European Cybersecurity Month 2023: Strengthening digital defence
Explore this year's theme and activities
This October we celebrate the annual European Cybersecurity Month (ECSM). Throughout the entire month, numerous activities take place across Europe, including conferences, workshops, trainings, webinars, presentations and more. These events aim to draw attention to digital security and cyber hygiene.
The ECSM is an annual campaign coordinated by the EU Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA) for over 10 years and is supported by The European Commission, Europol, The European Central Bank and EU Member States, EFTA countries, and more than 300 partners (governments, universities, think tanks, NGOs, professional associations, businesses) from Europe and beyond to promote cybersecurity among all European citizens and organisations. It also provides up-to-date online security information by raising awareness and sharing good practices.
Guided by the motto #BeSmarterThanAHacker, this year’s theme is social engineering, a top cyber threat. This edition focuses on examining where cybercriminals employ clever manipulation tactics to breach our security defences, such as phishing emails, impersonation scams and malware among others. Tips and tricks will be shared, that can be used to decode the tactics that hackers use, and the ECSM campaigners aim to empower everyone to recognize and thwart hackers' efforts.
Looking at the interplay between cybersecurity and open data involves carefully balancing accessibility and protection. This ensures that open data initiatives are shielded from potential vulnerabilities and cyber threats. Implementing robust cybersecurity measures in the context of open data fosters trust among users and encourages responsible sharing of information while mitigating risks associated with unauthorized access and misuse.
As we are halfway through the month already, some interesting ECSM activities have already taken place. For example, the Bucharest Cybersecurity Conference provided a platform for industry experts, thought leaders, policymakers, and professionals, to discuss and address the most pressing concerns facing the current cybersecurity ecosystem. A lot of trainings are also being held during ECSM, such as the training on how to start a career in cybersecurity. If you are interested in attending any of the activities, you can find an overview of the upcoming ECSM events here.
Interested to learn more about cybersecurity activities and further tips? You can consult the ECSM website and the ENISA website for more information. Also, stay tuned for our upcoming data story on leveraging open data to tackle the cybersecurity challenge of disinformation!
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