Introduction
In October 2024, iCSS organised a Cyber Security Awareness Month (iCSS-CSM24), which saw many activities for raising awareness on cyber security among students, staff and visitors of the University of Kent and local people living in the Kent and Medway region.
The Kent and Medway wide activities were organised jointly with three local ecosystem building bodies, KMCC (Kent & Medway Cyber Cluster Ltd), KMCSN (Kent & Medway CyberSchools Network), and the University of Kent’s student society on cyber security – KMCS3 (Kent & Medway Cyber Security Student Society).
Activities
Below is a list of all activities of the iCSS-CSM24:
- A “Creative Cyber” Exhibition open from 7th to 31st October, organised by iCSS with support from iCCi (Institute of Cultural and Creative Industries) of the University of Kent, KMCC, KMCS3 and KMCSN
- Four cyber screening nights on the last four Wednesdays in October, jointly organised with KMCS3 and the Lupino Film Club
- Two cyber security escape room games and a number of comic books in cyber security and online safety supplied by Xcapism Learning Ltd
- One cyber/AI fables event, as part of an AHRC-funded project “Rethinking Fables in the Age of Global Environmental Crisis” led by Dr Kaori Nagai from the School of Classics, English and History of the University of Kent
- One NCSC CyberFirst Girls Competition Familiarisation Day held at the Maidstone Grammar School for Girls (MGGS) for Year 8 girls studying at local schools in Kent and Medway
- The IET Jennison Lecture 2024 on “From data flow analysis to data security, privacy, responsible AI, and more”, given by the iCSS Director Professor Shujun Li
- A cyber security awareness webinar for local organisations, jointly organised with Eastern Cyber Resilience Centre (ECRC) and KMCC
- Various student engagement activities of KMCS3
Although such activities were organised mainly for students and staff of the University of Kent, most were open to the general public.
Background: Cyber Security Awareness Month (CSM) as a worldwide initiative
The idea of a Cyber Security Awareness Month in October originally started in the USA, and the first of such National Cybersecurity Awareness Months (NCSMs) was organised in 2004, declared by the President and Congress of the USA. Later the European Union adopted the idea, and started the European Cybersecurity Month (ECSM) in 2012. In the UK, different organisations have been promoting the Cyber Security Awareness Month in October, e.g., DSIT, NHS and the cyber security training sector. Several UK universities have organised Cyber Security Awareness Month in the past, e.g., University College London (UCL); Queen Mary University of London; Royal Holloway, University of London; and University of Portsmouth.
