National Computer Security Day

National Computer Security Day is celebrated in the US on November 30th to help protect us from the increasing number of cyber threats. As we use electronic devices every day, communicate on social networks, and make purchases online, attackers are constantly trying to access our data and harm us. Don’t miss this important date – check out the events that take place to celebrate it!

History

National Computer Security Day was established in 1988 by Special Interest Group. The date was chosen intentionally, as people are more vulnerable during the holiday season as they are more focused on entertainment and shopping than on monitoring threats. The cybersecurity system was created in 2003, and the MyDoom computer virus caused colossal damage of 38.5 billion USD in 2004. MyDoom infiltrated computers, rewrote the code to suit its needs, and decreased the speed of the internet. At first, the average user did not realize what was happening, blaming the provider for the low speed. MyDoom sent out infected letters to recipients and participated in DoS attacks.

Another serious virus was ILOVEYOU which worked in a similar way, but people opened the letters themselves as they were unaware of phishing at the time. The virus changed the contents of the device and caused many organizations to shut down. Luckily, the last time a malicious letter was opened was in 2019 and antivirus programs quickly blocked it.

Fun facts

• Kevin Mitnick was incarcerated for 8 months for allegedly connecting to the modem that controls the nuclear potential through a payphone.
• An FBI director once said that they cannot fill vacancies in the fight against cybercrime due to the prevalence of marijuana use amongst specialists.

How to take part

To celebrate this important day, learn more about cybersecurity and share this knowledge with others, especially with the older generation. See what events are taking place in your city and visit them to join in the celebration.

When is National Computer Security Day celebrated in 2023?

National Computer Security Day is observed on November 30 each year.

Observations