October marks the start of Cybersecurity Awareness Month 2022, which is designed to help businesses protect themselves from online threats and bring overall awareness to cybersecurity. This month is dedicated to creating tools and resources that businesses can utilize to provide tips and training to better inform their customers and employees. What started in 2004, and continues now to build momentum, Cybersecurity Awareness Month portrays an over-arching theme of focusing ultimately on the “people” part of cybersecurity.
Focusing on the human nature side of cybersecurity ensures that all individuals and organizations make the right decisions when it comes to being safe online. There are many ways that you can keep your data protected. Check out these four best practices that you can leverage to improve your cyber awareness.
Also known as two-factor authentication, MFA is a security measure that has become more common amongst businesses. When initiated, MFA will prompt a user to utilize two security features that can prove their identity. This feature can make it twice as hard for cybercriminals to access sensitive data.
• A biometric identifier like a fingerprint or facial recognition.
• An extra pin that is prompted for entry after a password.
• A security question set up by the user.
• A code that is either texted or emailed to the user.
• When in doubt, if available, use MFA everywhere to secure your network.
Passwords are the digital keys to your cyber-house and are critical to protecting your online security. The truth is passwords are your first line of defense against cyberattacks.
• When creating passwords, it’s key to keep these three tips in mind:
• Make them long: Each password should be about 12 characters long.
• Make them unique: Never reuse passwords, nor should they look alike.
• Make them complex: You should use a combination of uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers and special characters.
• If your password is long, unique and complex you won’t need to change it, unless you are notified that an unauthorized person has accessed it, or your password was compromised in a data breach.
Hackers use scams like phishing attacks to send bad links via emails to try and extract sensitive data from unsuspecting individuals. A phishing scam can even install malware on computer systems. When in doubt, if it looks “phishy,” don’t click on it.
Always keep your software up to date when updates are available. These updates can generally provide general fixes and new patches to protect your business against cybercriminals. If you have the chance to automate your updates, don’t hesitate to do so. By updating your software, you can ensure that you are one step ahead of hackers.
Everyone can make a difference during Cybersecurity Awareness Month 2022 by getting involved and learning best practices. If you’re unsure where your cybersecurity stands or could use additional training to help better prepare your staff, contact us. Here at First Column we can get your cybersecurity strategy in place with an effective risk evaluation.
If you want to learn more about cybersecurity awareness and training, check out additional blogs in our resources section.
