National Cybersecurity Awareness Month

No matter your role on campus, you have a responsibility to protect our devices and data. Explore all the fun events and training opportunities happening in October.

October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month.

It’s the perfect opportunity to explore ways to keep yourself and the university cyber safe. Good security practices don’t have to be complicated — and they’re not just for IT staff. Start with just three steps.

Be suspicious

Verify the sender and be wary of requests for personal information.

Take your time

Double check links and URLs before clicking or logging in.

Ask for help

Report suspected phishing in Gmail and to the NC State Help Desk.

Resources

Cyber Bowl

The third annual Cyber Bowl is here with even more competitors taking the field. Ten universities from across the state are competing to prove who is the most cyber smart.

From Oct. 1-31, students, faculty and staff will complete a short quiz about cybersecurity to earn a point for their school. Two winners will be named this year — the school with the most participants and the one with the highest percentage of participation based on population.

NC State is going up against Duke University, UNC-Chapel Hill, UNC Wilmington, North Carolina A&T, East Carolina University, Winston-Salem State University, Elizabeth City State University, Appalachian State University and Western Carolina University. Learn about last year’s Cyber Bowl.

How to Play

Visit the Cyber Bowl website.
Log in with your Unity ID and password.
Complete the quiz.

All participants will be entered to win a prize.

Cyber Bowl Toolkit

Help spread the word! Find graphics, sample newsletter copy and more to secure an NC State win this year.

Check out the toolkit

In-person Events

Stop by one of these events to snag some Cyber Bowl swag, play a 10-minute escape room and learn about cybersecurity.

Oct. 1: Talley Student Union Lobby, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Oct. 8: Engineering Breezeway, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Oct. 14: Stafford Commons, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Oct. 22: Engineering Breezeway, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Data Security Training

NC State’s annual Data Security Training launches in mid-October. The training helps our campus community better understand how to protect our devices and data. It covers topics like phishing, physical security and safe AI use.

The training is mandatory for employees, student employees and first-year undergraduate students.

Mid-October

Data Security Training will be available
Nov. 20, 2026

First-year undergraduate student completion deadline
Jan. 29, 2027

Employee and student employee completion deadline

While not required, Data Security Training is open to all students. Every student who completes the training and post-training survey will be entered to win a prize.