WASHINGTON—What do you do if you’re an unsuspecting victim of online consumer fraud? What if you went against your better judgment and sent money to someone who claimed to be a victim that had recently been robbed of their credit cards, passport and cell phone? Or what if you mistakenly entered your personal information into a website that appeared to be one that you frequently use—falling victim to a phishing scam—compromising your computer’s security and your personal information?
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) just launched the “Stop. Think. Connect.” cybersecurity campaign to engage and educate Americans about the importance of online safety, to promote responsible Internet use, fraud and predator awareness, and cyber-ethics.
“The Stop. Think. Connect. campaign will help equip the public with simple information to keep themselves and their families safe and secure on the Internet,” said DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano, in a statement. “We all share a responsibility to prevent cyberattacks and increase our nation’s resilience to cyberthreats.”
The effort was kicked off in Seattle in conjunction with October 2010 National Cybersecurity Awareness Month. It fulfills a key element of President Obama’s 2009 Cyberspace Policy Review, which tasked DHS with developing public awareness about ways to use technology safely.
President Obama has declared that the “cyberthreat is one of the most serious economic and national security challenges we face as a nation” and that “America’s economic prosperity in the 21st century will depend on cybersecurity.”
The National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) recommends that in the event that one’s computer is hacked or infected by a virus: immediately unplug phone or cable line from the machine, scan the computer with fully updated anti-virus software, update the firewall, and notify the proper authorities—such as ones’ Internet service provider (ISP) or the FBI through its Internet Crime Complaint Center (www.ic3.gov).
Nearly all, 96 percent, of surveyed Americans feel a personal responsibility to be safe and secure online and 93 percent said that their online actions could also make the Internet safer for everyone around the world according to a Heart + Mind Strategies consumer survey.
Massachusetts-based information technology company EMC and hundreds of its RSA Security Division employees have volunteered to spend one month teaching school children in 22 states and six countries about safe and responsible online behavior using the NCSA’s Cybersecurity Awareness Volunteer Education curriculum. EMC recently paid the United States $87.5 million to settle accusations of fraudulent pricing, according to the Department of Justice. It was also accused of giving kickbacks to consultants for the government.
Facebook worked with NCSA, the Anti-Phishing Working Group (APWG), and Involver to develop a Stop. Think. Connect. security quiz that will be hosted on the Facebook Security Page. People who take the quiz will be able to test their knowledge and learn best practices for staying safe and secure online. After completing the quiz, they'll be able to post a badge to their Facebook wall and share tips with their friends.
The Stop. Think. Connect. campaign was developed with NCSA, APWG, government agencies, nonprofits, and the Online Consumer Safety and Messaging Convention, which includes among its members, ADP, AT&T, Facebook, Symantec, Trend Micro, Verizon, VeriSign, Yahoo!, the U.S. Department of Justice, and the U.S. Social Security Administration.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) just launched the “Stop. Think. Connect.” cybersecurity campaign to engage and educate Americans about the importance of online safety, to promote responsible Internet use, fraud and predator awareness, and cyber-ethics.
“The Stop. Think. Connect. campaign will help equip the public with simple information to keep themselves and their families safe and secure on the Internet,” said DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano, in a statement. “We all share a responsibility to prevent cyberattacks and increase our nation’s resilience to cyberthreats.”
The effort was kicked off in Seattle in conjunction with October 2010 National Cybersecurity Awareness Month. It fulfills a key element of President Obama’s 2009 Cyberspace Policy Review, which tasked DHS with developing public awareness about ways to use technology safely.
President Obama has declared that the “cyberthreat is one of the most serious economic and national security challenges we face as a nation” and that “America’s economic prosperity in the 21st century will depend on cybersecurity.”
The National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) recommends that in the event that one’s computer is hacked or infected by a virus: immediately unplug phone or cable line from the machine, scan the computer with fully updated anti-virus software, update the firewall, and notify the proper authorities—such as ones’ Internet service provider (ISP) or the FBI through its Internet Crime Complaint Center (www.ic3.gov).
Nearly all, 96 percent, of surveyed Americans feel a personal responsibility to be safe and secure online and 93 percent said that their online actions could also make the Internet safer for everyone around the world according to a Heart + Mind Strategies consumer survey.
Massachusetts-based information technology company EMC and hundreds of its RSA Security Division employees have volunteered to spend one month teaching school children in 22 states and six countries about safe and responsible online behavior using the NCSA’s Cybersecurity Awareness Volunteer Education curriculum. EMC recently paid the United States $87.5 million to settle accusations of fraudulent pricing, according to the Department of Justice. It was also accused of giving kickbacks to consultants for the government.
Facebook worked with NCSA, the Anti-Phishing Working Group (APWG), and Involver to develop a Stop. Think. Connect. security quiz that will be hosted on the Facebook Security Page. People who take the quiz will be able to test their knowledge and learn best practices for staying safe and secure online. After completing the quiz, they'll be able to post a badge to their Facebook wall and share tips with their friends.
The Stop. Think. Connect. campaign was developed with NCSA, APWG, government agencies, nonprofits, and the Online Consumer Safety and Messaging Convention, which includes among its members, ADP, AT&T, Facebook, Symantec, Trend Micro, Verizon, VeriSign, Yahoo!, the U.S. Department of Justice, and the U.S. Social Security Administration.
