WHEREAS, the State of Maine Office of Information Technology plays a vital role in identifying, protecting, and responding to evolving cyber threats that can significantly impact the State's information systems and our collective safety, security, and privacy; and

WHEREAS, technology plays an increasingly important role in our daily lives and provides crucial support for critical infrastructure sectors, such that the rise in malicious cyber-attacks, ransomware and other cybercrimes have a serious impact on our state and national security; and

WHEREAS, the State of Maine continues to make strides in modernizing its cybersecurity defenses by funding initiatives through annual budgets, the Maine Jobs and Recovery Plan, and leveraging federal funds for Maine from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal that strengthen the State's cyber planning, response and recovery efforts; and

WHEREAS, 2023 marks the 20th annual Cybersecurity Awareness Month where each October, the STOP. THINK. CONNECT.™ Campaign serves as the national cybersecurity public awareness campaign that encourages all Americans to work together to be cyber safe; and

WHEREAS, there are four simple steps each of us can take to stay safe online, not only during Cybersecurity Awareness Month, but every day throughout the year, including enabling multifactor authentication, using strong passwords, updating software, and recognizing and reporting phishing; and

WHEREAS, Cybersecurity Awareness Month is recognized by the United States Federal Government, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center, the National Association of State Chief Information Officers, and the National Cyber Security Alliance; and

WHEREAS, all citizens are encouraged to visit the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency website, www.cisa.gov, and the STOP. THINK. CONNECT.™ Campaign website, www.stopthinkconnect.org, to learn more about cybersecurity and simple action steps they can take to be safe online;

NOW, THEREFORE, be it resolved that I, Janet T. Mills, Governor of the great State of Maine, do hereby proclaim October 2023 as

Cybersecurity Awareness Month

in Maine, and I urge all citizens to learn more about cybersecurity and take action to protect their security and privacy online.

In testimony whereof, I have caused the Great Seal of the State to be hereunto affixed GIVEN under my hand at Augusta this nineteenth day of September Two Thousand Twenty Three