Cybersecurity isn’t just a buzzword—it’s a lifeline for your business. Some people liken it to having insurance, but that’s not quite right. See, insurance is there if something happens to you. Cybersecurity is there when something happens to you.
In today’s digital landscape, it’s a matter of when, not if, cybercriminals will attack your business. And, unfortunately, some of those attacks will breach your systems.
That might sound cynical, but it’s true. Despite companies spending billions of dollars on cybersecurity, they still get breached.
That’s why cybersecurity alone isn’t good enough. Yes, it’s essential, but it’s just the start. Ultimately, you need robust organizational cyber resilience.
Below, we’ll walk you through the most important cybersecurity best practices to strengthen your overall resilience and help your business prevent (and bounce back from) digital threats.
What Is Organizational Resilience?
Cyber resilience is all about being prepared for the unexpected. It’s the ability to anticipate, withstand, and recover from cyber incidents while keeping your business running smoothly. Think of it as a mix of robust cybersecurity measures and a solid game plan for when things go wrong.
But what does this really mean for your business? It means having systems in place that not only protect you from attacks but also allow you to respond effectively if something does slip through the cracks. It’s about minimizing downtime, protecting your data, and maintaining customer trust, even in the face of a cyber threat.
Cyber resilience goes beyond having a solid defense. It includes regular staff training, ongoing updates to security measures, and a comprehensive incident response plan. It’s an ongoing process that adapts as new threats emerge and your business evolves.
Cyber resilience is about building a proactive (rather than reactive) approach to cybersecurity to guarantee your business can handle whatever comes its way.
11 Cybersecurity Best Practices for Organizational Resilience
Building a resilient organization means being proactive about cybersecurity, and reading this article means you’re on the right track. You’re actively doing something about your cybersecurity rather than waiting to respond to threats.
That’s a good first step.
Next, we’ll show you a handful of essential cybersecurity best practices to strengthen your organizational resilience. Some will seem basic and straightforward, while others might be new to you.
Remember, even the most fundamental cybersecurity measures can make the biggest difference. Don’t neglect a technique—while it might not be an end-all-be-all solution, it might be a big enough deterrent to slow down attackers or at least convince them to spend their time elsewhere.
1. Implement Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
MFA requires users to provide two or more verification factors to access a system, making it much harder for cybercriminals to breach your defenses. Instead of just relying on a password—which can be stolen or guessed—MFA adds an extra layer of security.
Typically, MFA includes:
- Something you know (like a password)
- Something you have (like a smartphone or hardware token)
- Something you are (like a fingerprint or facial recognition)
This multi-layered approach reduces the risk of unauthorized access—even if one factor is compromised.
The more places you can implement MFA, the better. It’s especially important for access to email accounts, financial systems, and any applications that contain personal or proprietary information.
Start by enabling MFA on all critical accounts and systems. Educate your employees on the importance of using MFA and provide clear instructions on how to set it up.
2. Regularly Update and Patch Systems
Cybercriminals often exploit vulnerabilities in outdated software to gain access to your systems. Regular updates and patches close these security gaps, protecting your business from potential attacks.
Automate the update and patching process whenever possible. Many operating systems and applications offer automatic update features, reducing the risk of human error. Set a regular schedule for systems that require manual updates to check for and apply patches.
Airiam’s AirAudit™ solution can help you stay on top of this. We provide continuous monitoring and vulnerability assessments to identify outdated software (before the bad guys do) and guide you through necessary updates and patches.
Educate your team about the importance of updates and patches. Encourage them to report any prompts for updates they receive and confirm they understand the risks associated with ignoring these notifications.
3. Conduct Regular Security Training for Employees
Your employees are your first line of defense against cyber threats, but they can also be your biggest vulnerability. Regular security training helps them understand the risks and know how to protect your organization from potential attacks.
Cybersecurity training should cover various topics, including phishing awareness, data protection, safe internet practices, and recognizing and responding to potential threats. Don’t expect your team to know what to do if you haven’t trained them—give them all the tools and know-how they need to act quickly if they encounter suspicious activity.
Regular training sessions should be part of your ongoing strategy, not just a one-time event. Schedule quarterly or bi-annual training sessions to reinforce key concepts and introduce new information as cyber threats evolve. This consistent approach helps keep cybersecurity top-of-mind for all employees.
Make training engaging and accessible. Use a mix of video tutorials, interactive modules, and in-person workshops to cater to different learning styles.
Incorporate simulated phishing attacks and other practical exercises into your training program. These simulations help employees recognize real threats and practice their response in a safe environment.
4. Perform Regular Penetration Testing
Penetration testing (often referred to as pentesting) involves simulating cyber attacks on your systems to identify vulnerabilities before malicious actors can exploit them. Regular penetration testing helps you understand your security weaknesses and provides actionable insights to strengthen your defenses.
