Defining Good Cyber-Hygiene

Defining Good Cyber-Hygiene

#securitypatches  #cyberrisk  #cyberhygiene  #riskmitigation   

Good Cyber-hygiene means we practice technical security as safe as possible.  To do so means we must use good cybernetic hygiene, i.e., ensure adequate protection and maintenance of systems and devices, and the use of best practices in cybersecurity.3   Good cyber hygiene is a common practice which can help you ensure your online safety.  In practicing good cyber-hygiene, there are some best practices you can perform to ensure your cyber hygiene will keep you effectively inoculated against viruses, worms, ransomware or other bad actors.

If your organization wants to achieve solid digital security in this modern area, it must adapt a good cyber-hygiene strategy.5  A good cyber-hygiene strategy means an organization is managing hardware and software resources from acquisition to sunsetting, as well as creating good cyber-hygienic culture, ensuring the organization achieves a higher standard of security.4

Just as your mother has always told you the importance of proper hygiene habits, such as regular brushing and flossing of teeth, to achieve optimal personal health, your business will benefit much the same by practicing good cyber-hygiene.10  Good cyber-hygiene is practiced by employees who are informed about the best information security practices at home and at work are more likely to have strong general hygiene habits that are transmitted to your office.9  To get your staff to improve their cyber-hygiene, you need to improve incrementally by implementing a series of steps, just as if you are trying to change a habit.  

Cyber-hygiene consists of a series of steps and procedures that can be used to improve security and maintain a healthy system.11  After establishing an effective security awareness training program, organizations can use it to raise awareness and support some of the key cyber-hygiene practices to build a solid safety culture.7  

Cyber​-hygiene refers to the practices and steps taken by computer users and other devices to maintain system integrity and improve online security.  In addition to the cyber-hygiene device page, an essential part of any cyber-hygiene program is understanding which users have privileged access and continuing to check permissions.13  As many security Practitioners know, people are the weakest link, so we need to help people through training and awareness.  By raising training and awareness in your company, cyber-security will become a normal routine as well as many positive cyber-hygiene measures.  Using correct password settings and responsible Internet and e-mail behavior depends on the employee's input which is generally only improved through training and awareness.10

Cyber-hygiene may not seem sexy, but it is a necessary and often neglected security effort which protects companies in the long run.  Cyber-hygiene refers to the practices and precautions taken by users to organize, secure, and secure the confidentiality of information against theft and external attacks. Like personal hygiene (brushing teeth, washing hands, bathing, etc.), Cyber-hygiene refers to all proactive steps to reduce the risk of infection in connection with devices and underlying data.13

Organizations need to ensure rigorous testing and regularly installing updates for devices, applications, and operating systems could thwart many hackers and vastly improve their cybersecurity posture.5  Doing so should ensure security and compliance, and every employee must understand and practice cyber-hygiene, especially if trends such as digital transformation and mobility are still rising.1  By acting proactively and vigilantly to improve cyber-hygiene, your business can better protect itself against cyber threats now and in the future.5  While employees are the riskiest part of your security activities, treating them as the weakest link in your information security program only reinforces their unhealthy cyber behavior.9  Good cyber-hygiene practices may not be sexy, but they are critical in defending your crown jewels.6  Regular installation of device, application and operating system updates is an essential step to achieving strong cyber hygiene.1

Cyber ​​awareness and healthy cyber-hygiene ultimately help to maintain green business when it is needed most.5  Ensuring your organization has a monthly training program in the field of security and compliance allows your organization’s employees to understand the role they play in cybersecurity and to take control of their data and practices.9  The lack of security controls in a modern IT system ultimately increases the likelihood of cyber risk, or data breach can be described as cyber chaos.8

Once implemented in a corporate network, cyber safety hygiene is a continuous cycle in which vulnerabilities are identified, risk is reduced, and response time improved.2  Faster response to cyber threats also means that hackers cannot significantly cross the entry point.5  However, faster response time is not the only variable in play.   Many variables play a role in understanding cyber risk: industry, infrastructure, company size, supply chain, location, internet presence, data storage technologies, and many other factors.8  By understanding most, if not all of the variables, we can ensure only computers and devices approved by the company or company as information security personnel have access to the private network.  This is a necessary step as it difficult for hackers to overcome this barrier unless they are targeting the individual via social engineering, then all bet are off.12

Training end-users to improve personal data management is a process that must be continuous and related to security.  We can look to legal requirements and constraints and use Lawyers to reduce this risk by requiring all legal matters always using tools such as virtual private networks (VPNs) as well as ensuring the data has been encrypted, which also makes it difficult for the bad actor to use the data.12

Security Specialists can help counteract the threat of fraud by establishing a strong password policy that requires all employees to create a strong, unique password for their accounts.7  For companies that are aware of cybersecurity threats and threats, the first step is to protect their emails.5  As a person working with many of the U.S. Government Agencies where we are rightly proud of the quality and innovation such as the internet, we need to ensure our stakeholders have the cybersecurity tools they need to work efficiently, effectively and securely by continuously working to keep up-to-date with solutions to this problem.7  You may not be able to predict what threats your business will face in the future; however, good cyber-hygiene can ensure you already have tools you need to protect your system.11

 

Cited Sources

    https://www.csoonline.com/article/3310068/basic-cyber-hygiene-practices-that-go-a-long-way.html 1

    https://securityintelligence.com/your-security-strategy-is-only-as-strong-as-your-cyber-hygiene/ 2

    https://www.fmcbank.com/banking/personal/cyber-hygiene 3

    https://sbscyber.com/resources/cyber-hygiene-improving-health-and-online-security 4

    https://blog.rsisecurity.com/why-is-cyber-hygiene-important/ 5

    https://www.securityroundtable.org/whats-old-is-new-back-to-security-basics-with-good-cyber-hygiene/ 6

    https://securityboulevard.com/2019/10/protect-it-a-combination-of-security-culture-and-cyber-hygiene-good-practices/ 7

    https://resources.infosecinstitute.com/the-importance-of-cyber-hygiene-in-cyberspace/ 8

    https://zeguro.com/blog/five-tips-for-better-cyber-hygiene 9

    https://www.networkdepot.com/why-your-small-business-should-practice-good-cyber-hygiene/ 10

    https://www.abusix.com/blog/why-your-cyber-hygiene-is-as-important-as-your-dental-hygiene 11

    https://www.americanbar.org/groups/young_lawyers/publications/tyl/topics/resources-technology/tips-good-cyber-hygiene/ 12

    https://www.axonius.com/platform/cyber-hygiene/ 13

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