Capitol Gears Up for Cybersecurity Awareness Month as Program Celebrates 20 Years

A message from the Cybersecurity Department at Capitol

Capitol Technology University will be hosting a series of events and activities during October in conjunction with Cybersecurity Awareness Month , an initiative designed to raise awareness of the ongoing need to protect computer networks and systems from breaches and intrusions. This month is more important than ever in the year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Some of the cyber challenges faced during this time include teleworker security (zoom bombing), COVID-19 themed ransomware, and attacks on our healthcare systems. Despite these challenges, innovative solutions have been created and deployed by the government and private sector to keep us safe.

“Now in its 18th year, NCSAM is an annual even that was started by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS),” explains Dr. William Butler, chair of the cybersecurity program at Capitol and head of the Center for Cybersecurity Research and Analysis (CCRA).

"It’s a time of the year where we draw the nation’s attention to the importance of cybersecurity. During the month, the DHS as well as other agencies and organizations involved in cybersecurity provide advice to the average computer user on how people can better protect themselves against different varieties of cybercrime, including ransomware, infected e-mails, malware, social engineering and identity theft,” Butler said.

Since we started our program 20 years ago, Cybersecurity programs have since proliferated across the nation – but Capitol continues to draw talented cyber warriors-in-training each year to study with expert professionals in the university’s highly practice-oriented program. Butler says he’s counting on Capitol’s “very creative students” to devise ways of promoting cybersecurity awareness through the poster contest planned to run through the month. Details will be forthcoming on the university portal.

Also, in conjunction with Cybersecurity Awareness Month, mark your calendars for an October 15 NSA CAE Tech Talk. And on October 16, the Cyber Lab will host the next installment in the university’s ongoing Cyber Saturday program.

For details on any of the planned activities, contact the CCRA or e-mail whbutler@captechu.edu.

References and helpful sites:

FBI Internet Crime Compliant Center (IC3).

DHS CISA REPORTING A CYBERCRIME COMPLAINT TIP CARD 

FTC Cybersecurity Basics.

What is happening this month in cyber at Capitol Tech?