October is not just for pumpkin spice. For the 16th year in a row, October is recognized as National Cybersecurity Awareness Month (NCSAM). WaterISAC joins fellow ISACs and ISAO – Research & Education Networks ISAC (REN-ISAC), Information Technology ISAC (IT-ISAC), Retail & Hospitality ISAC (RH-ISAC), and Faith-Based ISAO (FB-ISAO) as NCSAM Champions to ensure every business and consumer has the resources to stay safer and more secure online. Considering individually we are picking up our smartphones on average of 77 times a day, the digital lines of work and personal lives are all but gone. With nearly every facet of our lives impacted by what we do online, this years’ NCSAM theme – Own IT. Secure IT. Protect IT. – is focused on encouraging personal accountability and proactive behavior in security best practices and digital privacy. NCSAM calls to action include:

Own IT. Understand your digital profile and be responsible for what you post online, including what you say about yourself and others, the data apps collect from your devices, and information you share with other third parties.

Secure IT. If you own it, you must secure it through strong credentials (unique usernames and passphrases). That includes computers, laptops, tablets, smartphones, apps, and website logins.

Protect IT. If you own it, you must protect it with updates and safe browsing practices. Stored information, including personal and customer/consumer data must also be protected.

While October is designated NCSAM, cybersecurity awareness is far from a once a year activity. NCSAM materials provide proactive awareness content to use throughout the year. So, while you are sipping that long awaited (or 100th) pumpkin spice latte, review NCSAM materials from organizations such as CISA, FTC, Symantec, Identity Theft Resource Center, etc. for resources, webinars, and workshops. And it’s not too late to join fellow water/wastewater systems Champion organizations (Regional Water Authority, San Antonio Water System, Toho Water Authority, United Water, City of Garland – Water Utilities, and Clark County Water Reclamation) to demonstrate your cybersecurity awareness commitment. Follow and post #BeCyberSmart #CyberAware on social media to show your support. Access valuable NCSAM resources at StaySafeOnline