We all know habits shape our daily lives—whether it’s locking the door behind us or checking our email first thing in the morning. But when it comes to cybersecurity, it’s the right habits that can make or break your organization’s defenses. Cybersecurity Awareness Month 2024 is a great time to highlight how small, everyday actions can significantly enhance your digital security.

As part of this global effort to improve cybersecurity, in October we’ll be spotlighting key habits to adopt and sharing insights from this year’s Cybersecurity Awareness month themes.

What’s Cybersecurity Awareness Month?

Cybersecurity Awareness Month (CSAM) has been a global initiative since 2004, educating businesses and individuals about the importance of staying safe online. This annual campaign encourages everyone to adopt better habits for stronger online security.

Each year, the month revolves around key themes. For 2024, the theme is “Secure Our World,” which focuses on simple, effective steps that anyone can take to protect themselves and their organization from cyber threats. The foundation of this year’s campaign lies in developing strong cybersecurity habits that can dramatically reduce risk.

Habits That Secure Your World: The 2024 Themes

This year’s theme encourages us to focus on four essential cybersecurity habits:

• Use strong passwords and a password manager to make it easier to maintain security across accounts.
• Turn on multi-factor authentication (MFA) to protect sensitive accounts.
• Recognize and report phishing to avoid falling victim to cyber scams.
• Keep your software updated to stay protected against the latest threats​.

While these steps may seem small, incorporating them into your digital routine can significantly reduce the risk of a cyberattack. Just like locking your door becomes second nature, these habits can become your frontline defense in cybersecurity.

Why Cybersecurity Starts with Your Habits

When it comes to cybersecurity, human error is often the weakest link. In fact, the majority of data breaches are caused by someone using weak passwords, falling for phishing emails, or failing to update their software. But here’s the good news: these mistakes can be avoided when you have the right habits.

The key to building a strong cybersecurity culture lies in making security practices automatic. When every employee knows how to spot phishing attempts and software is kept up to date, these practices become an active part of your company’s defense. Cybersecurity Awareness Month is the perfect opportunity to kickstart or refresh these habits.

Throughout October, we’ll be sharing daily cybersecurity tips on LinkedIn and Facebook designed to help you and your team build better habits. These tips will cover everything from password management to recognizing phishing attempts, giving you practical advice that’s easy to implement.

Here’s how you can stay informed:

• Follow us on social media for daily tips.
• Share these tips with your team to reinforce good habits across your organization.
• Apply what you learn—even small changes can make a big difference in your cybersecurity posture.

By integrating these tips into your daily routine, you’ll be better equipped to protect your organization from cyber threats.

Make Cybersecurity a Habit

Cybersecurity isn’t just a one-time effort. By turning the right behaviors into habits, your team can help secure your company’s data every day. This Cybersecurity Awareness Month, we’re here to help you form the habits that will keep you safe online—not just in October, but year-round.