October is our favourite time of year. It’s not the crisp mornings, autumnal colours, or even Halloween that gets us all of a flutter. No, it’s because October is European Cybersecurity Month (ECSM).

What is European cybersecurity month?

ECSM is an annual cybersecurity awareness campaign, coordinated by the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA) and the European Commission. It’s supported by all EU member states and more than 300 corporate partners. 

The campaign aims to promote online security among EU citizens. Each year, hundreds of activities such as conferences, workshops and webinars take place across Europe throughout October. From Ljubljana to Lisbon, businesses, governments and NGOs come together to provide the latest cybersecurity information and best practices.

2020's official slogan is ‘Cybersecurity is a Shared Responsibility’. However, under this broad title, ENISA chooses some relevant themes each year. And this edition’s themes are very close to our heart. 

What are the themes for 2020?

This year’s ESCM campaign tackles security issues surrounding the ‘digitalisation of everyday life.’ In simple terms, that’s the switch many of us have made to working remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the problems it raises. 

Encouraging EU citizens to ‘Think Before U Click’, the 2020 campaign digs into a couple of important themes to help people guard against cyber threats. 

The first theme is ‘Cyber Scams’.  Activities and events will focus on phishing, attacks on business email accounts, and online shopping fraud. The goal is to give everyone the knowledge to identify scams and navigate online life safely. 

The second theme, and the one we’re most excited about, is ‘Digital Skills’. It tackles e-privacy matters such as personal data protection, cyber-bullying and cyber-stalking. Sessions in this category will promote proper cyber hygiene and good online practices. 

We’re particularly pleased about the cyber hygiene element of the ‘Digital Skills’ theme. We're on a mission to make cyber hygiene part of everyday life. A bit like brushing your teeth or leaving the house with a facemask. 

How can you get involved? 

Getting involved in ECSM 2020 couldn’t be easier. Simply head over to https://www.cybersecuritymonth.eu/ and book yourself onto some of the activities on offer. There’s everything from webinars to workshops and you’re bound to be able to find something to suit your business in your home country. Alternatively, why not join the conversation on social media by searching for the hashtag ‘#cybersecuritymonth’?

Let’s make 2020 the year we all improve our understanding of cybersecurity. 

Looking to improve your cybersecurity but not sure where to begin? Start by getting certified in Cyber Essentials, the UK government scheme that covers all the fundamentals of cyber hygiene.

As our dependence on online resources and internet-enabled devices grows, cybersecurity has never been more important. In the past, cybersecurity was focused on threats. Say, someone accessing your bank account and stealing money. But that's changing fast as we become more aware of threats to our data. And it's these challenges that are the theme of this edition of European Cybersecurity Month. 

European Cybersecurity Month 

European Cybersecurity Month (ECSM) is an annual event held every October. The aim of ECSM is to promote cybersecurity and improve society's awareness of threats. To do this, ECSM provides education and resources throughout the month to help individuals and companies to improve their cybersecurity. As part of ECSM, over 370 events are being held across 34 countries. Similar events are held in other parts of the world too. For instance, America has National Cybersecurity Awareness Month and Canada has Cyber Security Awareness Month. 

ECSM themes 

The theme of this year’s ECSM is the same as previous years: “Cybersecurity is a shared responsibility”. To put it more simply,  cybersecurity requires input from governments, businesses, and individuals. Businesses need to create products with built-in privacy and security measures. Individuals need to secure their data. And governments need to continually update and pass new legislation – take the EU's GDPR for example. 

Sub-themes 

ECSM is split into two sub-themes. The first, 'Cyber Hygiene’, is very close to our heart and focuses on developing daily routines for cybersecurity. Think of it like brushing your teeth or hitting the gym before work. 

The second is 'Emerging `Technology'. This tackles how new technology can pose cybersecurity challenges. The aim is to educate individuals and businesses on the issue and, ultimately, suggest some ways to overcome it.

Should you get cybersecurity certification? 

All this talk about cybersecurity challenges has probably got you thinking. What about your own organisation? What can you do to improve cybersecurity, today? Well, a great place to start is Cyber Essentials certification. It's a UK government scheme that covers all the essentials of cyber hygiene and provides a great base to work from.