Most Information Technology professionals nowadays are very clearly concerned about the threats that are posed by those individuals working in a corporation who are untrained and careless about cybersecurity, Cyberattack that exist from foreign governments as well as criminal hackers and cybercriminals. For many organizations, a cyberattack can threaten the very existence or even the foundation of the organization. Due to the rise of cyberattacks, more companies are now being more proactive in their approach and efforts to combat Cyberattack. For developing and maintaining strong cyber hygiene that will aid in their efforts towards cybersecurity, organizations should take the following steps to strengthen their network and be prepared for any future cyberattack.
Identifying And Dispelling Vulnerabilities
You should have good visibility along with an understanding of your network devices to be able to have an effective cybersecurity strategy. All corporations can begin the practice of maintaining a whitelist of all their devices and asset inventory that can be used to compare and understand what devices are connected to what databases. Then this list can be used to plan an effective cybersecurity strategy.
Many older hardware and software applications will have holes in their security that can no longer be repaired by adding a patch, and they need to be replaced. It is important to identify these vulnerable areas and assets and replace them or update them as is required to maintain the modern standard of a secure environment. This is more cost-effective in the long run and more secure than for corporations to try and maintain the older systems.
Updating And Testing Security Procedures.
Many agencies and corporations have now begun engaging their employees in drills. These are conducted on a regular basis and are designed to be able to test the responsiveness of teams in case of cyber threats on the organization.
It is also imperative to test the capabilities of an organization on a small scale and monitor performance in simulated attacks. All corporations and organizations should make it a habit of testing responsiveness and readiness when a new technology is added to the existing network or when a new patch is introduced. Security plans should also be tested and updated on a regular basis. Before you trust any new technology or cybersecurity implement, verify it by testing it. A recovery plan that is not tested can do more harm than good.
Making Education A Priority
A large number of professionals in Information Technology have acknowledged that many corporations do not do enough training in cybersecurity and responsiveness in case of a cyber threat for their employees. This lack of training is a risk especially if the IT professionals in that organization do not have the appropriate knowledge and technology to mitigate the strategy to protect the organization.
This responsibility and accountability fall on the senior leadership board including the CIO. They must convey and ready all the employees according to the overall cybersecurity strategy and goals. This message should also be reinforced continuously in the form of regular meetings, check-ins as well as reports, or any other means. When the baseline level of knowledge of cybersecurity is established, it will help in the front-line attack against a cyber threat. The employees have a better understanding of what is at stake and where exactly they must focus their efforts in case of an emergency protocol to make the strategy effective.
The training sessions should cover areas such as solution training and focus on areas such as malware threats, give an understanding of tactics used by hackers, and even spread awareness about the threat that can be presented by insiders as well. The education must be regular and continuous in nature to be effective for cybersecurity.
Taking A Holistic View Of Individual Roles
The focus of more organizations is now shifting to hiring skilled cybersecurity professionals. Many organizations hire professionals who have a unique skill set that is suited to their individual job alone. For example, a professional who works as a network manager will only be concerned about testing the network and network penetration. The team for viruses will only focus on related malware attacks.
Security is the job of everyone, including managers. Senior members of the organization must facilitate sharing of information amongst the members of their team and build cybersecurity as a culture within the organization rather than leaving it up to one team. Everyone must act as a lookout and be vigilant for potential signs of warning of a cyberattack regardless of the job description.
Implementing Proper Procedures For Cyber Assault
Cyberthreats cannot be completely avoided. There exist a variety of mechanisms that can be used by organizations in response to a cyberattack, and most solutions need all the correct tools to work well together. A single layer of firewall using next-generation tech is good but it will not be effective in the case of data exfiltration that is done over the domain name server traffic.
To be able to protect all of their critical services, an organization must focus on employing a series of solutions that are able to detect anomalies accurately and tell their origin, internal or outside of the network. The solution can consist of standard monitoring for networks and firewall solutions. Corporations might also want to implement automatic patch solution management and use device tracking and other technologies as a part of their defence-in-depth cybersecurity strategy.
Cyberattacks can also be used as learning instances to gain insights into the incident and the existing network to plan and prepare better for the next cyberattack. Cybersecurity is a proactive solution that should help individuals and IT professionals be better prepared for the next cyberattack.
Drafting A Cybersecurity Policy
This is a written plan that outlines the methods that the organization is ready to use in order to protect its technology and information assets and networks. It also tells the employees about what their responsibility and obligations are for the protection of such IT assets. These can also be used to inform about the access level that is granted to various contractors and employees of the corporation.
A cybersecurity policy is a prevention tool that can help in the identification of threats before they can do any lasting damage. A cybersecurity policy should also outline the procedure to be followed in response to a cyber threat and related security incidents. They must also mention the preventive measures that can be taken to avoid such threats in the future.
Leveraging Existing Cybersecurity Resources
Organizations offering cybersecurity solutions often have templates that you can select from based on the size of your business and the cybersecurity goals of your corporation. These can be used by companies both big and small to create an effective cybersecurity plan.
Many private organizations, as well as public corporations, are using shared cybersecurity resources that can adapt to their individual organization. Such solutions are also especially beneficial for small corporations in their plan for cybersecurity. Small firms are not always able to hire a trained cybersecurity professional or an analyst who can protect their organization from cyber threats.
Limiting Physical Access And Establishing User Accounts
Every employee or individual who has the authorization to access any company data should have their own user-level account. One employee should be held responsible for their administration-level system tasks. All the company devices, phones, and laptops should be kept under lock when not in use.
Making Use Of Passwords And Other Authentications
Make sure each individual in the organization can only access their account through a string authentication password that is unique to them. These passwords need to be changed on a regular basis, approximately once every 2-3 months. Multi-factor authentication systems can also be used. This system may require the users to go through added login credential verifications as well as secure passwords.
Installing Updated Software On All Networks And Devices
You should identify any old hardware or software application being used in the network of the organization. These can act as holes in an effective cybersecurity plan. Updated versions of the software should be used in all parts of the organization’s even online browsers as they have fixed many bugs in their system. If software or hardware is beyond updating, they should be replaced with effective information technology. Updated software can help in safeguarding your company data against cyberattacks, viruses, and malware.
Procedures For Mobile Device
Ensure that antivirus software is present on almost all the devices with company data and information, tablets, laptops, and phones. Antivirus software will be able to provide protection to confidential data when you use the devices to access a public network. Employees’ personal devices should also have individual protection in the form of passwords.
Produce Backup Copies of Data
It is important to establish a schedule to perform regular backups on data on all the computers of the company. Documents such as spreadsheets, files of the human resource department as well as the records of payable and receivable accounts should be backed up regularly. These backup copies should be kept and maintained either on a Hybrid Cloud or in an offsite location.
