October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month across the Marine Corps, and Headquarters Marine Corps just put a clean label on why it matters. MARADMIN 496/26 sets the 2026 theme as "Securing the Next 250"—a nod to the long view as the Corps heads toward its next century of service, and a reminder that readiness now includes the networks we fight and live on.
What the Corps is asking for
The message is practical. Cybersecurity is framed as readiness and force protection, not just an IT shop problem. Commanders set the tone. Cyber professionals hunt threats. Every authorized user is a defensive layer—because spotting a weird email or a bad login and reporting it fast can stop a problem before it spreads.
Marines are told to protect credentials, use systems only as authorized, take required updates, and stay alert to phishing, shady links, unexpected removable media, and anything that looks off. If something feels wrong, report it through the chain. Don't freelance an investigation on your own.
Why this hits home for veterans too
The same habits travel with you after EAS. Phishing and social engineering are only getting sharper, and the MARADMIN notes that emerging tools can make fake messages look more convincing. The advice is the same in or out of uniform: slow down before you click, lock down your accounts, and treat your login like gear you can't afford to lose.
What I'm doing with it
I'm treating this month as a personal check. Password manager on. Multifactor authentication on the accounts that matter. A little more skepticism about unexpected links—even ones that look like they came from a buddy. Semper Fi means staying faithful to the mission, and these days part of that mission is keeping our information locked down.
If you're still in, follow your command's Cybersecurity Awareness Month events. If you're out, take ten minutes this week to tighten one account. Small habits stack.
Sources: MARADMIN 496/26, Marines.mil · CISA: Cybersecurity Awareness Month
