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DHS Announces Start of Ninth Annual National Cyber Security Awareness Month 2012

Written by FEDagent on . Posted in General News

Monday marked the beginning of the ninth annual National Cyber Security Awareness Month, the Department of Homeland Security announced in a release this week.

“From the kitchen table to the classroom, from business transactions to essential government operations and services, Cybersecurity is an issue that touches all of us,” Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano said. “To ensure our nation’s security in cyberspace, each of us must play our part. National Cyber Security Awareness Month reminds us that being safer and more secure online is a shared responsibility and we are urging the public and private sector to join DHS to ACT – ‘Achieve Cybersecurity Together.’”

Throughout October, DHS leaders will visit cities across the country to increase awareness and educate the public on Cybersecurity. To kick-off the month, DHS National Protection and Programs Directorate Deputy Under Secretary for Cybersecurity Mark Weatherford participated in an online safety awareness event with White House Cybersecurity Coordinator Michael Daniel and Nebraska Lieutenant Governor Rick Sheehy at the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

DHS is also continuing to promote its Stop.Think.Connect.™ Campaign, a year-round national public awareness campaign designed to encourage Americans to promote safe online practices.

More information from DHS on National Cybersecurity Awareness Month is available here.

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In the aftermath of the tragedy at Sandy Hook, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives continues to shrink in size due to hiring freezes and attrition, and our Congress continues to introduce gun control legislation. Concurrent with this, state, county and local law enforcement departments are suffering from severe budget cuts, anti-union legislation, and reduction in sworn personnel. So, while the gun control debate continues, ATF’s future continues to be ignored by the congressional appropriators. Should the myriad of bills that Congress introduced somehow pass into law, who will be left to enforce them?

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Navy is expecting to release a request for proposals for the systems before the end of May. The Command had previously awarded Northrop Grumman Corp. an initial contract for its Consolidated Afloat Networks and Enterprise Services system in February 2012. That contract was valued at $637.8 million and covered installation of the gear on 54 ships.

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