Cyber attacks are increasing. You’ve seen the headlines about ransomware and business email compromise and various social engineering tricks, and they’re all true. The cybercrime landscape is growing in volume and complexity, vulnerability numbers are increasing year over year, and user error is leading to over a quarter of incidents observed by Arctic Wolf® Incident Response.
But this offense can be met by a robust defense, and that doesn’t mean your organization needs to overhaul their entire security architecture.
Below are 10 quick actions any organization can take to fortify their defenses and take some proactive steps forward on their security journey.
10 Ways to Improve Your Organization’s Cybersecurity
1. Install a VPN-Capable Firewall
Just as you would lock your front door so you don’t get robbed, you also need to lock out bad actors online. Many business leaders or team members are surprised to hear about the need for a physical piece of hardware to protect them. “Doesn’t my computer’s built-in firewall protect me from data breaches?” they ask. The answer is yes, but not to the extent that a business needs.
A VPN-capable firewall will allow you to encrypt all communications whether you are in the office, on a home network, or on public Wi-Fi. It will prevent Remote Desktop Protocol brute-force attacks (an emerging TTP seen in 2022), it will log and prevent any intrusion attempts, and it can serve as a filter to make sure employees cannot access potentially harmful websites while logged in.
2. Implement Security Keys on All Personal Devices
Humans are a major vulnerability when it comes to cybersecurity. 28% of all cyber incidents in 2022 began with user action.
Tools like hardware authentication devices exist to provide employees with access without them needing to manage, remember, and update an ever-growing litany of passwords. This technology is gaining a lot of traction simply because of the number of successful brute-force attacks where attackers simply guess the right combination of letters, numbers and special characters.
With social engineering tactics like multi-factor-authentication (MFA) fatigue attacks and BEC attacks on the rise, a physical device like a security key can stop an attack before it begins.
3. Monitor Your Office365 Secure Score
Office 365 is an essential part of any organization, but it can also introduce a lot of risk. The Secure Score analyzes your current settings and activity to curate a score which you can use to calibrate your configuration. Secure Score provides recommendations for you so that improving your score, and thus the security of your network, is fairly straightforward and painless.
4. Employ MFA, Everywhere
58% of organizations impacted by BEC in 2022 did not have multi-factor authentication in place. This simple identity and access tool can make all the difference when a bad actor strikes, stopping their attempt in their tracks. If a threat actor has gained credentials (as often happens in BEC attacks) MFA effectively blocks access they may have. If the hackers attempt to login using your credentials but cannot retrieve the code delivered via text message or app, they will not be able to gain access to your system.
5. Regularly Update Software
A common trend Arctic Wolf® Incident Response sees in cases investigated is that that the victims’ operating systems and software were out-of-date and lacking in the latest security safeguards. 45% of cases in 2022 originated with a software exploit. Employing an auto-update schedule can help patch vulnerabilities, mitigate threats, and keep the entire organization safe.
6. Understand Your Cloud Responsibilities and Check for Misconfigurations
As much as the cloud has changed how organizations do business, it can be complicated to manage and keep secure. Cloud adoption has rapidly outpaced cloud security, so taking the time to evaluate your cloud’s infrastructure, understand what your organization is responsible for, and implement cloud-specific security tools can make a major difference.
7. Employ 24×7 Monitoring
Cybercriminals don’t work 9-to-5. In fact, they often take advantage of off-hours, weekends, and holidays to strike, hoping they won’t be noticed. 24×7 monitoring , then, is critical in keeping your organizations’ security environment safe every hour of every day, not just when your IT team logs on.
8. Employ Security Awareness Training
Remember above, how user action is leading to breaches? A strong security culture, led by regular security awareness training, can change that. Microlearning, relevant content, and even phishing simulations can help individuals understand their responsibility in keeping the organization safe and how they may be targeted by cybercriminals.
9. Have a Strong Vulnerability Management Program
As mentioned previously, vulnerabilities are wreaking havoc on organizations. Unfortunately, while zero-day exploits are always a threat, the majority of incidents could be prevented with proper patching and vulnerability management. A strong security strategy is not just about reacting, but about taking proactive steps to improve your security posture.
10. Continue to Evolve
Security is a journey. For every cybersecurity tool that’s created, cybercriminals are working on a way to sneak past it. It takes more than just a one-time set up of software to keep your organization safe. It takes people, processes, technology, and a constant desire to improve the security posture — a holistic approach.
It’s important to always be prepared for the worst-case scenario, so in addition to the steps above, investing in an incident response provider can help your organization restore operations and recover fast if an incident occurs. Learn more about Arctic Wolf® Incident Response.
And learn more about how a holistic, proactive security strategy can transform your organization.
