Aspen Digital

During the 2024 Aspen Cyber Summit in Washington, DC in mid-September, craig newmark philanthropies launched a large-scale cybersecurity public service campaign aimed at helping Americans protect themselves against growing cyber threats. The campaign will engage individuals to become cyber civil defenders by demonstrating simple ways they can ensure their safety online. The initiative will promote the awareness, knowledge, and practical tools needed to build personal resilience, contributing to community and national resilience against cyber threats.

Simply, pause for 9 seconds.

Watch Take9 Video Campaign

Why 9? Science says that a 10-second pause is all it takes for individuals to make better decisions in stressful moments. Meanwhile, marketing says that humans are wired to believe that 9 seconds is just enough time to engage in an action. In 9 seconds, a person can slow down and approach something out of place with a critical eye, preventing cyber threats that prey on a sense of urgency to trick people into clicking on malicious links.

In building better consumer behaviors, Take9 allows us all to gain a new perspective on how we approach threats in digital spaces and evaluate content critically amidst pervasive phishing attempts, mis- and disinformation, and deepfakes, among others. Building awareness of the many ways cyber attacks impact the nation and engaging individuals on how to strengthen our security online are crucial to creating safer, more secure spaces for everyone online.

The campaign will continue throughout the next year through a robust media plan that will promote the Take9 pause across social media and other digital platforms. It will also take shape IRL, among prominent security events and in cities across the nation. 

Backed by dozens of partner organizations, the campaign showcases a collective approach to tackling pesky cyber threats that impact communities and infrastructure across the nation. 

Take a 9-second pause, and think before you click.

Visit PauseTake9.org for more information and resources, and to join the community. Follow Take9 on Facebook, Instagram, and Tiktok.

Amira Dhalla is the Head of Cybersecurity Awareness at Aspen Digital. Dhalla comes from Consumer Reports where they were the Director of Partnerships and Programs for Privacy and Security, and prior to that was at the Mozilla Foundation as the Lead of Global Programs. Currently also a Justice Fellow at UCLA’s Center on Race & Digital Justice, Dhalla works with educators and activists to design participatory resources to make emerging technology more inclusive, open, and safe while also advocating with communities to create a secure digital movement.

Sasha Cohen O’Connell, PhD is the Senior Director for Cybersecurity Programs at Aspen Digital. Dr. O’Connell comes to Aspen from American University where she was an Executive in Residence and Senior Professorial Lecturer teaching U.S. cyber policy at the graduate and undergraduate levels and leading the graduate certificate in cyber policy and management she developed. O’Connell began her career at the FBI where she served most recently as the organization’s Chief Policy Advisory, Science and Technology and as the Section Chief of Office of National Policy for the FBI’s Deputy Director where she led policy engagement with the National Security Council on a wide breadth of issues.