The threat level in the airline sector is High or Orange. Read more.
The National Cybersecurity Awareness Campaign Challenge has concluded the entry phase and is no longer accepting proposals. Due to the overwhelming response all proposals are currently still being reviewed. The Department of Homeland Security would like to thank participants for their submissions. Participants may be contacted by a Department representative with follow up questions regarding proposals, and finalists will be notified by mid- to late-summer, 2010.
Every day Americans are incorporating new and innovative technologies. This exposure has increased our dependence on computers, smartphones and other online resources at home, at work and at school. Our growing reliance on technology, coupled with the increased threat of malicious cyber attacks and loss of privacy, has given rise to the need for greater security of our lives online.
The very technologies that empower us to be more efficient, to multi-task, to manage our finances, and to communicate with family and friends also empower those who can invade, disrupt and destroy the worlds we’ve created for ourselves online. As we continue to evolve our lives with technology, as our children speed by us online, the need to be more prepared, proactive and protected should be clear. Unfortunately this is often not the case and millions of Americans are not aware or are choosing to ignore the implications of not protecting themselves online.
President Obama declared cybersecurity one of the most serious economic and national security threats our nation faces. Working together, businesses, community-based organizations, the American public and the U.S. government, can rise to the challenge and create innovative and new ideas to improve our nation's cybersecurity.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is working with organizations including the National Cyber Security Alliance, to help families understand the importance of cybersecurity and that we all must share the responsibility of working together to improve our personal cybersecurity as well as the security of our nation's cyberspace.
Everyone has a stake in cybersecurity and we want to hear from you – whether you're a parent, high school or college-aged student, business executive, government employee or you work for a non-profit – you all have ideas that are relevant and meaningful and could be part of the solution to keeping our cyberspace safe.
As we develop messages in partnership to reach all Americans, we want the benefit of your ideas. How would you and your colleagues, friends, parents and children like to learn more about staying safe from cyber threats? The aim of this challenge is to gather and share the best, most creative ideas for making the public more aware and proactive when it comes to cybersecurity.
The goal of the National Cyber Challenge is to get the best ideas from organizations and individuals for clearly and comprehensively communicating about cybersecurity with the American public.
A selection committee from across the Department will select the best ideas and will incorporate them into a national public education campaign to be launched in the fall.
The Challenge is open to Americans of all ages with parental consent required for participants under the age of 18.
It should engage the Private Sector and Industry leaders to develop their own campaign strategy and metrics to track how to get a unified cyber security message out to the American public.
Selected participants of the Challenge will be invited to an event in Washington, DC, at their own expense, in late May or early June. Selected participants may be invited to work with the Department in the planning of the National Cybersecurity Awareness Campaign that will launch during National Cybersecurity Awareness Month in October.
Is the Cyber Challenge part of a larger White House effort?
The Cyber Challenge is one component of the National Cybersecurity Awareness Campaign called for in the White House Cyberspace Policy Review and President Obama. It is our hope to incorporate strong ideas received through the Cyber Challenge into the National campaign as it is developed and launched later this year.
Is the Cyber Challenge targeting submissions from individual citizen/groups or submissions from private industry as well?
The Cyber Challenge will accept submissions from all entities; however, the goal of the Challenge is to engage the public in the discussion of cybersecurity at a greater level. The Department is currently working with private sector stakeholders on a number of initiatives related to cybersecurity awareness – and through this effort, we’re hoping to gather more ideas and approaches for communicating the cybersecurity message to other individuals and segments of the nation.
What will the selected participants receive for being selected?
Selected participants will be invited to an event in Washington, DC, at their own expense and will be announced in late May or early June. Selected participants will be asked to voluntarily participate in the planning of the National Cyber Security Awareness Campaign and to ready the campaign for its launch during Cyber Security Awareness Month in October.
When will selected participants be notified?
Selected participants of the Challenge will be notified and invited to an event in Washington, DC, at their own expense, in late May or early June.
Once a proposal for the Cyber Challenge is submitted to the Department of Homeland Security, is it considered "property of DHS?" What about the personal information provided as part of the submission – will that be protected?
Once submitted, the materials become the property of the Department of Homeland Security for use as the Department determines fit. Individuals providing submissions should have no expectation of privacy. The information provided, including personal information, will be shared with Department employees involved in the review and selection process. Personal information is protected by security safeguards that protect from unauthorized viewing. Personal information will be retained in physical form for up to six months after the final Cyber Challenge deadline.
There is no expectation of privacy. The information you send, including your personal information, will be shared with those with an official need to know. Once submitted, you have no control over the uses of the information. Your information is protected by security safeguards that protect from unauthorized viewing. Your information will be retained in physical form for up to six months after the final Cyber Challenge deadline.
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