The Australian Cyber Security Centre has launched its Cyber Security Awareness Month (CSAM) campaign this October to raise awareness among all Australians over their cybersecurity practices.

The theme for Cyber Security Awareness Month 2023 is 'Be cyber wise – don't compromise'. During the month, all local governments are encouraged to improve their cyber security knowledge and take action and secure their information and devices.

This year's campaign recommends following simple steps on how to be more cyber wise:

• Update your devices regularly
• Turn on multi-factor authentication
• Backup your important files
• Use passphrases and password managers

Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) Annual Cyber Threat Report indicates that cybercrime is reported on average once every seven minutes, a 13% increase from the previous financial year.

The findings of the LGIS Cyber Pilot Program also reflect the same story with most local governments rating less than one (1) on the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) 8 maturity scale.

As part of the campaign, ASD has created a range of resources includes posters, web and email banners and social media tiles. Members can make use of these resources to spread awareness about the importance of best cybersecurity practices within their organisations.

To have a chat about your cyber risk practices and how to manage them, please get in touch with your LGIS account manager.