The leading voice for excellence in public finance
The leading voice for excellence in public finance

Thought Leadership Thursday

October is the National Cybersecurity Awareness Month

mother and daughter smiling, using laptop

Thought Leadership Thursday Article

October is the National Cybersecurity Awareness Month
October 10, 2024

Dear Colleagues:

As you may be aware, October is the National Cybersecurity Awareness Month. Ironically named amidst several major breaches of financial service-related firms that have impacted many U.S. citizens.

Cybersecurity is a shared responsibility among every element of our government agencies that affects everyone in the states we serve. As the primary financial institution of your state, Treasury Departments are a major target for cyber criminals. We have a special obligation to secure the state’s financial information and payment processing responsibilities against cyber threats.

Cyber threats represent a significant and growing risk - threatening our security, economic well-being, and public health and safety. At the dawn of AI, we have arrived at a tipping point where the breaches have reached truly extraordinary levels, affecting both public and private organizations.

As a nation, we continue to experience threats from hackers, cyber criminals, and nation-states that are growing, both more sophisticated and more frequent. We confront threats from both criminals seeking financial gains and nation-states seeking strategic advantage.

In spite of investments in securing our infrastructure and information assets, the first line of defense is our staff. An educated workforce who knows how to use their best judgment at home and work is the best defense against our cyber adversaries.

To help all our State Treasury staff, the NAST IT Systems Caucus created a handout that provides tips to secure your work and home against cyber threats. We ask you to please share this handout with rest of your staff.

Have a safe cyber security month.

NAST’s IT Systems Caucus members

NAST Thought Leader Thursday banner