Cyber Security Best Practices for 2024

In recent times, individuals and businesses have come to rely on online processes and services to carry out normal daily tasks. Using smart devices for communication and e-commerce is now a way of life for most of us. Businesses have moved operations and data to the cloud. Unfortunately, this also has spawned antisocial and criminal activity.

Ransomware in particular has been hitting the headlines. For example, the recent failure of a Microsoft systems upgrade caused a loss of air traffic control systems, affecting over 3,000 flights in the US alone. Another example of increasing criminal activity is identity theft, where personal information is stolen from a corporate database and used to steal money or goods.

What Is Cyber Security, and Why Do We Need it?

Cybersecurity helps individuals and organizations protect their systems, data, and networks from unauthorized access, attacks, data thefts, and breaches. It uses tools that, among other things, create firewalls, identify malware, and manage user access to systems and data. These are complemented in a corporate environment by policies and procedures to be observed by all users.

Best practices are guidelines, policies, and procedures that help to minimize security risks and safeguard sensitive information.

Common Cybersecurity Risks, Issues, and Challenges

Here are some of the more common issues and challenges that cybersecurity should handle:

Phishing attacks

• Issue: Phishing is one of the most common and successful cyberattacks. Attackers use deceptive emails or messages to trick users into revealing sensitive information or clicking on malicious links.
• Challenge: Despite user education, phishing tactics are becoming increasingly sophisticated, making them harder to detect.

Ransomware

• Issue: Ransomware attacks involve encrypting a victim’s data and demanding payment for decryption. These attacks target organizations across industries.
• Challenge: Once systems are infected, recovery can be complex and expensive. Preventing these attacks requires constant updates and employee training.

Insider threats

• Issue: Employees or contractors can intentionally or accidentally cause harm by leaking sensitive data, abusing their access privileges, or falling prey to social engineering attacks.
• Challenge: Monitoring insider activity without breaching privacy and trust, while detecting malicious intent, is a delicate balancing act.

Outdated software and patch management

• Issue: Unpatched vulnerabilities in software are a common vector for cyberattacks. Attackers exploit these vulnerabilities to gain unauthorized access to systems.
• Challenge: Ensuring timely patching of all systems and software across an organization is resource-intensive, especially in large IT environments.

Third-party vendor risk

• Issue: Many organizations rely on third-party vendors for various services, which exposes them to risks if the vendor’s cybersecurity posture is weak.
• Challenge: Assessing and managing third-party risks can be difficult, especially when vendors have access to sensitive systems or data.

Lack of Cybersecurity Awareness

• Issue: Many security breaches occur because employees are unaware of best cybersecurity practices or are careless in following them.
• Challenge: Continuous and effective cybersecurity training programs are essential but difficult to maintain.

DDoS (Distributed Denial-of-Service) Attacks

• Issue: DDoS attacks overwhelm a server or network with traffic, causing service disruptions.
• Challenge: Defending against large-scale DDoS attacks requires robust infrastructure, which can be costly for smaller organizations.

Regulatory Compliance

• Issue: Organizations are required to comply with various cybersecurity regulations (GDPR, HIPAA, etc.), which often involve implementing stringent security measures.
• Challenge: Keeping up with evolving regulations and ensuring compliance across all operations can be resource-intensive.

Data Breaches

• Issue: Unauthorized access to sensitive information can result in data breaches, leading to financial and reputational damage.
• Challenge: Detecting and responding to data breaches quickly while minimizing damage is difficult, especially when sophisticated attackers are involved.

AI and Machine Learning Risks

• Issue: While AI and machine learning are used for cybersecurity, attackers are also leveraging these technologies to launch more advanced and personalized attacks.
• Challenge: It can be difficult to keep pace with these emerging threats and develop AI systems that complement and enhance existing systems.

Identity and Access Management (IAM)

• Issue: Weak authentication mechanisms or poorly managed access controls can lead to unauthorized access to critical systems and data.
• Challenge: Implementing robust IAM solutions, like multifactor authentication (MFA) and role-based access controls (RBAC), across complex environments can be difficult. This is particularly so where access is requested from a variety of devices and operating environments.

Cybersecurity in a work-from-home, IOT, or Cloud Environment

• Issue: The current move toward remote working and moving data and applications to the cloud brings new cybersecurity issues and challenges.
• Challenge: Many policies and procedures—for example, equipment types and operating environments—cannot be enforced easily, and new policies and procedures need to be developed and rolled out.

Cloud Security Risks

• Issue: As organizations migrate to cloud environments, security challenges such as data breaches, misconfigured cloud services, and insufficient control over access rights arise.
• Challenge: Managing security in the cloud requires specialized knowledge and strategies that differ from traditional on-premises security models.

