True to tradition, the month of October is European Cyber Security Month. This year, the pan-European research network GÉANT is once again launching a campaign to raise awareness of the importance of cyber security in the research and education sector. The main theme of this year's campaign is safe home-working.
Following the huge success of last year's "Become A Cyber Hero" campaign, which was realised in close cooperation with nearly 20 national research and education networks (NRENs), GÉANT is launching another large-scale campaign on 1 October: Cyber Hero @ Home.
Safe home-working
Thanks to video-conferencing tools and a wide range of online platforms, it has never been easier to work or study remotely. In addition, going forward, hybrid work and distance learning are expected to become the norm, on account of the pandemic.
But working from home can also bring additional cyber security risks. Proper 'cyber hygiene' is necessary to protect our devices and networks, and to recognise any suspicious messages.
For this reason the GÉANT campaign will focus on the importance of digitally safe home-working and its central theme, ‘Cyber Hero @ Home‘, is divided in 4 weekly sub-themes:
- Week 1 (4-10 October): Be aware of cybercrime
- Week 2 (11-17 October): Protect your network
- Week 3 (18-24 October): Protect your devices
- Week 4 (25-31 October): Protect your identity
Download the material and raise awareness among your end users
On the GÉANT website, you can download the campaign material for free, which consists of a logo, banners, an e-mail signature, posters and short animation videos. Translations of the posters into Dutch and French are also available.
What is more, throughout the month of October, articles, blogs and videos will be posted on the campaign website in which experts from the global research and education community will share their knowledge and experience.
Webinars
New this year are the weekly interactive webinars organised by GÉANT every Thursday in October. These are a unique opportunity to hear experts from organisations including the Swiss CERN speak about current issues such as ransomware and privacy.
The webinars are aimed at a broad target audience. Participation is free, but registration in advance is compulsory.
Yes, I would like to take part in the campaign!