattack

According to the State of SMB Cybersecurity Report:

• Half of all U.S. small businesses have experienced cyberattacks
• In the past year, phishing and social engineering has become the most frequent type of attack, with 48 percent of respondents citing it
• Companies spent an average of $1,027,053 from damage or theft of IT assets, and the cost to normal operations was an average of $1,207,965

From raising awareness on social media to signing up for the Stop.Think.Connect. monthly Friends newsletter, there are several ways you can get involved during National Cyber Security Awareness Month:

• Attend the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Sixth Annual Cybersecurity Summit on October 4^th
• Post safety tips and reminders on social media using the hashtag #CyberAware
• Download and share sample NCSA social media posts
• Join Twitter chats: @STOPTHINKCONNECT hosts weekly #ChatSTC Twitter chats relating to the month’s themes
• The SBA is hosting a Twitter chat, Cybersecurity Tips for Small Businesses, on October 10, 3pm ET; you can participate using the hashtag #SBAchat
• Choose a cybersecurity topic that’s dear to your heart and write a blog to spread throughout your social media channels

To learn more about NCSAM, please, visit the DHS website. To view a calendar of upcoming cybersecurity events, please, visit the NCSA website.

Cybersecurity is just one of the five pillars of NAWRB’s Small Business Sustainability Initiative: Know Before You Lose! To learn more about how you can drive your small business sustainability, please, visit the NAWRB website.