PRESS RELEASE

WASHINGTON – The Stop. Think. Connect. campaign today launched its cybersecurity Public Service Announcement (PSA) Challenge, giving individuals the opportunity to submit their own short video encouraging Americans to do their part to stay safe and secure online. The campaign will select a winner(s) to feature on the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s YouTube channel and for use during cybersecurity awareness promotions. Contestants have until February 14, 2011 to submit videos for the Challenge.

The Challenge was kicked off with a PSA featuring White House Cybersecurity Coordinator Howard Schmidt. Click here to watch the video.

“We use the Internet every day – for shopping, banking, and staying in touch with friends and family,” said Schmidt. “In today’s digital age, keeping the Internet safe is a responsibility we all share. We need to take time to stop and think before we connect to services on the Internet, share information online, or participate in online communities.”

To submit a video for the Challenge, upload it to the Department of Homeland Security’s “Engage” YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/DHSEngage, in response to White House Cybersecurity Coordinator Howard Schmidt’s video. PSAs must be either 30 or 60 seconds in length, and include the message, “Stop. Think. Connect” and at least one of the following Internet safety tips:

* Keep a Clean Machine * Protect Your Personal Information * Connect with Care * Be Web Wise * Be A Good Online Citizen

Click here for more information, including instructions for uploading videos, Challenge rules, and privacy information.

Stop. Think. Connect. is a national public awareness effort, coordinated by the Department of Homeland Security to guide the nation to a higher level of Internet safety by challenging the American public to be more vigilant about developing safe online habits. Its purpose is to persuade Americans to see Internet safety as a shared responsibility—at home, in the workplace, and in our communities—and demonstrate that shared responsibility by bringing together a coalition of federal, state and local government, as well as private sector partners.