In this hypermodern age, everything and everyone is connected. The internet is massive, and individuals and organisations use it every day for a range of activities, from work to pleasure. Whether it’s uploading documents, processing transactions or streaming the latest hit movies, we’re all plugged in. That’s why cybersecurity is so important.
Cyber hygiene, or cybersecurity hygiene, refers to the practices and procedures that individuals and organisations use to maintain the health and security resilience of their systems, devices, networks and data. The main goal of cyber hygiene is to keep sensitive data secure and protected from cyberattacks and theft. This article will provide an overview of everything you need to know about the concept of cyber hygiene.
What is Cyber Hygiene?
Cyber hygiene refers to the various practices and procedures that individuals and organisations use to maintain the health, security and resilience of their networks, devices, data and systems. The main goal of good cyber hygiene is to keep sensitive data, such as customer data and payment data, secure and protected from nefarious cyberattacks such as hacking, cracking and malware, including ransomware and theft.
As the term suggests, cyber hygiene is often compared to personal hygiene because cyber hygiene defines the preventive measures that are employed to prevent cybersecurity deterioration and ensure optimal well-being over critical systems.
Why is Cyber Hygiene Important?
Cyber hygiene is absolutely essential in today’s hyper-connected digital age, where cyber threats are constantly evolving, and data breaches have become increasingly common and costly for organisations. According to the Cost of Data Breach Report from Ponemon Institute and IBM Security, the global average monetary cost of a data breach increased by a staggering 12% over the past few years to $3.92 million.
It is known that most of these network breaches directly result from cybercriminal actors exploiting weak security gaps overlooked by organisations due to poor or substandard cyber hygiene practices.
In addition to monetary cost, cyber hygiene is essential because data breaches, leaks and cyberattacks can severely damage an organisation’s reputation, especially if it is the type of company that should be secure and safe. Healthcare organisations, financial institutions, tertiary institutions and government departments should all have impeccable cyber hygiene, as the reputational risk of a bad actor accessing sensitive data is sky-high.
The Benefits of Cyber Hygiene
There are several benefits to maintaining good cyber hygiene. Firstly, it improves an organisation’s security posture and minimises the risk of crucial operational interruptions, data compromises and data loss or ransom. An enterprise’s security posture is a term given to its cybersecurity program’s overall strength, resilience and ability to handle existing and emerging cyber threats, of which novel threats are emerging all the time. Basic cyber hygiene practices go a long way toward achieving overall optimal cybersecurity and cyber resilience.
Furthermore, following cyber hygiene best practices enables organisations to meet various strict regulatory requirements and avoid potential fines and associated penalties to do with non-compliance. Excellent cyber hygiene ensures that businesses follow best practices and implement necessary security measures to remain compliant with local regulations and legislation.
In addition to this, because proper cyber hygiene emphasises educating staff on best practices for protecting sensitive data and detecting potential threats from bad actors, organisations can significantly reduce the risk of accidental data breaches and unauthorised access to systems. Team members play a crucial role in maintaining cyber hygiene best practices, and their awareness and ongoing understanding of cybersecurity best practices are essential for a secure business environment and for protecting sensitive data.
Common Cyber Hygiene Problems
The most common cyber hygiene problem in any organisation is weak passwords or staff using the same password for multiple applications. Using unique, complex passwords for each account and program is essential for excellent cyber hygiene. All staff should avoid using easily guessable passwords or personal information, such as names, pet names, family member names or dates of birth. Instead, staff should consider combining letters, numbers and special characters into a long, strong password. For those who need to manage multiple passwords effectively, using a password manager that can create and store your passwords securely is a must.
Another common problem is the lack of multi-factor authentication (MFA). MFA, which requires a randomly generated code or application prompt to enter a system, adds an extra layer of protection to devices and programs by requiring a second security authentication in addition to your password. By enabling MFA, organisations can reduce the risk of unauthorised access to accounts and systems, even if a staff password is compromised.
Phishing is also the bane of most organisations, with multiple phishing attempts occurring most days. Phishing scams are a common, blunt tactic that cybercriminals use to trick staff into revealing sensitive information such as data or passwords or installing malware onto systems. So, staff need to carefully review emails or messages requesting personal or sensitive information and verify the sender’s legitimacy before taking action. This can be done by calling the sender internally and confirming that they sent the request or link.
Another poor cyber hygiene practice is a lack of regular backups. Regularly backing up important files and data is essential for protecting organisations against cyberattacks. In the event of a data breach from a bad actor or an accidental deletion, having a recent backup can ensure you can recover that valuable data. For this, you can use external hard drives or a cloud storage service, of which several exist.
Cyber Hygiene Best Practices
All medium to large organisations should consider establishing a dedicated cybersecurity department with trained and qualified staff and analysts working hard to ensure excellent cyber hygiene and best practices. This team can actively prevent threats, stress-test crucial systems, and build safeguards for an organisation.
We have to stress the importance of establishing a cybersecurity department with qualified Master of Cyber Security professionals and ensuring every member of an organisation has basic cybersecurity knowledge. Mandatory staff training on cyber hygiene should be the norm, with frontline staff equipped with the knowledge and skills to practice good cyber hygiene at all times.
Develop Your Defense
This informative article has explained cyber hygiene, and we’ve covered what it is, why it is important and some best practices to avoid poor cyber hygiene. This knowledge is crucial for medium to large organisations who are at threat of malicious cyber activity.
