National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, 2016

Proclamation 9508 of September 30, 2016

National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, 2016

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

Technology plays an increasingly significant role in
our daily lives. The rise of the Internet has brought
incredible opportunity and new ways of innovating and
enhancing our way of life--but with great potential
also comes heightened risk to our data. Keeping
cyberspace secure is a matter of national security, and
in order to ensure we can reap the benefits and utility
of technology while minimizing the dangers and threats
it presents, we must continue to make cybersecurity a
top priority. Throughout National Cybersecurity
Awareness Month, we recognize the role that individuals
can play in enhancing cybersecurity, and we join to
raise awareness of the importance of securing our
information against cyber threats.

To build on the cybersecurity efforts already underway,
my Administration introduced the Cybersecurity National
Action Plan earlier this year to address short-term and
long-term challenges when it comes to cybersecurity. We
have proposed increasing the budget for cybersecurity
by more than one-third and establishing an Information
Technology Modernization Fund to help retire, replace,
and modernize our costly information technology legacy
systems. We are also striving to invest in
cybersecurity education, reform the way Government
manages and responds to large-scale cyber threats, and
update obsolete Federal IT systems that are vulnerable
to attack.

To meet these goals, we created the position of the
first-ever Federal Chief Information Security Officer
to help drive cybersecurity policy, planning, and
implementation across the Federal Government. We also
established the Commission on Enhancing National
Cybersecurity to recommend actions that can be taken
over the next decade to strengthen cybersecurity in
both the public and private sectors while protecting
privacy. This Commission will maintain public safety
and economic and national security, foster discovery
and development of new technical solutions, and bolster
partnerships between governments and the private sector
in an effort to promote best cybersecurity practices.

Cyber threats not only pose a danger to our national
security, but also have the potential to harm our
financial security and undermine the privacy of
millions of Americans. An important part of enhancing
cybersecurity involves empowering more Americans to
help themselves take proper precautions online and in
their financial transactions; cybersecurity is a shared
responsibility, and everyone can do their part to make
smart, safe choices. The Federal Government is also
doing our part through the BuySecure Initiative, which
has issued more than three million more secure credit
cards for Government purchases. We are also working to
help give Americans earlier warning of identity crimes
with free access to credit scores through their
existing consumer accounts.

Through the Department of Homeland Security's
``Stop.Think.Connect.'' campaign, we are aiming to
increase awareness of the simple steps people can take
to strengthen their cybersecurity. The National Cyber
Security Alliance, in partnership with the private
sector and non-profit organizations, recently launched
the ``Lock Down Your Login'' campaign to empower
Americans to take control of their online accounts and
add an extra layer of

security beyond just using passwords. I encourage every
American to take this important step and to visit
www.LockDownYourLogin.com to learn more.

Keeping America safe requires us to bolster our
security online. This month, we renew our commitment to
ensuring our information is more secure, our data is
safer, and our families and businesses are more
protected than ever before. If we work toward this
goal--as individuals and as a Nation--together we can
realize our full potential in the digital age.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the
United States of America, by virtue of the authority
vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the
United States, do hereby proclaim October 2016 as
National Cybersecurity Awareness Month. I call upon the
people of the United States to recognize the importance
of cybersecurity and to observe this month with
activities, events, and training that will enhance our
national security and resilience.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
thirtieth day of September, in the year of our Lord two
thousand sixteen, and of the Independence of the United
States of America the two hundred and forty-first.