WASHINGTON, D.C. – October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, which focuses on raising awareness about the importance of cyber security to ensure that end-users have the resources needed to be safer and more secure online. The Department of Homeland Security began National Cybersecurity Awareness Month in 2004, and it has taken on new meaning during the current pandemic, noted Manny Cancel, NERC senior vice president and CEO of the organization’s Electricity Information Sharing and Analysis Center (E-ISAC).
“As NERC, the electricity industry and much of the country continue the pandemic-driven remote work posture, NERC and the E-ISAC remain mindful of the increased cyber risk posed by an unprecedented amount of telework,” Cancel said. “Consequently, cyber adversaries are ramping up their efforts to attack the business and industrial control networks of asset owners and operators that manage the North American bulk power system. National Cybersecurity Awareness Month raises awareness about the importance of cyber security across our nation and reminds us to continue being vigilant against threats that include phishing attacks and ransomware.”
The E-ISAC encourages its members to practice good cyber hygiene, apply security patches as soon as possible and share cyber incident information with the E-ISAC.
On October 1, the E-ISAC became a 2020 Cybersecurity Awareness Month Champion of the Cyber Security Alliance. The alliance’s champions comprise a wide range of public and private sector organizations dedicated to promoting a safer, more secure and trusted internet.
