Good cyber hygiene refers to the proactive steps and best practices users and organizations can take to keep their online environment free from cyber threats. This includes performing regular software updates, creating strong passwords, and being cautious when clicking on links from unknown sources. 

It is important for organizations to review some of the best practices for proper cyber hygiene – and to make sure their own policies are up to the task. 

Good Cyber Hygiene for IT Professionals

• Increase security awareness. The human factor is always the weakest link in cybersecurity. IT needs to expand messages beyond phishing warnings to include topics such as laws and regulations that connect security with the business. Information privacy is a key topic.
• Know who is connecting. To ensure that only authentic users are connecting to a network, IT departments must require users to connect through a secure VPN, single sign-on, and two/multi factor authentication. Access and security logs must be carefully analyzed to identify any suspicious activity.
• Secure the cloud. Cloud environments are not automatically secure when they are first created. Securing them requires knowledge and time. To keep the business safe, security controls must span all environments – providing 360-degree application protection for both the application surface and the cloud application infrastructure.
• Know your suppliers. Companies need to thoroughly evaluate the tools and services they integrate into their operations. This includes the careful installation and configuration of the product or service, tracking patches and new releases from vendors, and monitoring for any suspicious behavior. In a highly sensitive environment, some companies may choose not to use third-party products or services.  
• Know the enemy. Security teams need to understand the techniques, tactics, and procedures used by malicious actors. By getting to know their adversaries, security will be better prepared to detect and evict threat actors who might be targeting their environment. Many security companies issue threat alerts that can be used to gather the latest intel to inform a security strategy. Continuous monitoring and analysis are required to detect and respond to threats as soon as possible.
• Maintain visibility. Companies need to make sure they can maintain visibility and consistency of security control posture across a collection of platforms, infrastructures, and technologies. Having visibility and control via security and development dashboards is a must. These dashboards should provide actionable analytics, automation, and customized controls.
• Balance the load. Companies need sufficient capacity to balance the load on the network and scale to meet the needs of remote workers. After all, there is no point in having a secure network if every time it is accessed by large numbers of employees it fails because it can’t cope with demand. Since employee productivity depends on applications being available and accessible, IT departments must find appropriate solutions that provide business continuity. Those with multiple data centers should use global load balancing to ensure availability across data centers and the cloud.

Good Cyber Hygiene for Employees

Building and maintaining a strong security culture is essential in reducing the number of security breaches that occur and ensuring quicker incident detection and response. Regular training can raise employees’ overall security awareness and help them learn how to proactively spot suspicious emails, handle data and security situations, and follow important organization processes like reporting.

Organizations need to educate their employees about security best practices such as:

• Take advantage of training. Training and education are key to reducing risks related to phishing and social engineering attacks. Employees should familiarize themselves with the different types of attacks and scams and gather safety tips from nonprofits such as the National Cyber Security Alliance that provide valuable resources on staying safe online.
• Beware of attachments. Employees should refrain from opening attachments without confirming the attachment came from a trusted source. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has some good security tips on opening up email attachments.
• Take password protection seriously. Creating passwords that are at least 12 characters long, and include numbers and symbols is a best practice. Multi-factor authentications can maximize protections.
• Keep all software updated. Don’t wait to apply updates. Turn on auto-updates on phones and laptops.
• Separate personal and professional. Today, personal and professional lives have blended due to IoT devices such as smartphones, tablets, and virtual assistants. Bringing your own device to work has expanded the enterprise attack surface. That’s why it’s important to remind employees not to do personal activity while connected to the company network.

Cyber hygiene is not just a one-time effort; it requires ongoing vigilance, training, and collaboration between security teams and employees. By embracing these best practices, any organization’s overall cybersecurity posture can be strengthened.