Since 2004, the president of the United States and Congress have declared the month of October to be Cybersecurity Awareness Month, a dedicated month for the public and private sectors, and tribal communities to work together to raise awareness about the importance of cybersecurity.
CSM has partnered with the National Cybersecurity Alliance (NCA) to be a 2024 Champion of Cybersecurity Awareness Month to share resources with our college community on how to stay safe online and secure our world.
Secure Our World
Whether you know it or not, YOU play a major role in our CSM’s cybersecurity program and in securing our world. Cyber threats can be scary, and for good reason. Malware or phishing attempts could be lurking in any suspicious email that finds its way into your inbox, and we're increasingly connected through digital tools, which allows more of our sensitive information to be online. With technological convenience comes risks. Fortunately, CSM’s Cybersecurity Team has implemented many tools and protocols to keep cyberattacks at bay, but we can’t do it without your help!
That may sound intimidating, but that’s why CSM is recognizing Cybersecurity Awareness Month this October by sharing tips to promote a strong and resilient security culture at CSM. Chances are you’re already doing your part. Reporting a phishing email to IMT, discussing a news-making cyberattack with a coworker, and using multi-factor authentication—that’s security culture at work!
CSM’s employees and students are a vital part of the cybersecurity program. It takes a team to protect our data, programs, and systems.
Cybersecurity Awareness Month will focus on four key behaviors:
Use strong passwords.
Turn on multi-factor authentication.
Update your software.
Recognize and report phishing.
CSM is excited to be a 2024 Champion of Cybersecurity Awareness Month to promote education and awareness for online safety. The Division of Information Management and Technology has partnered with the Division of Learning's Technology Department faculty to promote cybersecurity awareness to our students, faculty, and staff through the month of October.
The Division of Information Management and Technology and the Division of Learning's Technology Department have partnered to offer a variety of events to share cybersecurity awareness with our students.
Events will include outreach tables at each campus’s Fall Festival throughout the month and hosted workshops from Technology Department faculty.
In January 2023, the President's Council approved a requirement for mandatory, annual cybersecurity training by all CSM employees. The recommendation was made by the Information Management Team (IMT) and Human Resources to increase the education, understanding, and knowledge of tips and best practices that help support safe and secure usage of IT resources. Most organizations, including the federal government, require an annual course in cybersecurity awareness training.
The cybersecurity awareness training is important for our CSM users because it will:
Teach CSM users internet safety tips and best practices, increase user awareness of activities they should avoid, and help users protect their computers, applications, and network devices from cyber-attacks. The training also helps users protect their online accounts from being hacked or stolen.
Help prevent phishing attacks, decrease user susceptibility to phishing attacks, and reduce malware risks.
Help prevent cyber-attacks by teaching users cybersecurity tips and best practices.
Help ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of CSM data, systems, and applications.
The division of Information Management and Technology's Network Security Team has partnered with the division of Learning's Technology Department faculty to offer 30-minute in-person sessions at each campus through the month of October. Please see the chart below for a list of full offerings. In addition to the in-person sessions in October, IMT will continue to host additional Zoom sessions each month. Employees may choose to meet the annual training requirement by attending an in-person session in October, one of the monthly Zoom sessions throughout the year, or by completing the online course. Employees will have until October 2025 to complete the training requirement for the 2024-2025 year.
Campus/Room
Date
Time
La Plata ST129
10/7/2024
11 a.m.
Prince Frederick PFA108
10/2/2024
2 p.m.
Leonardtown C204
10/15/2024
2 p.m.
Hughesville HS136
10/23/2024
11 a.m.
How to Register:
To register for a live session in the month of October, log into NEOED and search Cybersecurity Live Training in the course catalog. This will pull up all the October Live/Zoom Sessions. You will be able to click on the session you’d like to attend by clicking enroll.
To register for the online self-paced course offered throughout the year, log into NEOED and search IMT-1145 in the course catalog. Click on enroll to register.
Dr. Gale Pomper, a professor at the College of Southern Maryland, holds numerous certifications from ISC2, Microsoft, Novell, and CompTIA, including CISSP-ISSEP, Server+, MCT, MCSE, MCTS for SharePoint, and MCTS and EMA for Exchange. She has over 25 years of experience installing and designing computer networks. She is the principal author of an exam guide for Windows 2000 Active Directory published in December 2001 and a contributing author for Windows XP Power Pack published in March 2003. For 15 years, Dr. Pomper was an independent consultant providing network design services, customized training, and SharePoint implementation services. In 2007, Dr. Pomper took a position working for the Department of Defense as a global exploitation and vulnerability analyst. She was the inaugural program director for Dreamport (now the NAC), USCYBERCOM’s Innovation Center and Mission Accelerator.
For the month of October, students and employees are invited to visit the CSM Velocity Center Makerspace during Open House hours for a tour and to print their own "I Got Cyber-Secure at CSM 2024" coaster!
Open House hours: Tuesday - Friday 12-6 p.m.
The challenge begins Oct. 1, 2024, and runs through May 23, 2025. Learners have up to seven months to complete six courses, one exam, and one industry certification, all of which are funded by Cisco, leading them to their first entry-level job opportunity in the cybersecurity industry. This event is open to all (students, faculty, staff, and community) so please share. Jumpstart your new career today!
Individuals who participate in the Learn-a-Thon and pass any eligible course exam with a 70% or above on any attempt will be awarded the respective course digital badge.
Individuals that participate in the Learn-a-Thon will receive a Cisco Learn-a-Thon experience digital badge.
A Cisco digital badge is an emblem that distinguishes an achievement that can be shared and validated digitally on LinkedIn, X, Facebook, and Xing via email, shared link, or embed code into a webpage or blog.
After the Learn-A-Thon, we encourage you to continue to complete the participating courses. The CCST Cybersecurity exam certification is an excellent steppingstone for learners to validate their skills and then continue on to associate-level certifications like CyberOps Associate or CCNA.
You can register for the courses by selecting the links below.
my.CSMD
Whether you know it or not, YOU play a major role in our CSM’s cybersecurity program and in securing our world. Cyber threats can be scary, and for good reason. Malware or phishing attempts could be lurking in any suspicious email that finds its way into your inbox, and we're increasingly connected through digital tools, which allows more of our sensitive information to be online. With technological convenience comes risks. Fortunately, CSM’s Cybersecurity Team has implemented many tools and protocols to keep cyberattacks at bay, but we can’t do it without your help!
