National Cybersecurity Awareness Month (NCSAM) is held every October to promote stronger security practices in organizations. For sysadmins, it’s the best time to gain executive support for patching, access controls, and SaaS security because even if they don’t think about cybersecurity often, this month they’re like to see it everywhere.
This is your once-a-year cheat code to get the changes you’ve been fighting for all year. Want to rip away local admin rights? Push a real patch management platform? Lock down SaaS sprawl? October is your time to shine. Here’s how.
Why October matters for cybersecurity initiatives
October is when security gets executive attention, making it the best time for sysadmins to push long-delayed initiatives. National Cybersecurity Awareness Month puts risk and resilience on the agenda, giving IT teams leverage to secure funding and policy changes.
Use awareness month to:
Justify security spend that’s been ignored all year.
Push through IT policy updates users will grumble about.
Reframe “annoying IT restrictions” as “company-wide security initiatives.”
When security is a hot topic, no one wants to be the exec who voted against it.
How to automate patching during NCSAM
Automated patch management reduces ransomware exposure, cuts downtime, and satisfies compliance requirements. During National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, sysadmins can use heightened security awareness to justify investments in patching tools and move away from manual updates that leave organizations exposed.
Frame it as:
Risk reduction: Show leadership how unpatched endpoints fuel ransomware.
Cost savings: A single ransomware cleanup costs more than years of patch management tool licenses.
Compliance: Regulations and auditors love seeing automated patch reports.
Instead of begging for budget, tie patching automation to awareness campaigns. “We’re rolling this out as part of NCSAM” sounds a lot better than “We’re tired of doing this manually.”
Why remove local admin rights during NCSAM
Removing local admin rights limits attacker access and reduces the chance of privilege misuse. Since security is already a priority in October, sysadmins can frame this change as a company-wide protection strategy instead of an IT restriction, making it easier to gain leadership support.
Awareness month is your golden ticket. Frame it as protecting the company, not punishing users:
Show real-world breaches caused by local admin misuse.
Offer self-service software catalogs or request workflows as alternatives.
Drop the line: “Even Microsoft recommends this.” Instant credibility.
How to lock down shadow IT during NCSAM
Shadow IT introduces security and compliance risks by allowing unsanctioned apps to handle company data. October provides the momentum to enforce approval workflows, monitoring, and policies that curb unauthorized software while positioning the changes as necessary for protecting business-critical information. Push for:
Clear SaaS approval workflows.
Endpoint monitoring for unauthorized installs.
Leadership-backed consequences for noncompliance.
Shadow IT is the cockroach infestation of sysadmin life. One person signs up for a “free trial,” and suddenly half the company is dumping data into some SaaS tool hosted on who-knows-where. But framed as a security issue, not an IT control issue, you’re more likely to get buy-in.
Best tools to support your cybersecurity initiatives
To turn awareness into action, sysadmins need solutions that streamline patching, access management, and endpoint security. Tools like PDQ Connect, PDQ Deploy & Inventory, password managers, and modern EDR platforms provide both the automation and visibility required to make October’s initiatives stick.
If you’re going to leverage NCSAM to roll out changes, come armed with solutions:
PDQ Connect: Cloud-native patching, remote desktop, vulnerability management, and visibility.
PDQ Deploy & Inventory: Classic on-prem automation that keeps your fleet locked down without manual babysitting.
SmartDeploy: Modern imaging to help you start with a more secure baseline.
Password managers: Sell leadership on the “security + productivity” combo.
EDR platforms: Because antivirus is the flip phone of endpoint security.
How to keep momentum after October
Cybersecurity gains often fade once awareness month ends, so sysadmins should plan for ongoing check-ins, automated reporting, and leadership updates. By tying security initiatives to business goals and measurable ROI, IT can keep executive interest alive long after October.
Keep the momentum by:
Scheduling quarterly security check-ins tied to business goals.
Automating reporting to show continued ROI.
Framing security as an enabler, not just a blocker.
If October is the spark, your job is to keep the fire burning.
Wrapping it up
National Cybersecurity Awareness Month isn’t just about awareness — it’s about action. For sysadmins, it’s the one time of year you can take the spotlight and push the changes you’ve been fighting for without being labeled the “Department of No.”
So sharpen your pitch, prep your data, and make the case now. Because come November, you’ll be back to explaining why Sharon can’t have TikTok on her work laptop.
Want patch automation as your October win? Start a free trial of PDQ Connect and stop chasing down stragglers.
