Want to increase cybersecurity for your organization? This is the list you need
The cyber security checklist is very important because investing in cyber security can be a complicated process. An organization must first identify vulnerable assets, determine how vulnerable they are, and allocate an adequate budget to enhance their security. In any cyber security program, companies must, at a minimum, include the following:
- Procedures for identifying and assessing cyber security threats and risks
- Secure assets from attempted cyber intrusion
- Detect examples of compromised IT assets and systems
- Plan responses to anticipate data breaches or security breaches
- Plan and implement a recovery plan to recover unavailable, stolen or lost assets
Developing a holistic program means covering all IT assets and information systems. For organizations with extensive software, hardware, or networking products, it can be challenging to develop a comprehensive cyber security program. This requires the use of a cyber security checklist. The cyber security training checklist lists items that should be protected. It identifies and documents a set of cyber security procedures, standards, policies and controls. The following sections discuss important items to include on a cyber security checklist.
Comprehensive cyber security best practices
All organizations must identify best security practices when accessing or handling sensitive data and critical information systems. The following three items are important for maintaining a useful cyber security checklist.
Documented Policy
Documented policies outline security guidelines and employee obligations when interacting with company systems or networks. These policies enable organizations to ensure employees, third parties, or managed service providers comply with minimum but mandatory security measures. Common policies for inclusion on a cyber security checklist include acceptable use, internet access, email and communications, remote access, BYOD, encryption and privacy, and disaster recovery.
Acceptable use policy
The cyber security checklist must include an acceptable use policy. Acceptable use consists of various rules governing the use of an organization’s IT assets or data. This policy is important because it prevents system users from participating in practices that can affect an organization’s cyber security. All new users, whether employees, third parties, or contractors, must accept that they have read and understand the rules set forth. This was before being allowed to access corporate networks and computer systems. By understanding the policy, the user agrees to use the information system in accordance with the organization’s minimum security recommendations. In this way, businesses can be assured that user activity will not pose security risks and threats.
Internet access policy
The internet has become embedded in most people’s daily activities. People use the internet for research, accessing cloud services, communication via email or social media platforms, among others. However, the same internet can be the downfall of organizations for various reasons. For example, cyber criminals use the internet to deliver malware. They can place malware on certain websites so that every user who visits them downloads and installs malware. Such and other attacks carried out over the internet are common. Therefore, a cyber security checklist should include policies governing internet use within an organization. The internet access policy contains guidelines on how users can access and interact with the internet. For example, internet access policies may prohibit users from visiting certain websites, or the frequency with which they can access social media platforms. This can facilitate the adoption of a supported and strengthened cyber security posture.
Email and communication policies
Email is used for internal and external communication. Therefore, all employees in an organization must have an email account. Email is also the preferred mode of attackers in delivering phishing malware. Hackers send emails in batches to multiple targets in the hope that someone will click on a link or attachment that contains malware. Policies regarding the use of email can enable companies to prevent phishing attacks, thereby increasing the security of their data and systems. Those policies could include rules requiring employees not to open emails sent by unknown people. In addition, all incoming emails can be scanned for malicious attachments or links with hidden malware. In addition, e-mail and communication policies must be reasonable.