Obama Proclaims October National Cybersecurity Awareness Month

A look at the week of October 4, 2010, in public advocacy for the IT channel

President Obama proclaimed October as “National Cybersecurity Awareness Month” to alert and educate the public about cybersecurity. The discovery of the Stuxnet virus delivered a wake-up call to government and industry officials as to the broad implications and potential dangers of a malware attack.  Medical software companies are looking to the recent national mandate for electronic medical records as a turning point in a frustrating market.  Technology jobs are opening up and technical workers are now facing the highest demand they’ve seen in two years. 

Obama Proclaims October National Cybersecurity Awareness Month – On October 1^st, President Obama issued a proclamation marking the official beginning of the seventh annual National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, which includes the first-ever nationwide awareness campaign centered around the tagline "Stop. Think. Connect."  The month-long event begins as Congress heads to recess deadlocked over comprehensive cybersecurity legislation. Sources tell The Hill the most likely path forward is breaking off the most widely supported portions of the bill, such as reform of the Federal Information Security Management Act, and passing them as add-ons to larger appropriations bills.

Stuxnet Malware Is Blueprint For Computer Attacks On U.S. – Experts warn that a sophisticated worm designed to infiltrate industrial control systems could be used as a blueprint to sabotage machines that are critical to U.S. power plants, electrical grids and other infrastructure.  According to The Washington Post, the discovery of Stuxnet, which some analysts have called the "malware of the century" because of its ability to damage or possibly destroy sensitive control systems, has served as a wake-up call to industry officials. 

Companies Large and Small Await Broad Use of Medical E-Records – The push for a digital revolution in doctors’ offices has brought mostly frustration for the many companies that are trying to conquer the field, says The New York Times.  Well-known venture capitalist John Doerr and his brother Dr. Tom Doerr, a physician and software designer, began a medical software company over a decade ago that has yet to claim 500 members.  They are among many who are hoping that the national mandate for digital medical records will open the door to rapid adoption by doctors and a thriving business at last.

Tech Job Opportunities Rose in September –The economy is on a slow growth path in 2010, but online demand for technical workers saw a sharp increase in September, says eWeek.  In September, technology saw the most job-vacancy gain of any industry, with 15,200 newly advertised job opportunities. Technology workers have not seen this much demand since September 2008.