Statewide Cybersecurity Newsletter Archive
This page serves as an archive for State of Tenneessee newsletters and bulletins dedicated to cybersecurity topics. Feel free to download PDF copies by selecting the subject tab below that best fits your needs.
2022:
Welcome to National Cybersecurity Awareness Month (NCSAM) - This year’s campaign theme — “See Yourself in Cyber” — demonstrates that everyone isresponsible for their own online behavior. #SeeYourselfInCyber encourages you to own yourrole in cybersecurity, stressing personal accountability and the importance of being proactive,focusing on ensuring all individuals and organizations make smart decisions whether on thejob, at home or at school – now and in the future.
NCSAM Week 1: Strong Passwords - It may be easy to identify people who could gain physical access to your devices—family members,roommates, coworkers, people nearby, and others. Identifying the people who have the capability togain remote access to your devices is not as simple—if your device is connected to the internet, you areat risk for someone accessing your information. However, you can significantly reduce your risk with stronger passwords.
NCSAM Week 2: Software Updates - This week’s action step for cybersecurity awareness month also needs to be a focus year-round. While itmay seem inconvenient to keep your software updated, ransomware or the theft of personalinformation is beyond inconvenient and we want to avoid that! It’s much easier to keep your informationsecure by keeping your software updated.
NCSAM Week 3: Multifactor Authentication - Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is a layered approach to securing your onlineaccounts and the data they contain. By adding MFA to your online services (likeemail), you provide a combination of two or more authenticators to verify youridentity when logging on. MFA provides greater protection even if someoneguesses your password, those unauthorized users will be stopped at the secondidentifier.
NCSAM Week 4: Phishing Scams - Phishing is when a criminal poses as a trusted source and sends fraudulent digital messages, such asemails, with the intent of manipulating individuals into revealing personal information and gainingunauthorized access to a system through a download or link. Learn more about phishing and how to identify it!
2021:
Vishing - or “voice phishing” is phishing via phone call using social engineering tactics. Regardless of how a phising attack is delivered, the message will typically always appear to come from a trusted sender.
Safe Online Shopping - Lern more about safe online shopping practices and ways to ensure you are protecting your family and friends during this holiday shopping season!
NSCAM 2021 - Kick Off (10/1/21) NSCAM 2021 - Week 1 (10/5/21) NCSAM 2021 - Week 2 (10/11/21)
NCSAM 2021 - Week 3 (10/18/21) NCSAM 2021 - Week 4 (10/25/21)
2020:
Shopping Safely Online - Don't give your personal financial information to online criminals! Learn some key tips on how to follow safe online shopping practices in order to make online purchasing more secure.
Top Cyber Threats - Learn about the greatest threats to security that we face today such as ransomware and phishing; and how to be less vulnerable to these threats.
IT Wisdom That Helps Keeps You Secure - IT professionals are asked every day about keeping information secure in your workspace, whether you’re on a desktop or a laptop or on the state’s WiFi. Here’s our state's best practices in the changing technology landscape.
Phishing Tactics - Cyber criminals have become more advanced with their use of targeted phishing attempts on vulnerable groups or specific people. Learn about the latest phishing tactics and how you can continue to remain vigilant against these threats.
NSCM 2020 - Week 1 NCSAM 2020 - Week 2 NCSAM 2020 - Week 3 NCSAM 2020 - Week 4
The line between our online and offline lives is indistinguishable. In these tech-fueled times, our homes, societal well-being, economic prosperity and nation’s security are impacted by the internet. The information below is available for download or subscription , and comes from trusted partners.
- FBI's The Cyber Shield - This publication incorporates open source news articles to educate readers on cyber security matters. Subscribe to FBI Email Updates here.
- Avoiding Student Aid Scams (Nov 2021) - A number of offers for financial aid or help (such as a “pandemic grant” or “Biden loan forgiveness”) have circulated during the coronavirus pandemic. Below, we’ll teach you how to avoid and report fraud.
- Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) released a new fact sheet to help organizations protect sensitive and personal information from ransomware-caused attacks, and protect against and respond to ransomware-caused data breaches. In this fact sheet, CISA encourages organizations to adopt a heightened state of awareness and implement the recommendations to reduce their risk to ransomware and protect sensitive and personal information. Public and private sector partners will find information on preventing and responding to ransomware-caused data breaches.
- Feds Announce Cybersecurity Resources for State, Local Gov - A new training guide aims to help local, state and federal employees chart the way to cybersecurity roles and skill development resources, while a new entity will coordinate cyber defense across all levels of government.
- Ransomware Task Force Report Briefing for State/Local Leaders - Combating Ransomware: A Comprehensive Framework for Action
- StopRansomware.gov is the new US Government website launched to help organizations reduce their risk of ransomware. This site helps government agencies pool resources to better protect their networks against cyber threats like ransomware. The website will also highlight the latest ransomware related alerts.
- What We Urge You To Do To Protect Against The Threat of Ransomware - a White House memo from Anne Neuberger, Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor for Cyber and Emerging Technology, to Corporate Executives and Business Leaders (June 2021).
- CDSE: CyberSecurity Online Training Course: https://www.cdse.edu/Training/Cybersecurity/
- CISA: CyberSecurity Alerts: https://www.cisa.gov/uscert/ncas/alerts
- CISA: Free CyberSecurity Service and Tools: https://www.cisa.gov/free-cybersecurity-services-and-tools
- CISA: Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog: https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog
- CISA: Stop Ransomware Resource Site: https://www.cisa.gov/stopransomware/resources
- DC3: DIBNET Reporting Portal (Defense Industrial Base): dc3.mil/Organizations/DIB-Cybersecurity/DIB-Cybersecurity-DCISE/
- DISA: Antivirus Home Use Program: https://storefront.disa.mil/kinetic/disa/service-catalog#/forms/antivirus-home-use
- FTC: CyberSecurity for Small Businesses Training Page: https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/small-businesses/cybersecurity
- NIST: CyberSecurity Framework Home Page: https://www.nist.gov/cyberframework