U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Fortune 500 CEOs and Digital Industry Leaders to Ring Opening Bell and Explore Best-Practices to Manage Cyber Risk at NASDAQ MarketSite

Business Executives will Celebrate National Cyber Security Awareness Month by Urging Peers to Take a Risk-Management Approach to Cybersecurity

NEW YORK, Oct. 21, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- U.S. Department of Homeland Security Acting Secretary Rand Beers and Deputy Under Secretary for Cybersecurity Phyllis Schneck will join Fortune 500 CEOs and digital industry leaders today in ringing the NASDAQ MarketSite Opening Bell. The event, which is associated with National Cyber Security Awareness Month, will be followed by an afternoon panel discussion on the role executives and board members can take in managing cyber risk and will highlight the importance of stronger cybersecurity practices throughout the business community. 

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A public-private initiative in its 10^th year, National Cyber Security Awareness Month is coordinated and led by National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The month's universal theme is "Our Shared Responsibility," which encourages everyone to take ownership of their role in staying safer online and making the Internet more secure for all. During the week of October 21-25, the business community will come together in various settings to explore how enterprises can take part in making the Internet safer through making their businesses more cybersecure and fighting cybercrime.

The celebration also marks the launch of Re:Cyber, a new cyber risk online platform developed in partnership by NCSA and Business Executives for National Security (BENS). Re:Cyber supplies business leaders with a basis for determining cyber risk in their own companies and a roadmap for devising a plan on how best to manage it. Businesses will be able to tailor the advice available on the platform to fit their company's business model, ensuring ideal cyber best-practices are put into action. The information can be found at: http://www.staysafeonline.org/re-cyber/about/.

Businesses need to create a stronger culture of cybersecurity within their organizations. When NCSA last polled small and mid-sized businesses about their online safety posture, eighty-three percent of them did not have a written plan in place for keeping their business cyber-secure; while eighty-seven percent of these businesses did not have a formal written Internet security policy for employees. These numbers illustrate the importance of educational resources and support for the business community as it collectively strives to elevate its cybersecurity stature.

"We're excited about our partnership with BENS. Re:Cyber will provide an important portal for executives and boards to get up-to-date information to make their companies more resistant to and resilient from cyber attacks," said Michael Kaiser, executive director of NCSA. "We hope today's discussions will inspire even more companies to adopt strong cybersecurity practices as part of their regular business activities and to better understand the need to protect data, intellectual property and their customers."

"Raising awareness of the cyber threat at the CEO, Audit Committee and Board levels helps leaders in the private sector mitigate cyber risks that affect us all," said Gen. Norton A. Schwartz, president and CEO of Business Executives for National Security. "We're thrilled to join forces with NCSA and others to assist executives in better managing cyber risk at the enterprise level."

"Engaging with the business community around cybersecurity has never been more important than it is today," said Andrew Lee, CEO of ESET North America. "Discussing cybersecurity concerns openly is the best way to ensure we can all live safely in a digital age, so we are delighted that BENS and NCSA have provided a platform to do so."

In addition to the Re:Cyber offering, more information and tips are available at www.staysafeonline.org. You can also learn more information about staying safe online by participating in #ChatSTC Twitter Chats throughout October.  A full listing of Twitter Chats is available at: http://www.stopthinkconnect.org/get-involved/twitter-chats/.

About National Cyber Security Awareness Month
Now in its 10th year, NCSAM is an awareness raising initiative to increase the resistance to cyber attacks and resilience if a cyber incident occurs. Since President Obama's proclamation in 2004, NCSAM has been formally recognized by Congress; federal, state and local governments, as well as leaders from industry and academia. The effort of government, industry and others during the month brings online safety and security messaging to millions of people so they are empowered to use the Internet safely and more secure. For more information, visit http://www.staysafeonline.org/ncsam or www.dhs.gov/national-cyber-security-awareness-month.

About The National Cyber Security Alliance
The National Cyber Security Alliance is a non-profit organization. Through collaboration with the government, corporate, non-profit and academic sectors, the mission of the NCSA is to educate and empower a digital citizenry to use the Internet securely and safely protect themselves and the technology they use and the digital assets we all share. NCSA board members include: ADP, AT&T, Bank of America, Comcast, EMC Corporation, ESET, Facebook, Google, Intel, McAfee, Microsoft, PayPal, Leidos, Symantec, Trend Micro, Verizon and Visa. Visit www.staysafeonline.org for more information and join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/staysafeonline.

About BENS
Founded in 1982 by business executive and entrepreneur Stanley A. Weiss, BENS supports the U.S. government by applying best business practice solutions to its most difficult national security problems. For more information, please go to www.bens.org.

SOURCE National Cyber Security Alliance