BYOD (bring your own device) Policies

• Issue: Allowing employees to use personal devices for work purposes on-site and remotely opens up the network to a wider range of potential vulnerabilities.
• Challenge: Ensuring the security of these devices and segregating personal and work data is complex.

IoT (Internet of Things) Vulnerabilities

• Issue: IoT devices often have weak security and are easy targets for attackers.
• Challenge: Securing a rapidly growing number of IoT devices in homes, offices, and industrial systems is a significant challenge.

Addressing these cybersecurity challenges requires a combination of technology, policies, and employee awareness to reduce risks and respond effectively to threats.

Cyber Security Best Practices

At a corporate level, several offerings can be used to provide a cybersecurity environment. One highly regarded suite of applications is provided by SentinelOne. An overview of their worldwide customer base can be found here.

There are similar applications available for small networks and individuals.

Organizations need to look at cyber security best practices to ensure that they are protected as much as possible. This is a wide field and is continually changing and expanding. Examples can be found here, and a broader look at the field is available at the SentinelOne resource center.

The five C’s of cybersecurity are change, compliance, cost, continuity, and coverage. Any statement of best practice should conform to them. In addition, there are five basic principles to be observed:

1. Risk management—Identify and assess potential risks to your systems and data, and implement strategies to mitigate these risks.
2. Network security—Protect your network infrastructure by implementing firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and secure configurations.
3. Access control—Ensure that only authorized users have access to sensitive information and systems. This includes managing user privileges and using strong authentication methods.
4. Monitoring and detection—Continuously monitor your systems for suspicious activity, and have mechanisms in place to detect and respond to potential security breaches.
5. Incident response—Develop and practice an incident response plan to quickly address and recover from security incidents.

Bearing in mind the challenges and issues outlined above, here are some essential cyber security best practices that conform to the five basic principles:

#1. Use Strong, Unique Passwords

• Use a complex combination of letters, numbers, and special characters. Use system-generated passwords, and don’t allow users to generate their own.
• Don’t use the same password across multiple accounts.
• Use a password manager to generate, securely store, and manage complex passwords.

#2. Enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

• Add an extra layer of security by requiring additional verification (e.g., text message code, authentication app) along with your password.

#3. Keep Software Updated

• Ensure that your operating systems, software, and applications are regularly updated to patch vulnerabilities.
• Enable automatic updates so that your devices and systems automatically receive the latest security patches.

#4. Install Antivirus, Anti-Spyware, and Anti-Malware Software on all Devices

• Use reputable antivirus, ant-spyware, and anti-malware tools to scan and block malicious software.
• Run routine scans to detect and remove threats.
• Implement regular—at least daily—malware pattern updates.

#5. Use Firewalls

• Firewalls help block unauthorized access to your network by monitoring incoming and outgoing traffic. Ensure both software and hardware firewalls are enabled.

#6. Secure WiFi Networks

• Set up WiFi with WPA3 encryption, and change the default router password.
• Avoid using public WiFi for sensitive transactions unless using a private, secured VPN.

#7. Back up Data Regularly

• Maintain backups of critical data on a secure, off-site, or cloud-based storage system.
• Ensure that your backup process works by testing restores periodically.

#8. Beware of Phishing Attacks

• Ensure that you and other users are familiar with phishing and other social media and social engineering exploits.
• Be skeptical about unsolicited offers and requests, particularly those around money or goods. For example, a common email attack involves a courier company asking for money to complete delivery.

#9. Educate and Train Employees

• Conduct regular training on phishing, social engineering, and security awareness to help employees recognize potential threats.
• Implement security policies, such as acceptable use policies and data protection guidelines.

#10. Practice Good Email Hygiene

• Don’t click on suspicious links or download attachments from unverified emails.
• Set up spam filters to reduce phishing emails and block malicious links.

#11. Encrypt Sensitive Data

• Encrypt sensitive data both at rest and in transit to ensure that unauthorized parties cannot access it without decryption keys.

#12. Have a Program of Regular Backups of Systems

• Have regular, ideally automated backups of systems. This is vital in the case of a ransomware attack, where you recover by taking your infrastructure systems back to bare metal and restoring the latest valid backup.

#13. Limit User Privileges

• Implement the principle of least privilege, ensuring users only have the access necessary to perform their jobs.
• Use role-based access control (RBAC) to manage permissions and limit access to sensitive areas. Again, there are software tools available to assist in this process.
• Regularly review user privileges to ensure that employees changing roles relinquish the privileges of their previous roles.

