International Computer Security Day: History, Significance, What to do

International Computer Security Day: Nothing is safe on the internet, not even where we bank, how we spend our money, or who we vote for in office. That’s why November 30 is National Day for Computer Safety.

International Computer Security Day: History

On November 2, 1988, experts at Cornell University found an unknown virus on their computers. The “Morris worm” virus spread to other university systems and the ARPANET, an early form of the internet, within four hours of being found.

Six days later, two computer experts from the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) said that a “National Computer Infection Action Team” (NCAT) should be set up to deal with these kinds of threats 24 hours a day, seven days a week. On November 14, the Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) was set up by the Software Engineering Institute (SEI), a study center at Carnegie Mellon University.

Back in 1988, National Computer Security Day was first held. At that time, computers were starting to be used by most people, though not in every home yet. A lot of people, especially in business and government, used computers more in the 1980s. The internet was also just getting started.

Although hackers and viruses have been around since the early days of modern computing, as technologies got better and more people started to use them, more security risks arose because more data was at risk when computers were used in businesses, banks, and government offices.

The National Cyber Awareness System was created when CERT and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security worked together in 2003.

The goals are pretty much the same for both National Computer Security Day and National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, which both happen in October.

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Significance

There is nothing public about your private life. Things like your bank account and shots you shouldn’t have taken are in it. On this day, we remind people that they should be able to believe that their privacy will be kept safe. We can stay safe by protecting our data, using strong passwords, and making sure our security software is always up to date. The “bad old days” should stay in your mind, not someone else’s news feed!

During this holiday, we remember that bugs can spread. You put the safety of both devices at risk when you connect an infected device to another one. From there, it’s not hard to get into a whole network.

It’s not often that people who work in protection systems are praised. Because tech changes so quickly, hackers are always one step ahead. As of today, October 27, it’s Computer Security Day. This is a great time to honour the hackers who do a job.

What to do on International Computer Security Day?

There are different ways for businesses to mark National Computer Security Day. You can help them plan a luncheon where your workers can hear inspiring speeches and talk in-depth about how to keep their computers safe.

Every so often, there are also games, trivia nights, and workshops that can be used to teach them about phishing attacks and answer your questions about online risks.