Holloman acknowledges Cyber Security Awareness Month Published Oct. 13, 2015 By Airman 1st Class Randahl J. Jenson 49th Wing Public Affairs HOLLOMAN AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. -- October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month. Created in 2004 by the National Cyber Security Alliance and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, National Cyber Security Month was designed to raise awareness for protecting information systems. Cyber security is anything that protects technology and information from attack or unauthorized access. Without cyber security, information systems can be damaged or compromised. "The most important part of having cyber awareness is understanding what could potentially happen if you don't enforce good cyber security," said Senior Airman Logan J. Poppell, a cyber security specialist with the 49th Communications Squadron. "You could potentially lose personal assets as well as commercial assets for business." Without these resources, operations at Holloman AFB would be greatly affected. "Our information systems have become such an integrated part of our day to day lives," Poppell said. "Without them, you would feel the effects immediately." Information systems have many vulnerabilities, one of them being social media. "Protect your data from social media," Poppell said. "People lose that sense of awareness when they walk out the door at 4:30 p.m. every day. When you go home and you're on your social media accounts, you should be aware not just for (operational security), but for your personal info as well. In the end, it affects our mission." There are free personal protection products available to military members through the Air Force Portal. One such product is the Home Use Program. It has software to help protect personal computers from viruses and attacks. From the home to the workplace, cyber security is always important and should be kept in mind when using any information system. "Think about what you're doing," Poppell said. "Whenever you're using information systems, keep security in mind."