President Obama has designated October as National Cyber Security Awareness Month, a nationwide effort to educate and engage both public and private sector stakeholders and the American public on cybersecurity issues through a variety of communications and outreach activities held across the country.

The world is more interconnected today than ever before. We enjoy the benefits and convenience that cyberspace provides, including online shopping, mobile banking, and communicating with friends and family through social networks and email. However, we also face a range of threats—identity and intellectual property theft, network intrusions, and financial crimes—from these cyber networks.

For the past 11 years, National Cyber Security Awareness Month has provided Americans with the tools they need to stay safe online. In addition, the Federal government, through the Stop.Think.Connect.™ Campaign, continues to expand its coalition of state and local governments, non-profit organizations, and colleges and universities to promote cyber awareness and safety across the Nation.

Throughout National Cyber Security Awareness Month, we urge every American to help create a safer and more secure cyber environment by taking the following steps to keep themselves, their identities, and their information safe online:

• Set strong passwords, and don’t share them with anyone.

• Keep your operating system, browser, and other critical software optimized and secure by installing updates.

• Maintain an open dialogue with your family, friends, and community about Internet safety.

• Limit the amount of personal information you post online, and use privacy settings.

• Be cautious about what you receive or read online; if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

USAID supports the Department of Homeland Security and our Federal partners by proactively advancing cybersecurity awareness through outreach and information sharing. We’re working across all levels of government, the private sector, and internationally to defend against and respond to cyber incidents, while protecting individual privacy, civil rights, and civil liberties. This united effort is essential to creating a safer, more resilient cyberspace that remains a source of tremendous opportunity and growth for years to come.

For more information on National Cyber Security Awareness Month 2014, including this year’s weekly themes, please visit www.dhs.gov/national-cyber-security-awareness-month.