THURSDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2018

Technology plays a vital role in our daily lives and in our future. Today many citizens, schools, libraries, businesses and other organizations use the Internet for a variety of tasks, including keeping in contact with family and friends, managing personal finances, performing research, enhancing education and conducting business.

Internet users and our information infrastructure face an increasing threat of malicious cyber-attack, significant financial and personal privacy losses due to identity theft and fraud.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has established the Office of Cybersecurity and Communications and devoted resources within it solely to support the strengthening and securing of the country’s cyber infrastructure at the state, local, tribal, and territorial levels.

Maintaining the security of cyberspace is a shared responsibility in which each of us has a critical role, and awareness of computer security essentials will improve the security of our information infrastructure and economy.

The U.S.  Department  of  Homeland  Security  (www.dhs.gov/cyber), the  Multi-State  Information  Sharing  and Analysis Center (www.msisac.org),  the National Association  of State Chief Information  Officers (www.nascio.org)  and the National  Cyber  Security  Alliance  (www.staysafeonline.org)  have  declared  October  as National  Cyber  Security  Awareness Month;  and all citizens  are encouraged  to visit these sites, along  with Stop.Think.Connect  (www.stopthinkconnect.org) to learn about cyber security and put that knowledge into practice in their homes, schools, workplaces and businesses.