SP1 IT Solutions marks the 20th anniversary of global Cyber Security Awareness Month – October 2023 – with highlighting the importance of The Three Pillars of Cyber Security. So let’s talk about what they are, with some hints and tips on how to stay safe online!
The Three Pillars of Cyber Security – People, Processes & Policies and Technology:
- People are the foundation and front line of data- and cyber-security and are the primary target of most data breaches and cyber-attacks. They need to know their responsibilities, and how to help prevent and reduce the threat of data breaches and cyber-attacks.
- Processes and Policies need to support your staff to help reduce and mitigate the risks presented to the businesses by helping us follow guidelines in the way in which we should operate during our work.
- Technology can help us prevent some common cyber-attacks (such as anti-virus and anti-phishing), but it can also help us enforce our policies with controls such as making us change our passwords, or encrypting our laptops.
People
- Training – Ensuring this is in place and staff are informed of their responsibilities – they become your Human Firewall
- Knowledge – Through training, knowledge is acquired to help identify roles with the biggest impact on security.
- Habit – The key is to make security a habit and to report suspicious or potential security issues
Processes & Policies
- Access to data – How do people log on? Document who has access to what data? Ensure 2FA is enabled. Are security audits performed and reported on?
- What if there is a cybersecurity breach? How do you tell your staff/clients you’ve lost their private data? How do you manage the damage to your reputation? Do you have an incident management plan?
Technology
- Technology – Ensure the right security technology is in use for your business. Firewall, IDS, anti-virus, anti-spam.
- 2FA and password managers – Ensure 2FA is turned on and in use, and use password managers where possible.
- Backups – Ensure your data is backed up, even if you use cloud services.
Some Hints & Tips
- Update your anti-virus and anti-malware software.
- Don’t install unapproved software.
- Keep your computer’s operating system current by installing updates when you are notified of them.
- Always be on the lookout for potential attacks.
- Never be afraid to ask questions if you think a situation seems suspicious.
- Work on making security a habit and help protect all of your company’s data, resources, and reputation.
Finally, be vigilant. We live in a digital age of ever-increasing cyber threats and defense against them starts with us!