Technical Expertise

January 26, 2023   •   5 minute read

Cybersecurity Best Practices

Malicious actors are constantly evolving tactics to infiltrate your systems, steal valuable data, and potentially hold it for ransom.

According to IBM’s 2022 “Cost of a Data Breach” report, the average cost of a ransomware attack is $4.54 million. In fact, it took organizations 277 days on average (around nine months) to identify and mitigate breaches in 2022—49 days longer than average, the report continues, as ransomware-caused breaches spiked by 41% in the past year, alone.

These figures make it a crucial moment to implement robust cybersecurity. 

To support you in adequately protecting your systems, our team of experts has created this explainer of the best cybersecurity practices to implement.

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Cybersecurity Best Practices to Bolster Your Posture

Security Awareness Training

Cybersecurity is as much a human as a technological issue, making it especially vital that end-users understand their roles in the success of a security awareness and training program. It is critical organizations train these first lines of defense on security policies, procedures, techniques, and reporting protocols, and remain vigilant via routine testing and simulated phishing.

Complex Passwords & Password Management

While it is human nature to reuse simple passwords rather than memorize more complex ones, these can be easily cracked, and compromise a network. To safeguard against this, users should compare theirs against a recommended blacklist of commonly used passwords, those utilized in previous data breaches, dictionary words, and specific phrases.

Identity & Access Management

Identity and access management (IAM) is a critical cybersecurity component ensuring only the appropriate people can access systems, programs, and other resources at specific times by narrowing points of failure and authenticating the user, software, or hardware.

Security Updates & Patch Management

Enterprise patch management involves identifying, prioritizing, acquiring, installing, and verifying patches, updates, and upgrades in an organization’s systems—more important than ever due to the increased reliance on technology for everyday operations.

Endpoint Security & EDR

Endpoint security and endpoint detection and response (EDR) entails safeguarding end-user machines such as laptops and workstations against attacks through prevention, detection, and immediate response.

DNS & Web Filtering

Through DNS filtering, organizations can protect data and control user access on company-managed networks by utilizing the Domain Name System to block suspicious websites and filter harmful or inappropriate content.

Zero Trust

This concept assumes no one within an organization is implicitly trustworthy, and requires authentication and authorization to protect assets, services, workflows, and network accounts.

Email & Phishing Protection

Amid the seismic shift to remote work, email is more important than ever—and now one of the most exploited threat vectors.

Not only should incoming emails be assessed with scrutiny, but company sending domains should be authenticated to protect against spoofing, illegitimate content, or modification of messages in transit. Additional email best practices include:

  • Employing Sender Policy Framework (SPF)
  • Domain Keys Identified Mail (DKIM)
  • Domain-Based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance (DMARC)

Cloud SaaS Backup

Remote cloud backups safeguard sensitive data during power outages, natural disasters, local device infection, hardware failure, and other disruptions. However, implementing security controls is essential in protecting these assets—especially within shared cloud environments.

Data Encryption

This provides confidentiality, and protects data by scrambling it (plaintext) into a format not easily understood by unauthorized users or machines (ciphertext). This ensures email messages are read only by the sender and intended recipient(s).

Unified Endpoint Management

Unified endpoint management (UEM) enables IT staff and other authorized users to access and secure company devices and systems via a single console. This is vital for analyzing technology performance, supporting zero trust access, and managing nontraditional devices.

Network Security (Advanced Threat Protection)

Network infrastructure such as routers, firewalls, or domain name systems are prime targets because they’re needed for data, applications, services, and media. Implementing network security monitoring and segmentation significantly reduces risk by separating parts of the network based on role and functionality.

Wireless Security

A wireless local area network (WLAN) communicates within a limited geographic area. As its overall security depends on how secure each component is, client devices should only allow access to necessary hosts on the wired network, and WLANs should be separated.

Remote Access

Several technologies contribute to secure remote access, including: VPNs, intrusion prevention systems and intrusion detection systems (IPS/IDS), secure access service edge (SASE), a software-defined perimeter, firewalls, cloud access security brokers, zero trust network access, virtual desktop infrastructure, and identity and access management (IAM).

Managed Detection & Response (MDR)

This cybersecurity service combines technology and human expertise to conduct proactive threat hunting and continuous security monitoring, and provide real-time responses. A cutting-edge MDR team is vital to detecting and thwarting attacks before they take place.

Network Vulnerability & Penetration Testing

Penetration tests simulate the approaches and techniques of attackers to identify vulnerabilities and gauge how resistant your infrastructure would be to a breach.

Cyber Risk Insurance

Insurance policies vary in scope and coverage, but ideally serve to safeguard against supplemental risks alongside robust prevention measures such as continuous monitoring, EDR, and more.

Cybersafe: Your Cybersecurity Solution

To protect your company, its valuable assets and data against evolving threats, it is crucial to partner with a solution provider with industry-leading expertise and cutting-edge technological resources.

Trusted by the U.S. Department of Defense and National Security Agency for cybersecurity training, Cybersafe Solutions is a state-of-the-art MSP with a deep understanding of the modern threat landscape and how to protect your organization from its ever-present threats.

With 24/7/365 monitoring, Cybersafe seamlessly maintains full visibility across your network and cloud environments, mitigates threats, and curbs attacks in real time—effectively protecting your systems and granting invaluable peace of mind.

Cybersafe Solutions is a state-of-the-art, managed security provider. With more than 20 years of experience in the online threat landscape, our certified specialists leverage cutting-edge technologies to provide 24/7/365 continuous monitoring, network security, endpoint detection, and more, to curb threats before they manifest as attacks.

Contact us today to learn more.