What Are the Most Common Practices in Cybersecurity? Part 2
In part one of this blog series, we looked at common cybersecurity practices: data protection, data backups, staff training, communication, and password security. Continuing with part two of this series explores additional best practices to help secure small and medium-sized businesses (SBMs), academic institutions, healthcare facilities, and corporate giants. Together, these best practices help fortify IT infrastructure, build resilience, and defend against rapidly evolving cyber threats.
5 More Cybersecurity Practices to Consider for your Enterprise
6. Enforce a Robust BYOD Policy
Employees, students, and visitors have connected to corporate and academic networks with their own devices long before the pandemic. However, what was once perceived as a perk is now transformed into a significant productivity boost across organizations.
To keep your hybrid environment secure, it’s best to enforce a comprehensive Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policy to combat cybersecurity challenges, including:
- Malware migrating from personal devices to your company network
- Many different operating systems connecting to your company network
- Sensitive data ending up on personal devices (that can be stolen or lost)
When you have a robust BYOD policy, you can stop your employees and visitors from using unsecured networks, weak passwords, and so on. You can also engage in asset tracking and leverage endpoint security protocols to secure your network.
While nothing you do will be as secure as your in-house network, you can take steps to fortify your infrastructure and defend against potential threats.
7. Leverage Robust Endpoint Protection
Large enterprises and academic institutions supply and support thousands of devices in offices and in homes. There are several endpoints to consider carefully and many more blind spots. As such, it’s important to use solutions to enhance visibility and boost defenses to secure endpoints wherever you find them.
In this case, you can use remote monitoring and endpoint management tools to monitor your endpoints in real-time. You can also use these technologies to automate software updates on those devices, whether they are used at home or in the office.
Using Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) solutions, you can monitor end-user devices for a whole bunch of cyber threats and respond immediately to active incidents. For example, you’ll have the power to isolate an endpoint and restrict the transfer of malicious code.
8. Improve Email Security
Email is usually the entry point for ransomware. Poor email security can quickly lead to a cybersecurity incident, whether in the form of a malicious link or attachment. While phishing emails are as old as the internet itself, they are still highly successful.
According to Verizon’s 2021 Data Breach Investigations Report, as many as 36% of all successful corporate cyberattacks involved phishing. This was a whopping 11% increase over 2020 and reflects the perception of threat actors who believe that people will let their guard down when they are at home.
It turns out they were right, even without COVID, because their susceptibility to phishing attacks was high. So, it’s critical for businesses to strengthen email security, taking the human element into consideration.
As your IT team can use all the help they can get, it’s a good idea to invest in email security solutions that leverage artificial intelligence and machine learning, and we should refer back to best practice #3 “Train Your Employees” in the first part of our blog series.
9. Leverage a CASB Solution
Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB) is a perfect tool for businesses running cloud workloads and SaaS applications that remote workers regularly connect to as part of their daily jobs.
Whenever you implement a CASB solution, it sits between the user and cloud services to secure sensitive data and strictly enforce security policies. This approach will also provide your in-house IT team with enhanced visibility to address any potential security gaps and issues.
10. Always Automate and Augment Human Experts
Cybersecurity experts play a critical role in keeping brands out of the headlines. However, they could use all the help the industry has to offer to stay a step ahead of cybercriminals.
One of the best ways to do this is to automate whatever you can and add human intelligence in a scalable manner when it gets too sophisticated for intelligent algorithms. It’s the best way to address potential vulnerabilities while minimizing the attack surface proactively.
Your cybersecurity automation strategy must include the following:
- Automated blocking
- Automated remediation
- Cross-correlation of relevant telemetric data
- Risk rated responses
As soon as your security tools alert you to a potential threat, automation needs to be augmented by human oversight. This approach helps minimize false positives and alert fatigue. It also simplifies the alert remediation process and offers a clear overview of the current security posture.
Stay Safe from Cybersecurity Threats
Hackers never rest, and we shouldn’t either.
While preventing a data breach can feel like a never-ending game of cat and mouse, it’s a game we can compete in and win. The best strategy is to take a proactive approach to cybersecurity and consistently follow best practices.
Always use whatever cybersecurity solutions and expertise are presently available by your organization. If you don’t have those necessary resources or experts available to keep your business safe, look to partner with an established cybersecurity services provider.
To learn more about cybersecurity best practices, or our security partners and services, contact 2NDGEAR at info@2NDGEAR.com. You can also request a commitment-free cybersecurity assessment by clicking the button below.
