FORT LEE, Va. – The theme of this year’s National Security Awareness Month campaign clearly reminds us that “Security is Everyone’s Business.”
Observed annually in October, NSAM promotes consideration and discussion of the types of information that should be protected, how to keep it close-hold, and the harm that could result from unauthorized, illegal or unintentional disclosure.
“Community awareness of information vulnerabilities is an integral part of any security program,” the Fort Lee Security Office emphasizes. “The NSAM observance is an opportunity to refresh individual knowledge, re-emphasize the importance of total community involvement and reengage every member of Team Lee in protection efforts.”
The emphasis the Army places on this topic is reflected by the annual requirement for every government employee – civilian or military – to complete initial or refresher Security Awareness Training. Each garrison office and organization has a designated security manager. Routine inspections of post-wide program functions also are part of the norm.
Security touches nearly every aspect of our lives at Fort Lee, whether it’s at work or home. Commonly circulated personnel rosters with Social Security numbers, dates of birth and other personally identifiable information is one example. It could be a command slide brief or similar document with elements of Controlled Unclassified Information, or CUI, that lands on desks or is taken home for after-hour review or telework. There could be security implications in the emails we transmit or the social media posts we share with friends and followers.
“Recognizing the fact that adversaries and criminals are hungry for any type of information they can capitalize on is an important first step in the protection of sensitive information,” the Security Office notes.
All community members must “make it their business” – as alluded to in the NSAM theme – to protect sensitive information. This includes removing CACs and/or logging off computers when stepping away for even for a few minutes. Ensure documents containing CUI are secured and not left unattended on desktops. Place appropriate cover sheets on classified information and lock them up in an approved security containers when not being used. Ask family members to not share specifics about post operations or planned military activities in their correspondence.
The list goes on.
“In general, we’re asking Team Lee to stay vigilant and remember that protecting information is critical for any organization,” summarizes the Security Office. “It’s the responsibility of everyone to protect their organization’s sensitive information. As a team, we can protect our warfighters, colleagues and families from potential harm by understanding the importance of information security and how to safeguard it. After all, a breach of just one employee can compromise an entire organization.”
Those with questions can contact their organization’s security manager who, in turn, can use the Security Office as a resource. Our phone number is 804-734-1569. Security Awareness Training can be accessed through the Army Learning Management System, or LMS, website.
Social Sharing