National Cybersecurity Awareness Month (NCSAM)

Last updated: October 4, 2024

October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month

Launched in 2004 by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the National Cyber Security Alliance, NCSAM is an annual campaign held every October to promote online safety. Each year, it highlights common threats — like phishing attacks and ransomware—and shares best practices, including creating strong passwords, using multi-factor authentication, and keeping software up to date.  

This year, the Office of Information Security (OIS) and UW Medicine Information Security will focus on four key themes: Cyber Hygiene, Artificial Intelligence (A.I.), Data Classification, and Ransomware Resilience.

Join us throughout the month for in-person and online events, where you’ll have opportunities to win prizes! Help us spread the word by sharing our training and awareness materials with friends, classmates, and colleagues. 

New materials will be posted each week, so stay tuned! 

Visit UW Medicine Information Security NCSAM page

Events

Join us throughout October to celebrate NCSAM with in-person and online presentations, information booths, and other events to spread awareness about cyber security at University of Washington. All members of the UW community are welcome.

Events

  • Date: Wednesday, October 2, 2024
  • Time: 11:00 – Noon AM (Pacific Time)
  • Location: Register here
  • Description: Join the NCA for the Cybersecurity Awareness Month kickoff webinar to learn how we can Secure Our World.

  • Date: Thursday, October 10, 2024
  • Time: 1:00-2:00 PM (PT)
  • Location: Register here
  • Description: The current cybersecurity threat landscape is driving changes in the way the University manages information security and privacy incidents. OIS staff will describe recent shifts in priorities towards a more holistic incident management process.

  • Date: Monday, October 14, 2024
  • Time: 1:00-2:00 PM (PT)
  • Location: Register here
  • Description: Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) is redefining higher education, research, and the world as we know it. UW-IT’s Lead Architect Jared Reimer and Senior Privacy Analyst Abe Bender will discuss security and privacy considerations for the responsible use of the technology as UW transforms into a globally-recognized AI-powered university.

  • Date: Thursday, October 17, 2024
  • Time: TBD
  • Location: HUB; Room TBD; registration link to come
  • Description: Stop by to talk to Office of Information Security staff about common phishing tactics and scams and other cyber security risks and threats. Learn steps you can take to secure your accounts, data, and devices, such as encrypting laptops and devices and best practices for home networking.

  • Date: Monday, October 21, 2024
  • Time: 3:00 – 4:00 PM (PT)
  • Location: Register here
  • Description: Information Security Analyst Melissa Albin (Office of Information Security) will discuss protecting login credentials, recognizing and reporting phishing, spear phishing, and scams, securing devices and connections, managing passwords, tips for travel and working from home, permissions for collaborative tools, and backing up data & devices and disposing of them securely.

  • Date: Tuesday, October 22, 2024
  • Time: 3:30-5:00 PM (PT)
  • Location: Odegaard 220; registration link to come
  • Description: TBD

  • Date: Wednesday, October 23, 2024
  • Time: 4:00-5:00 PM (PT)
  • Location: Register here
  • Description: Information Security Analyst Melissa Albin (Office of Information Security) will discuss protecting login credentials, recognizing and reporting phishing, spear phishing, and scams, securing devices and connections, managing passwords, tips for travel and working from home, permissions for collaborative tools, and backing up data & devices and disposing of them securely.

  • Date: Thursday, October 24, 2024
  • Time: 3:00-4:00 PM (PT)
  • Location: Register here
  • Description: AI’s reliance on access to data highlights the essential role of data classification to manage security and privacy risks. We invite UW personnel to come learn about data classification, our efforts at UW, and what you can do now to help keep UW data secure.

  • Date: Monday, October 28, 2024
  • Time: 11:00 am – 12:00 pm (PT)
  • Location: Register here
  • Description: Higher Education organizations have been a popular target for adversaries. Join CrowdStrike Executive Strategist, Matt Singleton, for an interactive session on recent adversary activity and impact. While many organizations have experienced catastrophic attacks, there is hope! We’ll dive into why Higher Ed is such an attractive target, the adversaries most interested in Higher Ed, their tactics, techniques and procedures (TTPs) and what options resource-starved organizations can do to better protect their constituents, staff and communities.

  • Date: Monday, October 28, 2024
  • Time: 4:00-5:00 PM (PT)
  • Location: Register here
  • Description: Information Security Analyst Melissa Albin (Office of Information Security) will discuss protecting login credentials, recognizing and reporting phishing, spear phishing, and scams, securing devices and connections, managing passwords, tips for travel and working from home, permissions for collaborative tools, and backing up data & devices and disposing of them securely.

Themes

Each week we will focus on a theme, so check back on Mondays for new materials:

Graphics

Infographics

NCSAM Postcard

Zoom and Teams Backgrounds

Education

This content is coming soon! Check back on Mondays throughout October for more cyber security resources.

Additional Resources

UW Medicine Information Security: National Cybersecurity Awareness Month (UW NetID login required)
National Cybersecurity Alliance: Stay Safe Online
Cybersecurity Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA): Secure Our World
IT Connect: Glossary of InfoSec Terms

Social Media

Follow UW-IT on social media for more cyber security tips and best practices!