Baton Rouge, La. — October 1, 2021 — Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome proclaimed October 2021 Cybersecurity Awareness Month, marking the start of a monthlong focus on educating City-Parish employees and Baton Rouge residents on the importance of being smart and secure while online.

“Over the past several years, Baton Rouge has become a leading digital city — both internally when it comes to City-Parish operations and externally in how we serve our residents,” said Mayor Broome. “As our community and world becomes increasingly digital, hackers and bad actors are similarly on the rise. Cybersecurity Awareness Month serves as a helpful reminder of how imperative it is for us to take daily actions to secure our data, protect our information, safeguard our accounts and ensure our residents don’t become victims of cyber-attacks.”

Residents can visit the City-Parish’s website to learn more about staying “Red Stick Ready” when it comes to protecting against potential cyber threats by visiting brla.gov/cybersecurity. 

The City-Parish will share other tips and resources throughout October on social media, which residents can access by following the City-Parish on Facebook, Twitter and Nextdoor. 

City-Parish officials are implementing a robust internal employee education and training program to reinforce the importance of employees remaining vigilant against potential cyber-attacks.

The City-Parish will host its annual Cybersecurity Symposium on Oct. 19-20. The virtual event will feature expert speakers and local, state and federal officials sharing knowledge and best practices that can benefit public sector agencies throughout Louisiana. Any public officials interested in attending can register at: brla.gov/cybersymposium.