Presidential Documents

68423 

Federal Register 

Vol. 88, No. 191 

Wednesday, October 4, 2023 

Title 3— 

The President 

Proclamation 10633 of September 29, 2023 

Cybersecurity Awareness Month, 2023 

By the President of the United States of America 

A Proclamation 

Digital technologies today touch nearly every aspect of American life— 

from our classrooms and communities, to our economy and national security. 

That is why—this Cybersecurity Awareness Month—my Administration renews our commitment to securing cyberspace and seizing the unlimited 

potential of our digital future. 

From the start of my Administration, I have made cybersecurity a national 

security priority because cyber threats affect every sector of society, from 

the critical infrastructure that underpins our daily lives to the schools where 

we educate our children and the products we use in our homes. In May 

2021, I issued an Executive Order to modernize the Federal Government’s 

cyber defenses—creating mechanisms for agencies to quickly identify and 

respond to cyberattacks. I instituted minimum cybersecurity standards for 

critical infrastructure sectors, including mandates for the protection of pipelines, rail, and aviation. This past August, the White House hosted a Cybersecurity for K–12 Schools Summit, where we announced new resources for 

schools to address the threat of ransomware attacks. We launched the ‘‘U.S. 

Cyber Trust Mark’’ program with voluntarily participation from leading product manufacturers and retailers to help Americans choose safer smart devices 

to bring into their homes—while also establishing security standards for 

software purchased by the Government, helping to raise the market standard 

for digital technologies writ large. In July, we released a new National 

Cyber Workforce and Education Strategy, which will empower more Americans to pursue careers in the cyber field and strengthen our resilience 

for generations to come. And, as we implement historic legislation like 

the Inflation Reduction Act, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and the CHIPS 

and Science Act, we are committed to incorporating cybersecurity measures 

into everything we build and produce—from bridges and roads to computer 

chips and the electrical grid. 

Cyber threats cross borders, which is why we are also taking the same 

historic action on the global stage. In 2021, my Administration established 

the International Counter-Ransomware Initiative, which will convene for 

the third time this fall in Washington, D.C., bringing together more than 

40 partners from around the globe to address the scourge of ransomware. 

We have created new cyber dialogues with allies and partners to enhance 

our collective cyber defense and deterrence—including launching a new 

virtual rapid response mechanism at NATO to ensure Allies can effectively 

and efficiently offer each other support in response to cyber incidents. 

And, early this year, we released a new National Cybersecurity Strategy— 

which will allow us to work in lockstep with our partners to ensure cyberspace is grounded in democratic values—not those of our autocratic competitors. 

Our world—including our digital world—stands at an inflection point, where 

the decisions we make today will determine the direction of our world 

for decades to come. This is particularly true as we develop and enforce 

norms for conduct in cyberspace. We must ensure the Internet remains 

open, free, global, interoperable, reliable, and secure—anchored in universal 


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68424 Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 191 / Wednesday, October 4, 2023 / Presidential Documents 

values that respect human rights and fundamental freedoms. And, we must 

ensure that digital connectivity is a tool that uplifts and empowers, not 

one used for repression and coercion. Today, and every day, the United 

States commits to advancing this vision from a position of strength—leading 

in lockstep with our allies and partners everywhere who share our aspiration 

for a brighter digital future. 

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States 

of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution 

and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim October 2023 as 

Cybersecurity Awareness Month. I call upon the people, businesses, and 

institutions of the United States to recognize and act on the importance 

of cybersecurity and to observe Cybersecurity Awareness Month in support 

of our national security and resilience. I also call upon business and institutions to take action to better protect the American people against cyber 

threats and create new opportunities for American workers to pursue goodpaying cyber jobs. Americans can also take immediate action to better protect 

themselves such as turning on multifactor authentication, updating software 

on computers and devices, using strong passwords, and remaining cautious 

of clicking on links that look suspicious. 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-ninth 

day of September, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-three, 

and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred 

and forty-eighth. 

[FR Doc. 2023–22220 

Filed 10–3–23; 8:45 am] 

Billing code 3395–F4–P 


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