National Cyber Security Alliance Hosts Online Safety Workshops For Consumers And Small Businesses In Indianapolis

The National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) is a nonprofit, public-private partnership focused on helping all citizens stay safer and more secure online. On Thursday, Nov. 14, NCSA will host two free cybersecurity workshops – one for consumers and the other for businesses – at the Indianapolis Marriott North Hotel.

On the heels of National Cybersecurity Awareness Month (NCSAM) held annually in October, NCSA continues its mission to educate everyone to stay safer and more secure online. By sharing user-friendly tools and resources for families and employees, NCSA will help both groups learn highly effective cybersecurity basics. With increased awareness about the importance of staying cybersecure, the time to take action is now. NCSA’s Director of Education & Strategic Initiatives Daniel Eliot will facilitate both events.

The average American household has eight internet-connected devices per person and a quarter of adults are constantly connected. With this increased connectivity, it is imperative that consumers keep up to date with simple but impactful steps to stay safe. At the Cyber-Secure Your Family & Home Workshop  (9:00a.m. – 11:00 a.m.), guests will learn cyber basics like how to secure a connected home and how to talk to family members about online safety and smart practices when “on the go.” Experts including Todd Kossow, Director, Midwest Region at the Federal Trade Commission and Nick Sturgeon, Director of Information Security at IU Health and IU School of Medicine will share knowledge and best practices. In addition, there will be plenty of resources for guests to take home.

Following the family-focused event, NCSA will host a CyberSecure My Business™ workshop. The event will remind attendees that smaller-sized organizations all have valuable data, which makes them prime targets for cyber criminals. These companies, which include retail, restaurants, non-profits, local governments, schools, etc., are often under-resourced when it comes to protecting their sensitive assets. NCSA has created a free, hands-on, half-day workshop to help organizations learn how to:

• Identify which business assets others want
• Protect those assets
• Detect when something has gone wrong
• Respond quickly and appropriately with an action plan

Special guests and industry experts leading the discussion include Special Agent John Davidson, Indianapolis Field Office at the FBI; Chris Farr, Advisor, Security Awareness and International Markets at Eli Lilly & Company; Meredith Harper, Vice President, CISO at Eli Lilly & Company; J.D. Henry, Cybersecurity Advisor, Region VII, Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency and Mark Swearingen, Attorney at Hall, Render, Killian, Heath & Lyman P.C.

“Whether at home or at work, we are all are connected by technology. Learning and practicing cybersecurity basics are a must. While it may seem like daunting task, there are user-friendly steps that families and businesses can implement to help protect their valuable data,” said Daniel Eliot. “Both of these workshops will share content that is designed to educate and impact people who do not necessarily have technical backgrounds. Our goal is simple: to empower everyone to take action to better secure their personal and business assets.”

NCSA’s CyberSecure My Business is a national program designed to help small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) learn to be safer and more secure online through a non-technical, non-threatening approach. NCSA travels to communities nationwide and educates SMBs on cybersecurity basics and offers real-life scenarios along with proactive steps to better secure data. The workshop in Indianapolis will provide a variety of free resources and will cover common cyber threats and cyber misconceptions, as well as offer actionable tips or “quick wins” to increase online security. Guests will have the opportunity to meet experts from different backgrounds, begin to build their cyber-risk strategy and ultimately use cybersecurity as a competitive advantage.―CT Bureau