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October marked Cybersecurity Awareness Month, and UVA Health proudly joined the national campaign led by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the National Cybersecurity Alliance (NCSA). For over 20 years, this initiative has highlighted the importance of collective action — across both public and private sectors — to build a safer digital world.

Throughout October, we explored a new cybersecurity theme each week to help strengthen UVA Health’s cyber posture:

• Recognize and Report Suspicious Messages | We kicked off the month by learning how to identify and report phishing attempts to prevent data theft and malware attacks.
• Embrace Multi-Factor Authentication | We emphasized the importance of enabling multi-factor authentication to add an extra layer of protection to our accounts.
• Use Trusted Password Management Tools and Strong Passwords | We shared best practices for creating and managing strong passwords to secure our digital lives. 
• Update Your Software — Prevent Malware Attacks | We encouraged timely software updates to reduce vulnerabilities and prevent malicious exploits.
• Protect Sensitive Data and Ensure Privacy | We closed the month by focusing on safeguarding sensitive information and maintaining privacy across all systems at UVA Health.

All resources shared during Cybersecurity Awareness Month remain available year-round for your reference and continued learning. We encourage everyone to revisit these materials and share them with colleagues, friends, and family.

Looking ahead, please mark your calendars for Data Privacy Week in January 2026 and AI Safety and Awareness Week in late March 2026 — two important opportunities to continue building our collective knowledge and resilience.

Thank you for your engagement and continued commitment to cybersecurity!

Chris Baker
Chief Information Security Officer, UVA Health