Modern businesses now run on a digital ecosystem driven by the internet. But, it has also increased security risks. The number of cyber crimes keeps growing at an alarming rate each year.
Over the last year, there has been a 75% increase in cloud intrusions. Also, now, there are more sophisticated forms of attacks that can lead to severe financial and reputational losses. A data breach incident can cost about USD 1.3 million!
Therefore, businesses must maintain good cyber hygiene to protect themselves better. Education Nest offers advanced corporate training programs that can help you educate your workforce about the best cyber hygiene practices.
So, what is cyber hygiene? And why is it important? How can you implement it effectively?
Here’s a beginner’s guide that helps you understand cyber hygiene basics in detail. Let us begin.
What is Cyber Hygiene?
In simple terms, cyber hygiene refers to fundamental security practices that help improve the security of digital environments. These basic actions can improve your organizational security posture and contain cyber threats.
Cyber hygiene follows a comprehensive approach that includes different maintenance measures, security improvement, monitoring and control, and training. It helps develop a security-centric mindset for optimal threat protection.
What are Some Basic Cyber Hygiene Practices?
Maintaining good cyber hygiene is very important for protecting your personal and professional information from cyber threats. Just as regular hygiene practices help prevent illnesses, consistent cyber hygiene practices can safeguard your devices and data from malicious attacks. Some cyber hygiene best practices include:
Strong and Unique Passwords
It is one of the simplest tips, yet one of the most common mistakes that lead to cyber-attacks. Cybercriminals can guess weak passwords or repetitive passwords. Using these credentials, they breach the system.
So, it is important to create strong and unique passwords using a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters.
Zero Trust Principle
Businesses must follow the zero-trust principle to make sure that no user has unrestricted access to resources within the network. Every access attempt is authenticated and verified continuously.
It is advisable to implement multi-factor authentication measures to validate the user. There are other IAM(Identity and Access Management) methods that help with explicit verification.
Automatic System Updates
As the digital world encounters new forms of threats now and then, service providers develop automated versions to counter these issues. They release it as updates or patches. Thus, it is important to automate these system updates to make sure that the latest protection measures are installed regularly.
You must also periodically check the systems manually to confirm that every update has been received. Do not neglect this activity, as malicious threats may slip in through outdated versions.
Robust Security Measures
Businesses must prioritize cybersecurity and emphasize building a comprehensive strategy for the best possible protection. Implement security measures for your hardware devices, software systems, applications, networks, ports, and terminals for all-around protection.
There are Firewalls, Antivirus software, EDR (Endpoint Detection and Response) tools, VPN gateways, and other such solutions that can be combined to extend strong security support.
Training and Awareness
As employees directly deal with the business infrastructure, it is important to train them in the best cybersecurity practices. When properly educated about compliance policies and security measures, they can take ownership and report any malicious activities they encounter.
Good Cyber Hygiene for Better Protection
According to a Microsoft report, about 98% of attacks can be prevented with basic cyber hygiene practices. If businesses implement it properly, they can cut down costs on downtime, repairs, and other expensive cybersecurity investments. Thus, it is a technical necessity.
Businesses often find it challenging to educate their employees about the best cyber hygiene practices. If you, too, are finding it difficult to train your workforce, don’t worry! Education Nest has got you covered.
Check out our latest corporate programs that emphasize the best cybersecurity practices. Reach out to us today for more details.
References:
- https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/news/366570633/CrowdStrike-Global-Threat-Report-Cloud-intrusions-up-75#:~:text=Cloud%20environment%20intrusions%20increased%20by,trends%20in%20the%20cyberthreat%20landscape.
- https://www.forbes.com/advisor/education/it-and-tech/cybersecurity-statistics/
- https://educationnest.com/
- https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/security-compliance-and-identity/basic-cyber-hygiene-prevents-98-of-attacks/ba-p/3926856
- https://educationnest.com/courses/
- https://educationnest.com/courses/corporate-cyber-security-training/
