Is Your Cybersecurity Policy (Or Lack Of One) Leaving You Wide Open To Attacks?
Every business, large or small, should have a cybersecurity policy in place for its employees. Employees need to know what is and isn’t acceptable with regard to all things IT. This policy should set expectations, outline the rules, and provide employees with the necessary resources to put the policy into effect.
Your employees serve as the front line of your business’s cybersecurity defense. You may have all the antivirus software, malware protection, and firewalls in the world, but if your employees haven’t been instructed about IT security or don’t understand even the fundamentals, you’re putting your business in serious jeopardy.
What can you do to rectify that? You can put a cybersecurity policy in place. If you already have one, it’s probably overdue for an update. Once your policy is ready to go, it’s time to put it into action!
What Does a Cybersecurity Policy Look Like?
The particulars can appear different from business to business, but a general policy should include all the basic elements, such as password policy and equipment usage.
For example, there should be rules for how employees utilize company equipment, such as PCs, printers, and other devices connected to your network. Employees should understand what is expected of them when they log into a company-owned device – from guidelines as to what software they can install to what sites they can (or cannot) access when browsing the web. They should know how to securely access the company network and understand what data should (or should not) be shared on that network.
Many cybersecurity policies also incorporate rules and expectations related to:
- Email use
- Social media access
- General web access
- Remotely accessing internal applications
- File sharing
- Passwords
Break Down Every Rule Further
Passwords are a prime example of an area of policy that every business needs to have in place. Password policy often gets neglected or simply isn’t prioritized as highly as it should be. Like many cybersecurity policies, the stronger the password policy is, the more effective it is. Here are a few examples of what a password policy might include:
- Passwords must be changed every 60 to 90 days on all applications.
- Passwords must be different for each application.
- Passwords must be 15 characters or longer when applicable.
- Passwords must use a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, at least one number, and at least one special character.
- Passwords must not be recycled.
The good news is that many apps and websites automatically enforce these rules. The bad news? Not ALL apps and websites enforce these rules. That means it’s up to you to stipulate how employees should set their passwords.
Setting up a cybersecurity policy isn’t easy, but it’s vitally important – especially these days, with more people working remotely than ever before.
At the same time, cyberthreats are more prevalent than ever. The more you do to safeguard your business and your employees from these cyberthreats, the better off you’ll be when these threats come knocking at your door.
Final Thoughts
If you need help setting up or updating your cybersecurity policy, do not hesitate to call your MSP or IT services partner. They can help you devise a cybersecurity policy that provides everything you need to ensure a safer, more secure workplace.
If you don’t currently work with a managed services provider or your in-house IT team is in need of additional support from certified professional technicians, DataGroup Technologies is happy to help! Give us a call at 252.329.1382 today or contact us here to see how we can #SimplifyIT for you and your organization.
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