Computer Security Day on November 30th reminds us to protect our computers. Every day, computers become faster and more advanced. Protecting the resources, tools, and information on them protects the people who use them, too.
These days, electronic devices such as smartphones, tablets, and computers make up an important component of our everyday lives. While communication has become easier and more efficient than ever before, these technological advancements have brought with them new concerns about privacy and security. There’s even a holiday dedicated to keeping your online data safe and secure – it’s fittingly called Computer Security Day.
Computer Security Day began in 1988, around the time that computers were becoming commonplace, even if they were yet to become ubiquitous in homes. The 1980s saw not only increased usage of computers, especially in business and government, and the internet was in its early stages.
While hacking and viruses have virtually been around since the early days of modern computing, evolving and increasingly sophisticated technologies began to see more applications, and therefore more security risks due to the simple fact that more data was at risk as computers found their way into banks, government offices, and businesses.
More important data stored on computers and servers meant more valuable information for hackers, and this meant higher-profile cases of security breaches. As such, online security became an important concern by the end of the decade, and so Computer Security Day was created to raise awareness about computer security.
NATIONAL COMPUTER SECURITY DAY TIMELINE
In response to burgeoning threats of cyber attacks, a chapter of the Association for Computer Machinery (ACM) creates National Computer Security Day to raise public awareness every November 30.
The Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security work together to create the National Cyber Awareness System.
Cryptolocker released a form of malware that could not be removed without the victim paying a “ransom” which may or may not restore any lost files.
The Wannacry malware spreads worldwide, kicking hundreds of hospitals offline throughout the United Kingdom.
