Stop. Think. Connect.

October serves as a national awareness month for a variety of issues in the US. You may already know that this is the month that many organizations make their biggest push to raise funds for breast cancer research and that communities renew their commitment to the arts, and it’s also National Cyber Security Awareness Month. This year, the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) has kicked off October efforts to promote internet security by announcing their new public awareness campaign, STOP|THINK|CONNECT. The campaign strives to help end users remember that their actions on the web can affect their personal and financial security, as well as the security of others.

This message has been crafted and supported by a large and diverse group of government agencies and private companies that are dedicated to promoting a responsible and thoughtful approach to accessing the internet and sending information on the end user level. Efforts aim to increase general awareness of security issues on the web and also to educate users to protect themselves from breaches of privacy or corruption of their computer by malware. For example, participant companies like Microsoft have created pages on their websites with guidelines and resources to help consumers learn how to create stronger passwords and ensure that they have the appropriate protections in place.

While STOP|THINK|CONNECT is directed mainly towards promoting good habits in personal internet use, National Cyber Security Awareness Month is also a good time to remember that responsible internet practices are especially crucial for professionals. When handling private information for clients, it is extremely important that businesses focus on keeping up to date with the most comprehensive security solutions available.

This is one reason that professionals turn to ShareFile for help with transferring sensitive files through email or setting up secure portals to facilitate communication with clients. The ShareFile service provides encryption for transferred and stored files, password protection, audit features, flexible access controls within the account, and virus scan software. To learn more about our service, please visit our ShareFile Feature Overview page.