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As the average cost of a data breach reaches $3.86 million, the need for cybersecurity preparedness is more pressing than ever. Just like the data, the cybersecurity perimeter should no longer be confined to the physical boundaries of the organization. Data is everywhere and so should be your cybersecurity controls. Shoulder surfing, spam emails, malware, phishing scams, and social engineering – hackers will exhaust all techniques to exfiltrate sensitive data and use it against you. And a single unprotected endpoint device or unpatched software is all it takes.
With data privacy regulations like CCPA (California Consumer Privacy Act) and GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation), the monetary and reputational consequences of data breaches have become monumental. It is in the best interest of enterprises and small to medium-sized businesses to implement cybersecurity best practices for data protection.
1. Adopt a cybersecurity framework
You can improve your organization’s ability to manage cyber threats by adopting one of the established cybersecurity frameworks like NIST or ISO/IEC 27001. A cybersecurity framework (CSF) is a set of standards, guidelines, and best practices to create an effective cybersecurity policy and improve the overall cybersecurity posture of an organization. It provides a basic, structured strategy for your cybersecurity team. Cybersecurity frameworks continuously evolve to address the latest threats and implement adequate response programs.
Depending on the industry you’re operating in, you may be required to implement one of the cybersecurity frameworks anyway. Cybersecurity frameworks make it easier to ensure compliance with industry-specific laws and standards like HIPAA and PCI DSS.
2. Provide cybersecurity education
Your cybersecurity strategy can protect you only so much if your employees are not fully aware of the cyber threats surrounding them and their consequences. Almost 40% of security incidents are thought to involve naive or negligent users. The only way to combat this insider threat is by educating your employees about the importance of adhering to security policies like using strong passwords and avoiding public Wi-Fi when accessing internal assets and data. Make sure that your employees know that security measures – such as 2FA (two-factor authentication) and MFA (multi-factor authentication) – are not a mere nuisance, and they should not try to bypass those.
Conduct regular training programs and workshops on the latest threat landscape and how to identify and avoid potential security risks like phishing scams. At the end of the day, it’s much easier to educate your employees than to have a single negligent employee put your sensitive data at risk.
3. Patch systems and stay patched
Global attacks like WannaCry and Not Petya could’ve been avoided simply by patching the Eternalblue exploit that had been identified well before these attacks were launched. Working with outdated computer systems and tools is another leading cause of data breaches. Of course, a firewall is your first line of defense against cyber criminals, but you need to update it as soon as an update or a patch is released for it. The same goes for all software applications – including the OS and the browser – and other endpoint security systems, such as anti-virus and anti-malware programs.
Sometimes it can be hard to keep track of all the software components in the many applications that are in use. The most convenient way to ensure that no software updates or security patches are missed is to use a patch management software that keeps track of the entire IT inventory and automates the deployment and installation of software patches from different vendors.
4. Implement ZTNA (Zero Trust Network Access)
ZTNA is a security model based on the principle that no access is granted by default, and users can see only the data that they absolutely need to fulfill their job roles. This dramatically decreases an organization’s attack surface. Just like firewalls and VPNs (virtual private networks) protect your internal network from external threats, the Zero Trust model protects from insider threats by disabling free lateral movement inside the corporate network. It drastically reduces the amount of data that can be compromised if a privileged user commits fraud or an imposter gains privileges through identity theft.
Regardless of where your data resides, it will not be visible to anyone by default. This way, ZTNA creates a dynamic security perimeter that encompasses cloud-based apps and data as well as remote users accessing internal resources from outside the corporate network.
Final Word
The checklist of cybersecurity best practices can go on and on to include data backups, data encryption, physical security of data centers, and incident response planning. However, in this blog post, we’ve tried to touch on just a few of the most important ones. Familiarizing with and enacting all cybersecurity best practices can be overwhelming and expensive. Getting a managed security service provider (MSSP) on board can relieve you of the daunting task and be a cost-effective and viable solution for your cybersecurity needs.