This October brings Cybersecurity Awareness Month, a collaborative effort between the United States Government and the National Cybersecurity Alliance to raise cybersecurity awareness nationally and internationally. Started in 2004, this partnership has strived to help individuals and organizations protect themselves from the increasing threat of digital attacks. This year’s theme is “See Yourself in Cyber”, with the stated goal to focus on the ‘people’ part of cybersecurity.

Similarly, October is also the European Cybersecurity Month (ECSM) launched in 2012 by the EU Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA) and supported by EU member states and civil society. Their 2022 campaign is called “Think Before U Click”, focusing on Phishing and Ransomware.

This focus on people-centricity aligns well with the work of the Charter of Trust. Founded in 2018 at the Munich Security Conference, the Charter of Trust is a unique initiative of leading global companies and organizations working together to make the digital world of tomorrow safer. The Charter’s member companies achieve this work by creating global standards that can be used to protect the data of individuals and companies and to prevent damage to people, companies, and critical infrastructure.

While the technology and infrastructure may change, it’s our perspective that the human element of cybersecurity was and is the most important. That’s why it’s embedded throughout our ten principles, including establishing clear ownership for cybersecurity, designing user-centric systems, and providing education and awareness. We are perhaps most encouraged by our Associated Partners, including the Cyber Readiness Institute that is providing free, online training to small and medium sized businesses to help their IT teams secure their infrastructure against common cyber vulnerabilities and train their employees about cyberattacks.

Throughout the month, we will highlight our partners work and top tips on cybersecurity –both at home and at work. We look forward to contributing to the robust conversation on how we can break through the noise to make a measurable impact in cyber awareness.

Stay tuned to this space and our Twitter account @charteroftrust for more. In the meantime, if you have ideas for our Charter or how to help create a culture of cybersecurity, feel free to drop us a line.

Stay Safe,

David,

Director of Cyber Programs and Partnerships, AES