What is Cyber Hygiene?

Definition of Cyber Hygiene

Cyber hygiene is a set of work habits, activities and processes that reduce the likelihood that a cyber incident will occur or an attack will be successful. Why? If people follow such habits and rules, their behavior prevents the risky situations or even succesfull attack.

• Adopting the basic elements and habits of cyber hygiene is among the basic and most important measures in increasing cyber security in organizations
  
• Cyber hygiene habits help prevent risky situations
• Cyber hygiene habits to better defend against cyber threats

What Are The Most Common Cyber Hygiene Mistakes

1. Opening Infected or Fraudulent Emails: Many people fail to recognize the fraudulent nature of certain emails, leading them to open infected or phishing emails.
2. Using Simple Passwords: Common passwords like "123456" or "password" are easily guessed or cracked, compromising security.
3. Not Backing Up Data: Failing to back up data, whether on computers or phones, can lead to significant data loss.
4. Neglecting Software Updates: Using outdated software and not installing updates can leave systems vulnerable to attacks.

Cyber hygiene is crucial for everyone, from ordinary employees handling daily tasks like opening emails to IT professionals managing information systems in IT companies.

What Are Essential Employee Cyber Hygiene Habits?

Employees can unintentionally create security risks through their actions. However, by adopting a few simple habits, they can help prevent most of these issues. By managing passwords properly, regularly backing up data, and keeping software up to date, employees can protect both their work and personal information from common cyber threats.

• Avoid opening suspicious emails
• Use strong, unique passwords
• Regularly back up your computer and phone, or at least important files
• Use only supported and up-to-date operating systems
• Avoid connecting to unknown Wi-Fi networks
• Do not install unknown, suspicious, or unverified apps
• Keep all apps updated
• Use antivirus software and other security tools to protect against malware

What Are Basic Cyber Hygiene Habits for IT Professionals in IT Management?

IT professionals have greater responsibilities than regular employees when it comes to best practices and habits. They oversee the operation of IT and information systems, so their habits must reflect this responsibility. Following these basic habits reduces opportunities for attackers.

Regularly Back Up Data

• Regularly back up your data
• Store backups in a secure location separate from the original data
• Back up both servers and users' endpoints

Keep Software and Hardware Up to Date

• Use and maintain only supported, current versions of operating systems across your company
• Install all available software updates and security patches on company-owned and personal devices used for work
• Update not only operating systems and applications, but also firmware on devices like printers and network equipment
• Maintain hardware that is not too old; hardware over 5 years old, especially hard drives, tends to have higher failure rates
• Some older hardware may not support updated firmware with security fixes
• Keep an up-to-date inventory of IT equipment—both hardware and software

Manage Employee Access (Access Control)

• Control individual access to company systems and applications based on job roles and permissions
• Pay special attention to access for critical and sensitive data and information
• Maintain an overview of all administrators and their permissions; limit other users’ privileges
• Implement identity and access management (IAM) procedures
• Monitor and control administrator account activities, including creation, use, and removal
• Ensure timely removal of user permissions when employees leave the company

Control Network Access and Keep the Company Network Secure

• Limit network access to employees and verified personnel only
• Use a separate network for guests
• Utilize a RADIUS server for authentication
• Restrict network protocols, ports, and services wherever possible
• Deploy Intrusion Detection and Prevention Systems (IDS/IPS)
• Secure network devices—firewall gateways, routers, switches—with proper configurations
• Ensure routers support WPA2 or WPA3 encryption
• Use tools to monitor, manage, and secure wireless networks, access points, and connected devices, especially unknown devices
• Make sure routers, gateways, and firewalls are correctly configured to prevent attacks
• Establish cybersecurity policies for mobile devices to minimize risks from personal devices

Implement and Enforce a Password Policy

• Create and enforce a company-wide password policy for all employees
• Balance security with usability; avoid overly complex rules that employees might bypass

Use Encryption Where It Matters Most

• Use VPNs for employee remote access
• Encrypt access to company Wi-Fi and internal networks
• Use encrypted connections for managing and operating applications and web services
• Encrypt sensitive data, including backups

Use Security Software

• Install security software such as antivirus and anti-malware to protect against viruses, ransomware, spyware, worms, rootkits, and trojans
• Ensure security software is properly configured and perform regular scans to detect unusual activity
• Leverage professional security services and software—vendors have experience handling millions of attacks beyond what you might see internally

Protect Email Integrity and Security

• Implement email authentication protocols such as SPF and DKIM
• Reduce spam risks originating from your users
• Ensure strong malware protection at the email server level

Provide Ongoing Security Awareness and Training

• Focus training on the most common security challenges you face
• Identify who within your organization is most at risk
• Give employees clear, understandable information about the consequences of their actions
• Provide regular cybersecurity training and updates
• Educate on common threats like phishing, social engineering, and fraud, emphasizing their impact on both company data and employee privacy
• Advise users to avoid clicking on links or opening attachments in unexpected emails
• Stay current on emerging phishing and malware tactics

Regularly Test and Adapt to Changing Threats

• Conduct regular disaster recovery drills, including backup restoration and penetration testing
• Adapt security measures to evolving attacker tactics, threats, and vulnerabilities

How to implement cyber hygiene in your company

Most problems in the field of cyber hygiene can be easily remedied by implementing and maintaining the above principles and procedures, especially through training, education, and the introduction of these principles into the internal regulations and directives of your company. You have to count on the fact that people are unteachable and you have to constantly repeat everything. That's just reality. The introduction of principles into awareness and changing user behavior requires time, patience, cooperation of the entire company management.

Include cyber hygiene procedures in company processes

If you want to ensure that the basic habits of cyber hygiene become a natural part of your company's culture, it goes beyond being a natural part of all your internal policies that touch IT or deal with IT-related processes. Here are typical process items that should be included in cyber hygiene policies:

• Password changes: Complex passwords that change regularly can prevent many harmful activities and protect cyber security.
• Focus on the processes of assigning, removing, and changing access permissions

Include education and awareness raising in company training

• Implement a cyber hygiene program into company training processes
• Organizations must get this specific knowledge into their blood through policy programs, planning, training, and awareness raising.
• No formal written form will save you by itself, you have to communicate everything with specific people and do it regularly