#14. Have a Proactive Cybersecurity Posture

• Create published workplace cybersecurity policies that provide guidelines that foster security awareness. They also should have clear instructions on how to proceed when suspecting a security threat or a security failure.
• Report suspected security threats or security failures immediately. That may mitigate or prevent damage.
• Use security monitoring tools to track suspicious activity, such as unusual login attempts or data transfers. This is especially necessary for financial transactions.

#15. Conduct Security Audits

• Review logs regularly to identify potential threats early.

#16. Secure Physical Devices

• Ensure that all on-site end-user devices such as laptops and smart devices are secured with passwords and, in the case of particularly sensitive devices, biometric security. If not in use, store in a secure location.

#17. Secure Mobile Devices

• Where possible, use a standard device software configuration that
• uses device encryption and requires strong authentication,
• uses encryption apps on mobile devices used remotely,
• has security apps installed to prevent data breaches and malware,
• where possible, prohibits connections to unsecured WiFi networks, forcing connections via a secure VPN, and
• does not allow apps to be downloaded.

#18. Implement Physical Security

• Restrict access to sensitive areas such as data centers or server rooms.
• Use security measures like access control systems, surveillance cameras, and alarms.

#19. Develop an Incident Response Plan

• Create a documented plan for responding to cybersecurity incidents, such as data breaches or ransomware attacks.
• Regularly test and update the incident response plan to improve readiness.

#20. Internet of Things

The Internet of Things has brought a whole range of new network-enabled devices to the workplace. For example, they are common in manufacturing control systems for the management of the production process, passing performance statistics back to a central database. By and large, they use non-standard operating systems that do not have the capability to support common anti-malware and other security protocols. Hackers can use them as a means of entry to a network.

Introducing IoT devices to a network means a review of the security arrangements around them.

Best Practices: Use Them

By adopting these cyber security best practices, you not only protect yourself but also contribute to the overall security posture of your workplace. Cyber threats are continually evolving, and staying vigilant is key to safeguarding sensitive information.

Remember, in the digital realm, your actions play a crucial role in fortifying the collective defense against cyber adversaries. Stay informed, stay secure, and let’s build a digital world that’s resilient against cyber threats.

How Can SentinelOne Help?

Cyber threats keep evolving and becoming more complex, making it challenging to stay ahead of them. Companies must adopt excellent cyber security practices to fight these threats by detecting, tracking, and preventing attacks in real time. SentinelOne presents several solutions to implement the best cyber security practices and protect against attacks.

It can mitigate ransomware and malware and prevent fileless threats in real-time. The platform offers endpoint protection for laptops, desktops, servers, and even containers to stop attacks from laterally moving. SentinelOne has automated incident response, which is built into it, allowing it to quickly respond and resolve security incidents with the least amount of downtime and lower attack surface. The platform also offers vulnerability management to identify vulnerabilities remediated before an attack is executed based on the vulnerability.

SentinelOne helps organizations meet regulatory requirements and maintain compliance with various standards and frameworks. It enables network segmentation, isolates sensitive data and systems, and minimizes attack surfaces.

Conclusion

With its advanced EDR capabilities, SentinelOne delivers real-time visibility into endpoint activity, providing detection and response capabilities against potential threats.

By following these cyber security best practices outlined above, organizations can greatly reduce their risk of facing the latest cyber attacks. From robust threat detection and prevention to compliance and governance, SentinelOne is the market’s best solution for protecting endpoints and sensitive data. Book a free live demo to learn more.

FAQs

1. What are the common types of cyber threats?

• Phishing: Fake emails or websites that trick users into revealing sensitive information.
• Malware: Harmful software, like viruses or ransomware, is designed to damage or exploit systems.
• Denial-of-service (DoS) attacks: Attacks that overwhelm a system’s resources, causing downtime.
• Man-in-the-middle (MitM) attacks: Intercept communication between two parties to steal or manipulate data.
• SQL injection: Inserting malicious code into a database query to manipulate it.

2. What is the difference between a virus and malware?

A virus is a type of malware that replicates itself by infecting other files or systems. Malware is a broader category that includes any malicious software, such as viruses, worms, spyware, and ransomware.

3. What is zero-day vulnerability?

A zero-day vulnerability is a software flaw that is unknown to the software maker and has not yet been patched. Hackers can exploit it before developers have the chance to fix the issue, making it especially dangerous.

4. What are some signs my device has been hacked?

• Unexpected pop-ups or strange behavior
• Slower device performance
• Unauthorized password changes or account logins
• New, unfamiliar programs installed
• Unexplained data usage or battery drain

5. How can I protect myself from identity theft?

• Use strong, unique passwords for each account.
• Monitor your financial statements for unusual activity.
• Avoid sharing personal information on unsecured websites.
• Use credit monitoring services and freeze your credit if necessary.