In October 2024, iCSS successfully organised its 2024 Cyber Security Awareness Month (iCSS-CSM24), for raising awareness on cyber security among students, staff and visitors of the University of Kent, and also local people living in the Kent and Medway region. The Kent and Medway wide activities were organised jointly with three local ecosystem building bodies, KMCC (Kent & Medway Cyber Cluster Ltd), KMCSN (Kent & Medway CyberSchools Network), and the University of Kent’s student society on cyber security – KMCS3 (Kent & Medway Cyber Security Student Society).
The iCSS-CSM24 saw the following activities throughout the whole October:
- A “Creative Cyber” Exhibition open from 7th to 31st October, co-organised with iCCi (Institute of Cultural and Creative Industries) of the University of Kent, KMCC, KMCS3 and KMCSN
- Four cyber screening nights on the last four Wednesdays in October, jointly organised with KMCS3 (Kent & Medway Cyber Security Student Society) and the Lupino Film Club
- Two cyber security escape room games and a number of comic books in cyber security and online safety supplied by Xcapism Learning Ltd
- One NCSC CyberFirst Girls Competition Familiarisation Day held at the Maidstone Grammar School for Girls (MGGS) for Year 8 girls studying at local schools in Kent and Medway
- One cyber/AI fables event, as part of an AHRC-funded project ‘Rethinking Fables in the Age of Global Environmental Crisis’ led by Dr Kaori Nagai from the School of Classics, English and History of the University of Kent
- The IET Jennison Lecture 2024 on “From data flow analysis to data security, privacy, responsible AI, and more”, given by the iCSS Director Professor Shujun Li
- A cyber security awareness webinar for local organisations, jointly organised with Eastern Cyber Resilience Centre (ECRC) and KMCC
- Various student engagement activities of KMCS3
A major highlight of iCSS-CSM24 is the “Creative Cyber” Exhibition held at Studio 3 Gallery, Jarman Building, University of Kent from 7th to 31st October 2024. There were six different types of art works on display:
- 19 selected prize-winning submissions to the iCSS-KMCC-KMCS3 2023-24 CyberAnything Competition
- two selected prize-winning submissions to the 2022 iCSS Cyber Security Photo Competition
- two art works created by Nan Xia, a PhD student from the School of Arts, University of Kent, specifically for the Exhibition
- one special all-in-one art work showing all the above work, all the prize-winning submissions of the 2023-24 CyberAnything Competition and all the major prize-winning submissions of the 2022 Photo Competition
- two cyber security awareness animated videos produced by iCSS in 2022 and 2023 (“How to be a cyber superhero” and “Why does cyber security matter for everyone?”)
- two flyers of the Exhibition designed by the main organisers of the Exhibition
In addition, the Exhibition also had a special area for its visitors to participate in co-creating a “Creative Cyber” art work at the end of the Exhibition.
A closing ceremony of iCSS-CSM24 and the “Creative Cyber” Exhibition was organised on 30th October Wednesday 1-3pm, where authors of some art works on display, invited guests, organisers of the Exhibition and other members of co-organising bodies (iCSS, iCCi, KMCC, KMCS3 and KMCSN) got together to celebrate all the colourful activities of the Month.
Although the 2024 Cyber Security Awareness Month already passed, iCSS will continue its cyber security awareness activities in the future, in order to encourage more people to learn more about cyber security and online safety and some to consider pursuing a cyber security career pathway.
Background: Cyber Security Awareness Month (CSM) as a worldwide initiative
The idea of a Cyber Security Awareness Month in October originally started in the USA, and the first of such National Cybersecurity Awareness Months (NCSMs) was organised in 2004, declared by the President and Congress of the USA. Later the European Union adopted the idea, and started the European Cybersecurity Month (ECSM) in 2012. In the UK, different organisations have been promoting the Cyber Security Awareness Month in October, e.g., DSIT, NHS and the cyber security training sector. Several UK universities have organised Cyber Security Awareness Month in the past, e.g., University College London (UCL); Queen Mary University of London; Royal Holloway, University of London; and University of Portsmouth.