San Francisco Organizations Must Strengthen Cybersecurity Policies (Insights/Information)

It’s the Right Time for San Francisco-Base to Strengthen Their Cybersecurity Policies

Do you have a dependable anti-virus? That’s great especially if you regularly update it to detect the latest malware and virus definitions. But, according to Norton, that’s barely enough in the face of the current breed of cybersecurity threats.

These days, hackers and malicious software target the vulnerabilities in your inter-connected device. They also use social engineered attacks to gain security credentials that give them access to your data networks. This means that everyone in your organization is a potential target.

So, how can you deal with such a challenge? For starters, any countermeasures you choose to employ should include everyone in your organization. You should also craft effective cybersecurity policies that address such aspects.

If you already have a cybersecurity policy but are still concerned about its effectiveness, it may be the best time to strengthen it to cover current threat levels.

Security Credential and Passwords

Passwords are one of the most essential aspects of an effective cybersecurity policy. However, most of us take them for granted. Weak passwords can lead to dire consequences. For instance, in 2019 companies all over the world reported 5,183 data breaches that resulted from such an oversight.

• Rules Governing How to Set up Passwords: Cybersecurity policies need to have explicit rules on how passwords are set up. Here are some basic conventions that can help you with such measures:

1. 1. Use zero trust measures such as two-factor authentication
   2. Discard any passwords that may have been stolen at some point
   3. Write down credentials to avoid forgetting them
   4. Use a variation of passwords for each account
   5. Make it as unique as possible

• Best Practices: The following best practices will make your passwords as unhackable as possible.

1. 1. Set up temporary credentials for contractors and other non-permanent staff members
   2. Purposefully Misspelling passwords can make passwords harder to guess
   3. 8 characters or more
   4. Microsoft recommends only changing a password if you suspect that it was stolen
   5. Never share your passwords with anyone that not from your organization

• Understanding the Consequences of Sharing Passwords: Your company’s IT security policies need to set out the consequences that come with sharing passwords. The head of your IT department can conduct workshops to educate your workforce on the right procedures and consequences to not following the rules. You can also create draft copies of the policy and ensure that each member reads, fully understands, and signs to make your policies a legal binding agreement.

Your Company’s BYOD Policy

Many companies experience higher levels of productivity and lower hardware costs through effective BYOD (bring your own devices) policies. However, such policies may at times fail to satisfy a company’s cybersecurity policy.

Here are 3 ways to work cybersecurity policies into your BYOD policy:

1. Ensure that your employees are educated on the risks associated with using their devices to access open public Wi-Fi connections.
2. An effective cybersecurity policy should Cleary spell out which employees are allowed to access sensitive information using personal devices such as phones and laptops.
3. Your IT department should check all personal devices for malware regularly. This could be on a weekly or monthly basis. And, they should seize such an opportunity to update malware, anti-virus, and patch up any OS vulnerabilities.

Proper Documentation of Cybersecurity Measures

Documenting all your cybersecurity procedures ensures that they are followed to the letter. Such a document needs to cover digital aspects such as your data network and Physical assets such as your CCTV setup.

Another often-ignored aspect is what to do in case of staff turnovers and dismissals. The cybersecurity document should lay a clear procedure your company should in such cases. Such regulations determine how their credential can be removed or how to limit their cases to your company’s data networks.

Your Organization’s Social Engineering Policy

Social media has become a major part of some organization's marketing campaigns. Such campaigns give companies unlimited access to impactful customer engagement. However, some of the people your employees engage with through such platforms may have ulterior motives.

Hackers can take advantage of the situation to deployed social engineered hacks. Such invasions may grant them access to passwords and sensitive company data. Therefore, It’s wise to ensure cybersecurity policies touch on effective ways to prevent or mitigate the damage of social engineered data hacks.

Knowing Which Law Enforcement Authorities to Contact in Case of a Breach

Personal data is protected under a variety of industry-specific laws in the United States. Compliance to such laws is mandatory and there are dire consequences for companies that fail to notify the concerned authorities when they suffer a critical data breach.

You can strengthen your cybersecurity policies by including which laws apply to the territory where your company is based. This document should also outline the procedure to be followed in notifying the authorities to so you can avoid extremely punitive repercussions from your industry regulators.

Do You Need to Revamp Your Cybersecurity Policies?

A lot of thought goes into crafting iron-clad cybersecurity policies. That’s why you may need an expert to guide you through the process. OnTimeTech has all the expertise your company needs for such an initiative.

we have the expertise and resources you need As one of San Francisco’s premier managed IT firms. We’ve helped many companies navigate the complexities of industry-specific compliance regulations. And we can help your company as well. To learn more, contact our team today.