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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Oct. 1, 2022

Texas Association of Counties Announces Commitment to Growing Global Cybersecurity Success by Becoming a Cybersecurity Awareness Month 2022 Champion
Building on annual success Cybersecurity Awareness Month 2022 is set to highlight the growing importance of cybersecurity in our daily lives and look to empower everyday individuals and business to take cybersecurity steps by making cyber more accessible

Media Contact:
Jody Seaborn
Texas Association of Counties
(512) 478-8753

October 1, 2022 — Texas Association of Counties (TAC) today announced that it has signed on as Champion for Cybersecurity Awareness Month 2022. Founded in 2004, Cybersecurity Awareness Month, held each October, is the world's foremost initiative aimed at promoting cybersecurity awareness and best practices. 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 of ‘It's easy to stay safe online.'

"Cybersecurity belongs to all of us," said Robert Ruiz, Associate Director of TAC Risk Management Services. "If we don't embrace it, practice it, and champion it, we will fall victim to the consequences that come."

From mobile to connected home devices, technology is becoming more intertwined with our lives everyday. And while the evolution of technology is moving at the speed of sound, cybercriminals are working just as hard to find ways to compromise technology and disrupt personal and business life. Cybersecurity Awareness Month aims to highlight some of the emerging challenges that exist in the world of cybersecurity today and provide straightforward actionable guidance that anyone can follow to create a safe and secure digital world for themselves and their loved ones.

This year, the Cybersecurity Awareness Month's main focal areas revolve around four key fundamental cybersecurity best practices:

• Recognizing and reporting phishing – still one of the primary threat actions used by cybercriminals today.
• Understanding the benefits of using a password manager and dispelling existing myths around password manager security and ease of use.
• Enabling multi-factor authentication on personal devices and business networks.
• Installing updates on a regular basis and turning on automated updates.

Now in its 19th 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. Texas Association of Counties 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. 

For more information about Cybersecurity Awareness Month 2022 and how to participate in a wide variety of activities, visit staysafeonline.org/cybersecurity-awareness-month/. You can also follow and use the official hashtag #BeCyberSmart on social media throughout the month.

About Texas Association of Counties
In 1969, Texas counties joined together to improve and promote the value of county government statewide.  The Texas Association of Counties (TAC) is the representative voice for all Texas counties and county officials and, through TAC, counties communicate the county perspective to state officials and the general public. Understanding the way county government works and the value of county services helps state leaders preserve counties' ability to serve their residents effectively.  This cooperative effort is managed by a Board of county officials. Each county office is represented on the Board. This group of local officials, each of whom is currently serving his or her community, establishes policy for TAC. The Board establishes the scope of TAC services and the Association's budget.

About Cybersecurity Awareness Month
Cybersecurity Awareness Month is designed to engage and educate public- and private-sector partners through events and initiatives with the goal of raising awareness about cybersecurity to increase the resiliency of the nation in the event of a cyber incident. Since the Presidential proclamation establishing Cybersecurity Awareness Month in 2004, the initiative has been formally recognized by Congress, federal, state and local governments and leaders from industry and academia. This united effort is necessary to maintain a cyberspace that is safer and more resilient and remains a source of tremendous opportunity and growth for years to come. For more information, visit staysafeonline.org/cybersecurity-awareness-month/

About National Cybersecurity Alliance
The National Cybersecurity Alliance is a non-profit organization on a mission to create a more secure, interconnected world. We advocate for the safe use of all technology and educate everyone on how best to protect ourselves, our families, and our organizations from cybercrime. We create strong partnerships between governments and corporations to amplify our message and to foster a greater "digital" good. National Cybersecurity Alliance's core efforts include Cybersecurity Awareness Month (October); Data Privacy Week (Jan. 24-28th); and CyberSecure My Business™, which offers webinars, web resources and workshops to help businesses be resistant to and resilient from cyberattacks. For more information, please visit https://staysafeonline.org.