CYBER HYGIENE
What is Cyber Hygiene?
Cyber hygiene refers to the collection of best practices that an organization employs to keep its network and data secure.
Why is Cyber Hygiene important?
The goal of cyber hygiene is to maintain the health and security of hardware and software to ensure they are protected from threats such as cyber attacks. When practiced regularly and consistently, cyber hygiene helps organizations keep their data safe and secure.
What is the first step in practicing Cyber Hygiene?
The most important step in practicing cyber hygiene is to have a detailed inventory of your network systems, assets, devices, and applications. Any cloud, internal, or public-facing asset that presents a cyber attack surface needs to be documented and kept up-to-date.
Cybersecurity Hygiene checklist
The following list of practices is a baseline for what should be considered when developing a cyber hygiene checklist.
- Require strong passwords and multi-factor authentication for critical systems and applications
- Keep company-owned systems and devices up-to-date with the latest software updates and patches
- Don’t share login credentials with others
- Install firewalls and antivirus software
- Encrypt drives
- Backup critical data regularly
- Perform asset discovery and inventory management
- Implement the principle of least privilege
What is a Cyber Hygiene Assessment?
A cyber hygiene assessment is a type of assessment that evaluates an organization's cybersecurity practices and procedures to identify areas where they may be weak or vulnerable. The goal of a cyber hygiene assessment is to identify and prioritize areas for improvement in order to help an organization reduce its risk of cyber attacks and breaches.
What does a Cyber Hygiene assessment involve?
A cyber hygiene assessment typically involves reviewing an organization's cybersecurity policies and procedures, evaluating the security of its networks and systems, and assessing the effectiveness of its controls and safeguards. The assessment may also include interviews with employees and other stakeholders to gather more information about the organization's cybersecurity practices.
Some common areas that may be evaluated during a cyber hygiene assessment include:
- Password management: Is the organization using strong and unique passwords for all accounts, and is it enforcing password complexity and expiration policies?
- Network security: Are the organization's networks and systems configured securely, and are they being monitored and managed effectively?
- Endpoint security: Are the organization's devices, such as laptops and smartphones, being protected against malware and other threats?
- Access control: Is the organization implementing controls to ensure that only authorized users have access to sensitive data and systems?
- Patch management: Is the organization keeping its systems and software up-to-date with the latest security patches and updates?
What is Cyber Hygiene Training?
Cyber hygiene training is a form of security awareness training that teaches users how to maintain a secure digital environment. It includes topics such as identifying phishing attacks, using strong passwords, protecting personal information, and understanding basic concepts of computer security.