Computer Security Day: Official or Not, it’s a Worthy Observance

Computer Security DayIt’s hard to tell if Computer Security Day is an official observance. But just like computer security threats, it’s best to err on the safe side.

Computer Security Day has been marked each November 30 since 1988 to remind people to secure their computers, networks, data, and, in more recent years, mobile devices.

But it’s hard to tell if Computer Security Day is actually sanctioned by an authority or if it’s just an unofficial creation of technology lovers. It doesn't appear to be as instituted an event as say, National Cyber Security Awareness Month, which is backed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security each October.

Still, it’s useful to heed Computer Security Day whether it’s official or not. In that way, it’s much like the threats that the day is designed to guard against.

Waiting to be sure a threat is official is no way to handle cybersecurity. Software and hardware need to be designed with the expectation that nefarious forces are always conspiring to compromise it, or else it’s vulnerable. The possibility of a threat needs to be managed proactively around the clock because waiting to find out if the vulnerability is official means waiting until it’s far too late.

Likewise, waiting to be sure Computer Security Day is official is no way to mark the observance. The day has a worthy message to be proactive when it comes to cybersecurity, so taking part is in everyone’s best interests. Waiting to find out if Computer Security Day is official means waiting far too long.

What can you do for Computer Security Day? For one, you can read the 5 security steps that every software maker needs to take.

Assume you aren’t as secure as you could be, and observe Computer Security Day to become more secure.

Our Chief Security Officer's motto: "Security: You're doing it wrong."

Photo via computersecurityday.org