Greenville County Schools Celebrates Cybersecurity Awareness Month

Greenville County Schools (GCS) announces its commitment to Cybersecurity Awareness Month by signing up as a 2021 Champion and joining a growing global effort to promote the awareness of online safety and privacy. The Cybersecurity Awareness Month Champions Program is a collaborative effort among businesses, government agencies, colleges and universities, associations, nonprofit organizations and individuals committed to the Cybersecurity Awareness Month theme, ‘Do Your Part. #BeCyberSmart.’

In January 2021, GCS became the first school district in the nation to earn ISO/IEC 27001:2013 certification for information security. This rigorous certification process specifies the requirements for establishing, implementing, maintaining, and continually improving information security management. The district’s information management system was recently recertified to ISO 27001.

“ISO 27001 promotes a culture of protecting information within our organization through continual improvement with a risk-based approach. Certification demonstrates that GSCD has invested in the people, processes, and technology (e.g., tools and systems) to protect information and provides an independent, expert assessment of whether that information is sufficiently protected. The reputation of ISO 27001 certification instills confidence in our parents, students, and staff that GCSD is committed to information security,” said Spencer Benham, GCS Information Security Officer.

Despite great advances in technology and the conveniences they provides, recent events have shown us how quickly our lives and businesses can be disrupted when cyber criminals and adversaries use technology to do harm. Cybersecurity Awareness Month aims to shed light on these security vulnerabilities, while offering actionable guidance surrounding behaviors anyone can take to protect themselves and their organizations. Everyone has a responsibility to do their part in securing our interconnected world.

This year, the Cybersecurity Awareness Month’s main weekly focus areas will revolve around:

• Understanding and implementing basic cyber hygiene, including the importance of strong passphrases, using multi-factor authentication, performing software updates and backing up data
• Recognizing and reporting phishing attempts whether it’s through email, text messages, or chat boxes
• Empowering individuals to not only practice safe online behavior, but consider joining the mission of securing our online world by considering a career in cybersecurity
• Making cybersecurity a priority in business by making products and processes “secure by design” and considering cybersecurity when purchasing new internet-connected devices

Now in its 18th year, Cybersecurity Awareness Month continues to build momentum and impact with the ultimate goal of providing everyone with the information they need to stay safer and more secure online. GCS is proud to support this far-reaching online safety awareness and education initiative which is co-led by the National Cyber Security Alliance and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency (CISA) of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.