OREM, Utah — To mark October as National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, Utah Valley University (UVU) is launching Hacktober, a monthlong campaign designed to foster a culture of increased cybersecurity awareness and the importance of staying safe online. With the support of the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA), UVU will hold a series of workshops, cyber challenges, and discussions on campus throughout the month to help staff and students become safer and more secure online.
Pioneered by Facebook, an NCSA partner, Hacktober was developed to raise awareness of cybersecurity threats and educate people through simulated cybersecurity incidents. UVU’s Hacktober campaign will include a campus event each week in October, including a cybersecurity check-up booth, lock-picking contest, a capture the flag competition, and a lecture from a leading cybersecurity expert.
“Cybersecurity remains a challenge for many industries, and higher education is no exception,” said UVU President Astrid S. Tuminez. “Cybersecurity is just as important as campus physical safety and security. Hacktober is an educational and fun way to help everyone better understand online risks and what to do about them.”
UVU is the largest four-year institution of higher learning in Utah, and is situated in the heart of “Silicon Slopes,” one of the fastest growing tech communities in America. Offering on-campus bachelor and master degrees in cybersecurity, UVU has become Utah's academic hub for cybersecurity.
Last October, NCSA selected UVU to be its first university partner in a campus-wide cybersecurity campaign that encouraged students to implement multi-factor authentication. The campaign was designed to measure cybersecurity knowledge among students and faculty, teach students how to stay safe online, and determine what they wanted to know about protecting personal and university data.
“It’s encouraging to see universities embrace cybersecurity awareness, and UVU has been a great partner in helping to foster a culture of cybersecurity on campus,” said Russ Schrader, executive director of NCSA. “We are pleased to see UVU continue to push greater awareness and education through its Hacktober campaign, as well as all year.”
For more information, visit https://www.uvu.edu/cybersecurity/.
About Utah Valley University
At more than 37,000 students and growing, Utah Valley University is the largest public university in the state of Utah, and one of a few in the nation offering a dual-mission model that combines the rigor and richness of a first-rate teaching university with the openness and vocational programs of a community college. UVU’s unique model, which focuses on student success, engaged learning, rigorous academic programs, and faculty-mentored research, is transforming higher education by making it more affordable and accessible to students of all backgrounds.