National Cybersecurity Awareness Campaign - "Stop. Think. Connect."

STOP / THINK / CONNECT

On behalf of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), I am delighted to introduce you to the Stop. Think. Connect. Update! This newsletter will provide you with Stop. Think. Connect. Campaign news and will feature Campaign programs and activities each month. We've launched a new Campaign web page, www.dhs.gov/stopthinkconnect, which offer links to free, customizable tools and resources you can use to help us educate the American public on what they can do to be safer and more secure online.

On October 4, 2010, Howard Schmidt, White House Cybersecurity Coordinator and Special Advisor to the President, and DHS Deputy Secretary Jane Holl Lute officially launched Stop. Think. Connect. at the Seattle Public Library, along with the kick off of National Cybersecurity Month. Read Mr. Schmidt's post on the White House Blog.

To learn how you can get involved with Stop. Think. Connect., visit the Campaign Events & Activities section of the web page. Included here you find more information about: cyber forums we'll be hosting in collaboration with the National Centers of Academic Excellence to bring together diverse groups of community, private and government participants for dialogues on cybersecurity issues; opportunities to lead or host campaign activities through our Friends of the Campaign program; and how to join the Campaign coalition of public and private sector organizations.

Cybersecurity begins with each of us. We must each take the basic steps to ensure the security of our computers and online lives. By protecting ourselves, we make the Internet a safer place for everyone. Stop. Think. Connect. -- and stay safer online.

Bruce McConnell
Senior Counselor, National Protection and Programs Directorate
U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Stop. Think. Connect. Signature Programs & Activities
To create a strong foundation of both national and community-based support for Stop. Think. Connect., we will be implementing outreach and engagement programs that will reach our target audiences as well as the public and private sectors. Those programs include:

• "Friends of the Campaign" Program
  The Friends of the Campaign program is an opportunity to impact local communities as a part of the larger national Stop. Think. Connect. effort. Those who become "friends" may implement a variety of activities including distributing campaign materials, leading or hosting campaign activities, and identifying local media opportunities to help promote the campaign.
• Cyber Citizen Forums
  The campaign will host cyber forums in collaboration with National Centers of Academic Excellence across the country to generate dialogue and prompt action to support the nationwide campaign and will bring together participants including university students and leaders, high school students, parents, Cyber Challenge finalists, community-based organizations, private sector stakeholders, representatives from selected federal agencies.
• Cyber Awareness Coalition
  By becoming a member of the Cyber Awareness Coalition, organizations can help the Department in getting the word out about Stop. Think. Connect. The Coalition is open to any public or private sector organizations at no cost. As a member, organizations will receive access to Campaign materials, templates, resources, and tips to assist with promoting cybersecurity and Stop. Think. Connect.

Stop. Think. Connect. Public and Private Involvement
Since the launch of Stop. Think. Connect., many public and private sector partners have been stepping up to the plate to help educate consumers about how they can be safer and more secure online. For example:

• AT&T is reaffirming its commitment to cybersecurity education with multiple initiatives designed to communicate Stop. Think. Connect. among customers, employees and key stakeholders. During the month of October, AT&T's consumer bill page and att.net homepage will reference Stop. Think. Connect. as well as direct subscribers to AT&T's online safety web site for more information and tools, such as anti-virus software, on how to stay safe online. AT&T is also planning several activities to incorporate the Campaign's message into internal communications regarding National Cyber Security Awareness Month in October to help educate employees on the importance of cybersecurity and provide them with resources to improve their personal online security, protect their families and friends, and discuss cybersecurity in their local communities.
• Hundreds of employee volunteers from Massachusetts-based EMC and its RSA Security Division are dedicating an entire month of service in classrooms and youth groups by teaching school-age children in 22 states and 6 countries about safe and responsible online behavior using the Cyber Security Awareness Volunteer Education (C-SAVE) curriculum. In addition to a month-long advertising and publicity campaign, the company also released a fun and educational Stop. Think. Connect. song and music video as part of its campaign activities.
• ESET is incorporating the message of Stop. Think. Connect. into the existing cybersecurity awareness activities of its "Securing Our eCity" initiative. Securing Our eCity (SOeC), a public-private partnership between local businesses, government and law enforcement has grown to include both national and international stakeholders. To further the work of Stop. Think. Connect. SOeC is building upon the proactive stance that the city of San Diego has toward cyber awareness, education and preparation, through a series of billboards and PSAs highlighting the Stop. Think. Connect. message. It has also taken the message online, with cyberbullying awareness videos and other educational collateral both on the SOeC website, retail partners and various social media channels.
• Facebook has developed a Stop. Think. Connect. security quiz that is 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. Facebook is promoting the quiz through updates to the News Feeds of the more than 2.6 million people who have "liked" the Facebook Security Page, as well as the more than 20 million people who have "liked" the Facebook Page. Facebook has also donated 35 million ad impressions globally over the month of October to promote both the quiz and message.
• Microsoft's Online Safety and Privacy Education page features the Stop. Think. Connect. messaging as well as a host of other tips, advice and guidance.
• Verizon is using the Campaign as a cornerstone of a yearlong global focus on the importance of cybersecurity. Verizon's multi-pronged campaign will be directed at consumer and business clients, employees and associates as well as other key stakeholders such as shareholders and government partners. The company continues to place a heavy emphasis on "baked-in" security, meaning products and services have a layer of security already included. Additionally, Verizon plans to host educational security sessions for employees, consumers and business clients while sharing ongoing security tips through a variety of online channels including Facebook and Twitter.
• Costco wrote a feature story on Stop. Think. Connect. in the October 2010 issue of Costco Connection.
• Visa Inc. is promoting Stop. Think. Connect. and providing additional education for payment cardholders to stay safe while transacting online. A new Web resource at http://visasecuritysense.com/ supports the campaign with practical know-how for protecting account information online, avoiding payment card scams and resolving unauthorized card use.

Upcoming Events
Review a listing of National Cybersecurity Awareness Month events happening all over the country.

For More Information
There are many ways to get involved in Stop. Think. Connect., including joining the coalition or becoming a friend of the Campaign. To learn more about the Campaign, visit www.dhs.gov/stopthinkconnect.