Business in 2021 isn’t business as normal. There are challenges everywhere.
And those include silent adversaries who want access to your business or organization, including your most sensitive information. That’s why good cyber hygiene has never been more important.
“You must ask, in big bold letters, who is ensuring that the necessary protections and ongoing education are in place for your business or nonprofit?” said Ken Valentine, Corporate Security senior manager for Regions Bank. “You need a steady drumbeat, but that becomes background noise if no one is responsible for taking the steps to stay safe.”
So, whether you run a small business or nonprofit, good cyber hygiene can help ensure business as usual and help reduce the risk of a cyberattack. Just consider these three steps:
- Build a culture of cyber readiness – Don’t make precautionary efforts the exception. Make them routine. That means scanning for viruses, updating systems regularly and using strong passwords that are routinely changed. You invest the time and the resources to make it the norm.
- Implement an employee awareness and training program – Teach your staff what to recognize, how to react and why it’s important everyone works together.
- Develop a cyber governance and event response plan – No matter how good you think your cyber hygiene may be, you’re coming up short if you don’t plan for contingencies. Game plan worst-case scenarios and know the steps you need to take to resolve the issue.
“Building a culture of cyber readiness is critical to awareness and response. Understanding the potential risks, educating employees, and having a response plan are key steps to prevention and recovery, said Jeff Taylor, head of commercial fraud forensics for Regions Bank. “Neglecting to prepare can make your business even more vulnerable.”
Another great resource is the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). The government organization has a great checklist, with tips on how you can self-test to reduce the risk of a cyberattack. Just go to this link: Cyber Hygiene Services | CISA.
