"Online dangers are growing -- and we must continue to be vigilant in our places of work and in our homes," Rell said. "Whether in government, in our business or our homes, cyber security affects all sectors and lives. Effective cyber security practices must be employed year round, and it is my hope this month will help raise further awareness in this critical area."
CT.gov/cybersafe was launched in 2005 as a resource for citizens to learn more about safety and security on the internet. Developed by the Department of Information Technology (DOIT), it features links to online safety information applicable to students, parents, small business owners and home computer users from organizations that include the U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and the Federal Trade Commission.
The site also has new features such as a link to the "Blog Beware" site, developed by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, to help parents keep their teens and children safe when using social networking sites. "I continue to be especially concerned about the risk our children face when using the internet and urge parents to visit the State's online safety site, for links to a wealth of free, online resources," said Rell.
The Web site contains several publications and links that are useful to small business owners, including A Common Sense Guide to Cyber-Security for Small Business
Rell noted that the State of Connecticut Department of Information Technology reports that its upgraded intrusion protection tools blocked 1.7 million external activities or interactions that would potentially exploit the state IT infrastructure in the first six months of 2006 alone. In addition, nearly 11,000 users from 19 agencies are now using DOIT's online security training system, an increase of 264 percent and 7,936 new users over the past year alone. Other security measures include a new secure file transport service being used by twelve agencies.
