Beginning to address cybersecurity can be a daunting proposition for many businesses. Resources, especially for smaller or relatively new businesses, can be hard to gather or allocate. Knowing where to start or what to prioritize is also problematic. But there are cybersecurity principles every business can institute that are both manageable and effective.
Organizations such as the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the National Cybersecurity Alliance (NCA) have worked for years to lead a collaborative effort between industry leaders and the government to raise awareness about such principles. These are steps that many people can take on their own, don’t require a massive investment of resources, and can quickly improve any business's security profile.
This is particularly relevant to small businesses. Individual employees can take steps to further protect their online information and privacy. Businesses can gain a greater understanding of how to protect their brand and reputation with strong controls to prevent an incident inside their organization and fortify their business against potential trouble from the interconnected systems and supply chains of today.
Today we’ll examine the four key cybersecurity principles offered by the CISA and NCA that empower everyone to do their part in forging a stronger overall security profile.
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Four Cybersecurity Principles You Can Address Right Now
Here are four security concepts that can be tackled by any organization, regardless of size:
- Use Stronger Passwords & Manage Them
- Enable Multi-Factor Authentication
- Update Your Software
- Recognize & Report Phishing
These concepts are applicable to both individuals and businesses that employ them. With the onset of 2023 and persistent questions about the threats facing every person and business on the internet, these guideposts offer excellent best practices to reduce the risk associated with any online activity. For businesses, employing these practices increases your security resilience and lessens the chance of a breach or other attack at an organizational level.
Change is Good
Everyone is familiar with the pain of keeping track of all the passwords they use throughout their daily life. Virtually every online space — for work and personal use — requires you to set up a username and password. While it’s tempting to create a ‘go-to’ password, doing so opens up potential, easily-deduced access points for malicious actors. You may have forgotten about that free newsletter you signed up for years ago. But did you reuse those credentials for another, more vital, account or service?
Using a password manager creates unique passwords every time you need to create one, and helps you keep track of them. Password management services do more than greatly reduce your risk by ensuring every password is siloed; they can improve your user experience by taking the management of all those unique combinations off your plate.
Take the Extra Step
Multi-factor Authentication (MFA) is a security method that requires the user to provide two or more verification factors to gain access to an application, online account, website, VPN, or other resources. Rather than just submitting your username and password, MFA requires additional authentication to complete the process. This additional authentication can take many forms, like the use of one-time passwords (those codes you receive via SMS or email) or utilizing biometrics (like a fingerprint scan on your smartphone).
The use of MFA adds another layer of protection — exponentially higher than usernames and passwords alone — and decreases the likelihood of a successful cyberattack. MFA is seen as a huge deterrent for hackers, who will often move on to another less protected target than take the time and resources needed to work through the additional security layer.
The Newest Versions Are the Best
Cybercriminals never rest in their pursuit to find flaws or exploits in widely installed software products, such as Chrome, Adobe PDF Reader, and more. Keeping the operating systems current with the latest patches and updating applications is essential to securing your computers and mobile devices. Software vendors regularly release updates to fix security bugs and working with a managed IT and cybersecurity partner will ensure this step is not overlooked.
That’s Not Just Another Email
Phishing is a form of fraud where a scammer tries to induce you into revealing personal, financial, or confidential information by posing as a close contact, trusted partner or vendor, or another reputable source through email or other electronic communication. Whether it’s urging you to open an attachment, or using familiar logos to get you to click a link, phishers try to convince you to take an action that provides an opening for them to steal credentials, install malware, or other detrimental activities. Learning to recognize phishing techniques and reporting them when they crop up is important in combating business email compromise.
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For Managed Cybersecurity, and More, Trust Arnet Technologies
Arnet Technologies has more than a decade of experience in delivering premier managed IT services to businesses across Ohio. We removed the headaches and hassle associated with managing IT for clients across many industries, allowing them to focus on growing their own businesses — and not troubleshooting technical issues. We cover the entire scope of IT services, from managing your network to data recovery and much more, with each customized to your business-specific needs.
When you partner with Arnet Technologies for managed cybersecurity you’ll gain access to a team of experts that has the experience and insight needed to strengthen your security framework. With 24/7 monitoring, maintenance, and protection, we help your business rest easy knowing that foundational elements — such as the four cybersecurity principles outlined here — are addressed.
If you’re ready for managed cybersecurity you can count on to keep your business safe, connect with our team today to learn more.
