Stay safe from cybercrime with these five tips

Cybercriminals will use every tactic in the book to steal data, drain bank accounts, and extort their victims.

Cybercrime costs businesses and individuals billions of dollars every year, but many attacks can be prevented by adopting some simple cybersecurity practices. Follow these five cybersecurity tips to get started. 

Tip 1: Use Multi-factor Authentication 

Strong passwords are important for account security, but as data breaches are an everyday occurrence, they are no longer enough on their own to ensure your cyber safety. 

That’s why organizations worldwide now offer users additional ways to authenticate themselves. The principle behind two-factor authentication (2FA) and multi-factor authentication (MFA) is based on something you know, are, or have. This can include knowing a passcode, leveraging biometrics technology, or owning a mobile device.

• Prioritize Critical Accounts: Enable MFA on accounts that are most sensitive, such as email, financial services, cloud platforms, and admin accounts for business tools.
• Use Authentication Apps: Apps like Google Authenticator, Authy, or Microsoft Authenticator are more secure than SMS-based codes, which can be vulnerable to SIM-swapping attacks.
• Adopt Hardware Tokens for High-Security Needs: For accounts with the highest stakes - such as privileged access in business environments - hardware security keys like YubiKey or Titan Key provide a virtually unbreachable layer of protection.
• Educate and Encourage Adoption: Many employees or users skip enabling MFA because they see it as inconvenient. Provide clear instructions and emphasize its importance through awareness campaigns or mandatory security training.
• Evaluate Passwordless Authentication: For cutting-edge security, consider implementing passwordless solutions like biometrics or device-based authentication, which eliminate passwords entirely.

Tip 2: Keep Your Software Up-to-Date

Another cybersecurity tip is to remember to keep operating systems, browsers, and software suites up-to-date as vendors release frequent patches to resolve security vulnerabilities. Without this protection, and by ignoring update warnings, you risk compromise. 

Here’s how to ensure your software and devices remain protected:

• Enable Automatic Updates: Turn on automatic updates for all devices and software whenever possible. This ensures critical patches are applied promptly without relying on manual intervention.
• Establish a Regular Patch Management Routine: Create a structured process to review, test, and deploy updates across the organization. A patch management schedule minimizes downtime while ensuring vulnerabilities are addressed swiftly.
• Replace Legacy Software: Unsupported or outdated software no longer receives security patches, making it a prime target for attackers. Inventory your systems regularly and replace legacy applications with modern, secure alternatives.
• Set Device Health Requirements: Enforce device health checks for all employees and users before they can log into critical systems or accounts. Require that operating systems, browsers, and security tools meet minimum standards for updates and security configurations. This can be achieved through:
  • Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) tools to monitor and enforce compliance
  • Don’t allow employees to access their corporate resources from devices with out-of- data operating systems or browsers
• Include Third-Party Software in Your Plan: Cybercriminals often exploit plugins, browser extensions, and third-party apps. Ensure these are regularly reviewed, updated, and removed if no longer necessary.

Tip 3: Invest in Security Training for Employees

Your employees are your first line of defense against cyber threats, but without proper training, they can also be your greatest vulnerability. Equipping your team with the knowledge and skills to recognize and mitigate risks is a critical step in building a strong security culture.

• Phishing Awareness:
  Cybercriminals frequently use phishing to trick employees into revealing sensitive information or clicking malicious links. Regular training sessions, combined with simulated phishing tests, can teach employees how to spot red flags, such as unusual sender addresses, urgent requests, and suspicious attachments.
• Security Champions Program:
  Encourage a culture of security by establishing a Security Champions program. These individuals act as liaisons between their teams and the security department, helping to spread awareness, advocate for best practices, and identify vulnerabilities within their departments.
• Secure Coding Training:
  For organizations developing software, secure coding training ensures that developers are equipped with the knowledge and skills to write code that is resistant to common vulnerabilities like SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), and insecure deserialization. Providing access to interactive workshops, e-learning platforms, or hands-on coding challenges can significantly reduce the risk of introducing exploitable flaws.

Tip 4: Download the Secure Ideas Security Checklist 

If you’re debating whether a penetration test is the next step, take a look at our Security Checklist to get started. Our checklist will help you pinpoint your organization’s security maturity level and evaluate your need for penetration testing services.

Download the Secure Ideas Security Checklist here. 

Tip 5: Stay Informed by Signing up for the Shared Security Podcast

Each cybercriminal group employs different tactics and techniques to spy on victims, steal sensitive data and assets, hold businesses to ransom, or cause widespread destruction.

Our final tip is to sign up for the Shared Security podcast. It’s one of the best resources to learn about the latest cybersecurity news and trends, get actionable tips to improve your security and privacy, and benefit from the experiences of experts in the field. 

Shared Security can be found on Spotify, YouTube, and Apple Podcasts.