DENVER — Today, Governor Jared Polis kicked off Colorado’s celebration of the 19th annual national Cybersecurity Awareness Month by issuing a proclamation and video message encouraging all Coloradans to practice good cyber habits in order to be safe and secure online, whether on a desktop computer or mobile device.
Since the pandemic began, the FBI has reported a 300% increase in cybercrimes, 95% of which were caused by human error. Of those cybersecurity breaches, 45% were caused by hacking and gaining unauthorized access to data, 17% involved malware, and 22% were due to phishing scams. According to this data, a majority of these breaches could have been prevented if cybersecurity best practices were followed.
Because everyone is responsible for their own online behavior, the Governor’s Office of Information Technology (OIT) will be providing tips on social media throughout Cybersecurity Awareness Month to help Coloradans keep their digital lives secure all year long. Follow OIT on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube to learn how to reduce cybersecurity risks at home, in the workplace and at school. When we all do our part to stay educated and employ security best practices, we improve our ability to keep personal and professional information from falling into the wrong hands.
“The weakest link in keeping data secure is many times at the individual level. For that reason, a critical component of cybersecurity is constant education to keep strong security habits at the forefront of our minds,” says Ray Yepes, Chief Information Security Officer at OIT. “Cybersecurity Awareness Month reminds us to be diligent so that the systems Coloradans use and data they entrust to us remain protected.”
Since 2004, the President of the United States and Congress have declared October to be Cybersecurity Awareness Month, helping individuals protect themselves online as threats to technology and confidential data become more commonplace. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the National Cybersecurity Alliance (NCA) lead a collaborative effort every year between government and industry to raise cybersecurity awareness nationally, encouraging both people and organizations to take proactive steps to improve and be accountable for their part in cyberspace.
For more tips and facts on how to stay safe online at work, home, school and on the go, explore these resources from the National Cybersecurity Alliance.
Remember, if you see something, say something. #SeeYourselfInCyber