April is Cyberawareness Month!

Setting your clocks forward or back for Daylight Saving Time and replacing the batteries in smoke detectors are rituals repeated every spring and fall. Similarly, the National Cyber Security Alliance established April 4, 2004 and October 31, 2004, as Cyber Security Days to raise awareness about Internet safety and computer security issues (EDUCAUSE, 2004). While colleges and universities across the country planned security education and awareness events to help promote Cyber Security Day, Educational Technology Outreach planned a month’s worth of activities to help the K-20 community’s awareness of cybersecurity issues and promote safe online practices.

• Educause's Computer and Network Security Task Force hosted a kickoff event on September 30, 2004 [Read the statement]
• Rutgers University is encouraging its students, faculty, and staff to participate in National Cyber Security Month.
• University of Maryland's Project Nethics and OIT promoted "Spring Cleaning: Computers Need It Too!" through print and web based resources and a student awareness event.
• The University of Arizona developed a series of humorous posters to reinforce messages that are designed to prevent identity theft and other consequences of improperly secured computers.
• The Office of Information Technologies at the University of Virginia has published on the topic of developing campus-wide security education and awareness in EDUCAUSE Quarterly [PDF - 57KB] and serves as part of the Virginia Alliance for Secure Computing and Networking (VASCAN) that has compiled a collection of security tools and best practices from Virginia universities.

First held in 2002, the semi-annual National Cyber Security Days are coordinated with daylight savings in April and October in the U.S. and are intended to raise the public's awareness of cybersecurity issues and promote safe online practices. Read on to find out more about National Cyber Security Day:

• Stay Safe Online, National Cyber Security Alliance
• Business Software Alliance
• INFOWorld, By Paul Roberts, IDG News Service, April 05, 2004
• Securityitworld.com, IDG News Service 04/05/2004

While the semi-annual National Cyber Security Days might be a “well kept secret” to some, others like the National Cyber Security Alliance and EDUCAUSE’s Security Task Force encourage and support events, activities and programs that observe the Cyber Security Days, as well as all Cyber awareness initiatives.

Educational Technology Outreach feels strongly that 2 days (April 4th and October 31st) are not enough to help the K-20 community’s awareness of cybersecurity issues and promote safe online practices. Therefore, in addition to Maryland’s Math Month participation, it’s time to celebrate and participate in Cyber-awareness month.

A calendar format lists Cyber-awareness activities and resources that can help educators and their students celebrate Cyber-awareness Months in April and October. ETO would like to hear about the great things you do during April and October to promote Cyber-awareness. Schools’ participation may be showcased at the ETO website and the C3 Conference.

Activities contributed by: Brent Cunningham, Grace Cho, Sei-Hwa Jung, Adena Raub, Daniel Sheckells, Bryan Shuy, Scott Sines, and Sharon Wright, – participants in EDUC 478/698 - Information Technology in Schools

College of Education University of Maryland Benjamin Building College Park, MD 20742 http://www.edtechpolicy.org dpruitt@umd.edu

Copyright © 2004 College of Education   University of Maryland, College Park   http://www.education.umd.edu