Since 2004, October has been recognized as National Cyber Security Awareness Month – a time when government, private and nonprofit organizations and individuals come together to enhance protection of Americans’ digital lives. Almost every aspect of our daily activities now involves the internet. Today, every citizen should know how to secure their information.

This October is the 13th annual National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM), a collaborative effort between government and industry to ensure everyone has the resources they need to be safer, more secure and better able to protect their personal information online.

Who doesn’t love larger-than-life characters? Celebrities fascinate us. From laughter to tears, their performances stay in our memories, sometimes even in the form of hilarious internet memes. Unfortunately, however, all this attention also piques the interest of another group: cybercriminals.

National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM) kicks off on Oct. 1, and we hope you'll participate by helping promote a safer, more secure and more trusted internet all month long. The first week of NCSAM 2016 focuses on STOP. THINK. CONNECT.™: The Basic Steps to Online Safety and Security.

President Obama announces a new campaign under the STOP. THINK. CONNECT. ™ effort called Lock Down Your Login.

72 percent of Americans believe their accounts are secure with only a username and password. Yet, every two seconds there is another victim of identity fraud. You have enough to worry about, so what can you do about it? Luckily, there’s a simple and quick way to put you in control of your personal information and keep your key accounts like email, banking and social media safer.

Customers appreciate a company who puts effort into keeping them safe. Customers will be more likely to frequent a business where they know they can securely transact. That is why it is vital for retailers to treat data security seriously.

#CyberAware is a monthly newsletter – created for parents – by the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA). This month, we’re sharing resources to help you improve the family tech talk along with recent family online safety news.

The Consumer Federation of America (CFA) and its Identity Theft Service Best Practices Working Group, which include consumer advocates and identity theft service providers, have created a new resource – “My company’s had a data breach, now what? 7 questions to ask when considering identity theft services.”

A look back at cybersecurity headlines that executives and board members should consider when assessing and managing cyber risk.