Welcome to Cybersecurity Awareness Month 2025!

Each October, we come together as a community to strengthen our online practices and guard against digital threats. Launched in 2004 by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the National Cyber Security Alliance, this month-long initiative encourages individuals and organizations to enhance their cybersecurity skills and awareness.

This year’s theme, “Empowering You to Secure 2025 and Beyond,” highlights simple, everyday actions you can take to protect your accounts, safeguard your devices and data, recognize phishing attempts, and manage your digital footprint. At Cal Poly Humboldt, we’ve curated a series of engaging activities, weekly challenges, and presentations with opportunities to win prizes.

Whether you’re a student, faculty, or staff member, we invite you to participate and strengthen your cybersecurity knowledge. By joining in, you’re not only protecting your own digital assets—you’re contributing to the security of our entire campus community. 

Webinars & Events: Let’s Get Cyber-Ready!

A Whole Lotta BS (Behavioral Science)

Date: October 2 | 1:00 PM
Presenter: Lisa Plaggemeyer (via Sheryll Del Rosario)
Register here

Mandiant | Do You See Yourself in Cybersecurity?

Date: October 3 | 9:30 – 10:30 AM
Presenter: Juan Rios
Register here

CloudFlare – Anatomy of a DDoS Attack

Date: October 3 | 10:00 AM
Presenter: Mike Hirad
Register here

Physical Security of Locks: Cybersecurity Starts at the Door

Date: October 3 | 10:45 – 11:15 AM
Presenter: Carlos Miranda

OWASP | Web-Based Security

Date: October 3 | 11:30 AM – 12:00 PM
Presenter: Juan Rios
(not yet updated)

E-Sports Club Presentation | Christopher Hernandez

Date: October 3 | 1:45 – 2:15 PM
Presenter: Juan Rios
(not yet updated)

Global Threat Landscape & Impacts in Higher Education

Date: October 7 | 10:00 – 11:00 AM
Presenter: Cuc Du (CSU Long Beach)
Register here

CyberFair 2025

Date: October 7 | 9:30 AM – 2:00 PM
Organizers: Alex Harwood & Curtis Carpenter (Cal Poly Pomona)
Visit site

In-Person Showcase with AWS, Crowdstrike & Proofpoint

Date: October 8 | 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Contact: Josh Callahan (Chancellor’s Office)
Register here (not yet updated)

Memory Safety & Zero-Days: The Silent Threats

Date: October 9 | 1:00 PM
Presenter: Sheryll Del Rosario (SDSU)
Register here

Click, Apply, Regret: A Scam Survival Story

Date: October 9 | 11:00 AM
Presenter: Sheryll Del Rosario (SDSU)
Register here

CrowdStrike GenAI: Be on the Inside When the Machines Take Over the World

Date: October 10 | 10:00 AM
Presenter: Mike Hirad (CSU Fullerton)
Register here

Phishing at the Beach | Bryon Jackson, DoIT

Date: October 14 | 10:00 – 11:00 AM
Presenter: Cuc Du (CSU Long Beach)
Register here

SDSU Faculty Talk | Robert Beverly

Date: October 15 | 1:30 PM
Presenter: Sheryll Del Rosario
Register here

Guest Speaker: CISA

Date: October 15 | Afternoon
Contact: Tonia San Nicolas-Rocca
Location: Digital Humanities Center, MLK Library (SJSU)
More info

Cybersecurity Hackathon

Date: October 17 | 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Contact: Tonia San Nicolas-Rocca (SJSU & CSU Fullerton)
More info

SHI – AI Security

Date: October 17 | 10:00 AM
Presenter: Christina Halikiopoulos | Host: Mike Hirad (CSU Fullerton)
Register here

Hunting the Hunters – Tools That Spot Cyber Threats

Date: October 22 | 12:00 PM
Presenter: Sheryll Del Rosario (SDSU)
Register here

How to Safely Job Search and Protect Yourself Online

Date: October 23 | 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Presenter: Cuc Du (CSU Long Beach)
Register here

ProofPoint – Overview of “Am I Using AI Safely”

Date: October 24 | 10:00 AM
Presenter: Mike Hirad (CSU Fullerton)
Register here

Cybersecurity Essentials: Best Practices for a Safer World

Date: October 28 | 11:00 AM
Presenter: Sheryll Del Rosario (SDSU)
Register here

Phishing 101 – AI in Phishing | GuidePoint Security

Date: October 28 | 10:00 – 11:00 AM
Presenter: Cuc Du (CSU Long Beach)
Register here

Cybersecurity in the Classroom: Free Tools and Best Practices

Date: October 29 | 4:00 – 5:00 PM
Presenter: Cuc Du (CSU Long Beach)
Register here

Am I Using AI Safely? | Proofpoint

Date: October 30 | 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Contact: Leslie DeCato (Chancellor’s Office)
Register here

The Intersection of AI and Cybersecurity: Trends, Challenges, Opportunities

Date: October 31 | 10:00 AM
Dr. Gofman & Panelists | Host: Mike Hirad (CSU Fullerton)
Register here

Additional Resources: Cybersecurity at Your Fingertips

• Read CISA’s article on their Cybersecurity Awareness Month Toolkit

• FTC’s articles about Online Privacy and Security 

• Wanna stay updated on Cybersecurity news year-round? Check out TLDR - an email newsletter dedicated to talking about cybersecurity news, as well as other tech sectors (FinTech, AI, etc.)