By Amitava Biswas, Chief Information Security Officer
Cybersecurity is a top priority for the Department of FISCal (FI$Cal), and with National Cybersecurity Awareness Month in its 18th year this October, now is a great time to be aware of cybersecurity best practices to avoid becoming a victim.
Internally, FI$Cal plans a special cybersecurity awareness campaign every year during this time. Through this campaign, FI$Cal enhances the cybersecurity awareness of our employees by disseminating information about emerging threats and providing practical tips that every employee can take to keep FI$Cal’s infrastructure and data safe. At FI$Cal, cybersecurity is a shared responsibility that goes beyond information technology department staff.
Many cyberattacks are spearheaded through social engineering. Social engineering uses deception to manipulate individuals into sharing confidential or personal information. Phishing attacks are a common type of social engineering, where bad actors send information, usually via email, that purport to be from a company or someone the individual knows; they request the person to click on a link to download information, or to send sensitive information. The good news is that many of these social engineering attacks could be prevented by individuals being more aware.
Given the ever-increasing sophistication of cyberattacks, FI$Cal keenly watches alerts from various organizations such as the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and the California Department Technology and takes steps to implement additional protections and plans to send out best practice tips periodically throughout the year.
Cybersecurity at FI$Cal is about protecting the vital financial systems and data that keep California running. Here, every staff member is part of FI$Cal’s defenses. By practicing vigilance, acquiring safe habits like pausing before clicking links, and staying alert to suspicious requests, our teams are directly contributing to the resilience of our department and the state as a whole.
Security is everyone’s responsibility, and each person can be an active partner in this effort. To find out more information about cybersecurity awareness month, along with resources on how to be more secure, visit www.staysafeonline.org.