Building on annual success, Cybersecurity Awareness Month 2022 highlights the growing importance of cybersecurity in our daily lives and looks to empower individuals and businesses to make cybersecurity more accessible
SAN DIEGO, Sept. 14, 2022 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Today, the Identity Theft Resource Center® (ITRC), a nationally recognized nonprofit organization established to support victims of identity crime, announced its commitment to Cybersecurity Awareness Month 2022. Founded in 2004 and held each October, Cybersecurity Awareness Month is the world's foremost initiative aimed at promoting cybersecurity awareness and best practices. The Cybersecurity Awareness Month Champions Program is a collaborative effort among businesses, government agencies, colleges and universities, associations, nonprofit organizations and individuals committed to the Cybersecurity Awareness Month 2022 theme of 'It's easy to stay safe online.'
"The ITRC is proud to, once again, be a champion of Cybersecurity Awareness Month," said Eva Velasquez, President and CEO of the Identity Theft Resource Center. "As an organization dedicated to helping victims of identity crimes, one of the best ways of reducing the number of victims is to reduce the number of successful cyberattacks. We look forward to helping educate people from all walks of life on how they can keep themselves, their families and their businesses safe online."
The ITRC will take part in the following activities during Cybersecurity Awareness Month 2022:
- October 12, 2022 – Release of Q3 2022 Data Breach Analysis
On October 12, the ITRC will release its data breach information for the third quarter of 2022. In the ITRC's H1 2022 Data Breach Analysis, data compromises were up two (2) percent in the second quarter of 2022 compared to the first quarter of the year. However, the overall number of data compromises was down four (4) percent in the first half of 2022 compared to the same period in 2021.
- October 26, 2022 – Release of 2022 Business Impact Report
On October 26, the ITRC will release its second annual report on the impacts of identity crimes and cyberattacks on small businesses. Cyberattacks and the resulting security and data breaches can have a devastating effect on any business. However, small organizations and solopreneurs often lack the resources to prevent or defend against cybercrimes. The Business Impact Report is the first major independent, publicly-reported research into what happens specifically to small businesses following a data or security breach.
- The ITRC's Weekly Breach Breakdown and Fraudian Slip Podcast Episodes
Check out the ITRC's latest podcasts, "The Fraudian Slip" (monthly), where we talk about all-things identity compromise, crime and fraud that impact people and businesses, as well as "The Weekly Breach Breakdown" (weekly), covering the most recent events and trends related to data security and privacy.
More on Cybersecurity Awareness Month 2022:
From mobile to connected home devices, technology is becoming more intertwined with our daily lives. While the evolution of technology is moving at the speed of sound, cybercriminals are working just as hard to find ways to compromise technology and disrupt personal and business life. Cybersecurity Awareness Month 2022 aims to highlight some of the emerging challenges that exist in the world of cybersecurity today and provide straightforward, actionable guidance that anyone can follow to create a safe and secure digital world for themselves and their loved ones.
This year, Cybersecurity Awareness Month's main focal areas revolve around four key fundamental cybersecurity best practices:
- Recognizing and reporting phishing – still one of the primary threat actions used by cybercriminals today.
- Understanding the benefits of using a password manager and dispelling existing myths around password manager security and ease of use.
- Enabling multi-factor authentication on personal devices and business networks.
- Installing updates on a regular basis and turning on automated updates.
The ITRC is proud to support this far-reaching online safety awareness and education initiative, which is co-led by the National Cyber Security Alliance and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency (CISA) of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
For more information about Cybersecurity Awareness Month 2022 and how to participate in a wide variety of activities, visit staysafeonline.org/cybersecurity-awareness-month/. You can also follow and use the official hashtag #BeCyberSmart on social media throughout the month.
About the Identity Theft Resource Center
Founded in 1999, the Identity Theft Resource Center® (ITRC) is a national nonprofit organization established to empower and guide consumers, victims, business and government to minimize risk and mitigate the impact of identity compromise and crime. Through public and private support, the ITRC provides no-cost victim assistance and consumer education through its website live-chat idtheftcenter.org and toll-free phone number 888.400.5530. The ITRC also equips consumers and businesses with information about recent data breaches through its data breach tracking tool, notified. The ITRC offers help to specific populations, including the deaf/hard of hearing and blind/low vision communities.
About Cybersecurity Awareness Month
Cybersecurity Awareness Month is designed to engage and educate public- and private-sector partners through events and initiatives with the goal of raising awareness about cybersecurity to increase the resiliency of the nation in the event of a cyber incident. Since the Presidential proclamation establishing Cybersecurity Awareness Month in 2004, the initiative has been formally recognized by Congress, federal, state and local governments and leaders from industry and academia. This united effort is necessary to maintain a cyberspace that is safer and more resilient and remains a source of tremendous opportunity and growth for years to come. For more information, visit staysafeonline.org/cybersecurity-awareness-month/
About National Cybersecurity Alliance
The National Cybersecurity Alliance is a nonprofit organization on a mission to create a more secure, interconnected world. We advocate for the safe use of all technology and educate everyone on how best to protect ourselves, our families and our organizations from cybercrime. We create strong partnerships between governments and corporations to amplify our message and to foster a greater "digital" good. National Cybersecurity Alliance's core efforts include Cybersecurity Awareness Month (October); Data Privacy Week (Jan. 24-28); and CyberSecure My Business™, which offers webinars, web resources and workshops to help businesses be resistant to and resilient from cyberattacks. For more information, please visit staysafeonline.org.
Media Contact
Identity Theft Resource Center
Alex Achten
Head of Earned & Owned Media Relations
888.400.5530 Ext. 3611
[email protected]
SOURCE Identity Theft Resource Center
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