DHS secretary kicks off cybersecurity awareness month
Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano kicked off National Cyber Security Awareness Month at the 2011 Michigan Cyber Summit. There she discussed the importance of cybersecurity and cyber resilience.
"From the kitchen table to the classroom, from business transactions to essential government operations and services, cybersecurity is an issue that touches all of us," Napolitano said at the event, held at Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti. "By taking a few basic steps to keep yourself and your family safe online, we can all work together to create a safe, secure and resilient cyber environment."
Napolitano said the department is committed to enhancing the federal government's capacity to protect against cyber threats. Part of the mission is to secure unclassified networks for federal civilian departments and agencies (the .gov domain) and work with critical infrastructure personnel to strengthen facilities’ risk assessment, mitigation and incident-response capabilities.
It will take the entire nation to stave off cyber attacks so the department continues to expand its Stop.Think.Connect. program, a year-round national awareness campaign to encourage Americans to be safe online, Napolitano said. The online program was designed to promote simple steps the public can take to increase their safety and security online and “empower individuals and enterprises across cyber networks to enhance their own security,” she said.
The summit — hosted by Gov. Rick Snyder — was attended by Reps. John Dingell (D-Mich.), Congressman Mike Rogers (R-Mich.) and Hansen Clarke (D-Mich), as well as representatives from state, local and private-sector partners.