Cybersecurity Awareness

October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month

About

October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, an international initiative designed to empower individuals to take proactive steps to protect their online security. This year, the theme is “Secure Our World,” emphasizing the importance of safeguarding our personal data and digital interactions amid increasing cyber threats. CUNY is excited to support this global effort in partnership with the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the National Cybersecurity Alliance (NCA).

All Queensborough students, faculty, and staff should take the CUNY IT Security Awareness Course.

Using Strong Passwords and a Password Manager

Week 1 is focused on “Use Strong Passwords and a Password Manager.” Strong passwords should be long, random, unique to each application/service, and incorporate all four character types: uppercase, lowercase, numbers, and symbols. Password managers are an essential tool to help you generate and securely store strong passwords for each of your accounts.

Password Resources

You can find more information on passwords and password managers on the National Cybersecurity Awareness Alliance site
Secure Our World: Passwords Tip Sheet (CISA)
Tips for Stronger Passwords (Consumer Reports)

Helpful Password Tips

Make passwords long: At least 13 characters (the longer, the better!)
Use random strings or passphrases: Mix letters, numbers, and symbols or use unrelated words
Create unique passwords for each account: Never reuse passwords across different accounts
Use complex combinations: Upper- and lower-case letters, numbers, and special characters
Use a password manager: Simplifies password management, storing unique, complex passwords securely

Additional Resources and Tips

Facts and Figures

The National Cybersecurity Alliance 2023 Oh, Behave! report lists the following cybersecurity survey responses:

Only 38% of people use unique passwords for all their accounts
60% of people use strong passwords, indicating a gap in password security practices
46% of people create passwords that are 9 to 11 characters long, shorter than the recommended 13 characters

Our emails and supporting information are available from the National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM) page on the CUNY web site. We also provide a growing security resources list on the OUCH! website to read recent security articles or subscribe to the world’s leading, free security awareness newsletter designed for technology users.

If you have any questions about any of this information, please contact your college's Information Security Manager.

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Kupferberg Holocaust Center

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Russian Ballet performing at the Queensborough Performing Arts Center

QPAC: Performing Arts Center

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Queensborough Art Gallery exterior in the afternoon

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