Pentesting should be conducted by experienced professionals who can thoroughly assess your systems. Airiam’s AirAudit™ includes comprehensive penetration testing services to uncover network, application, and infrastructure vulnerabilities. Our experts use advanced techniques to simulate real-world attack scenarios, helping you stay one step ahead of cybercriminals.
Schedule tests at least annually or whenever significant changes are made to your systems, such as new software deployments or infrastructure upgrades. This guarantees that you catch and mitigate any new vulnerabilities quickly.
After each pentest, review the findings with your security team and develop a remediation plan to address the identified vulnerabilities. Implement the recommended security measures and retest to confirm the issues’ resolution.
Engage all relevant departments in the pen-testing process. Cybersecurity isn’t an IT responsibility—it involves everyone in the organization.
5. Develop and Test an Incident Response Plan
An incident response plan outlines your organization’s steps during a cyber incident. It’s your game plan for responding quickly to minimize damage and downtime.
Start by developing a comprehensive incident response plan that includes clear roles and responsibilities for your team. Identify key personnel who will be involved in managing incidents and confirm they understand their specific duties. This should include representatives from the following departments (at a minimum):
- IT
- Security
- Legal
- Communications
- Executive leadership
Your incident response plan should cover all stages of incident management:
- Preparation
- Identification
- Containment
- Eradication
- Recovery
- Lessons learned
Each stage should include detailed procedures and checklists to guide your team through the process. Need help getting started? Airiam’s AirRescue™ service helps you develop a comprehensive incident response plan tailor-made for your organization.
Creating a plan is just the beginning, though. Now, you need to test it before a real-world threat does. Conduct tabletop exercises and simulated cyber attacks to practice your response in a controlled environment.
During these tests, focus on communication and coordination. Make sure your team knows how to report incidents, escalate issues, and communicate with internal and external stakeholders. After each test, perform a thorough review to identify areas for improvement. Update your incident response plan based on the lessons learned and continue to refine your procedures.
6. Encrypt Sensitive Data
Encryption transforms readable data into an unreadable format, making it inaccessible to unauthorized users. Encrypted data stays secure and confidential, even if bad actors get their hands on it.
Start by identifying the types of data that need to be encrypted. This typically includes:
- Personally identifiable information (PII)
- Financial records
- Intellectual property
- Any other sensitive information that could be damaging if exposed
For comprehensive security, you’ll want to encrypt this data both at rest (stored data) and in transit (data being transmitted over networks).
Use advanced encryption standards (AES) with robust key management practices. This guarantees your encrypted data remains secure and that only authorized users can decrypt and access the information. Regularly update your encryption methods to stay ahead of evolving cyber threats.
7. Use Network Segmentation
Network segmentation limits the potential spread of cyberattacks by dividing your network into smaller, isolated segments. Each segment operates independently, so even if one segment is compromised, the threat doesn’t easily propagate throughout the entire network.
Start by identifying critical areas of your network that require segmentation. This could include separating sensitive data storage, internal communications, and public-facing services. Segmenting these areas helps contain potential breaches and makes it harder for attackers to move laterally within your network.
Implementing network segmentation involves creating distinct security policies and access controls for each segment. Use firewalls, VLANs (Virtual Local Area Networks), and access control lists (ACLs) to manage traffic between segments.
Network segmentation also aids in compliance with industry regulations and standards. Many regulations, such as PCI-DSS and HIPAA, require organizations to implement segmentation to protect sensitive data.
8. Regularly Back Up Data and Test Restorations
Data backups help you quickly recover essential information in the event of a cyber attack, hardware failure, or other data loss incidents. However, it’s not just about making backups—it’s equally important to test these backups regularly to confirm they can be restored effectively.
Start by implementing a comprehensive backup strategy with regular backups of all critical data. This should encompass full, incremental, and differential backups to provide multiple layers of data protection. Perform backups frequently enough to minimize data loss in case of an incident.
Airiam offers air-gapped immutable backups as part of our advanced data protection solutions. Air-gapped backups are physically isolated from your network, making them inaccessible to cyber attackers. Immutable backups cannot be altered or deleted, maintaining the integrity and availability of your data when you need it most.
Regularly perform restoration tests to verify that your backups are complete, uncorrupted, and can be restored quickly. Schedule these tests periodically and document the results to identify issues and improve your backup process.
Implement a mix of on-site and off-site backups to protect against various types of threats. On-site backups allow for quick restoration, while off-site backups protect against physical threats like fires, floods, or theft. Cloud-based backup solutions can also provide flexibility and scalability.
9. Monitor and Log Network Activity
Monitoring your networks lets you detect unusual behavior, identify potential threats, and respond quickly to incidents. Monitoring and logging provide a comprehensive view of what’s happening in your network, helping you stay ahead of cyber threats.
Start by implementing a robust network monitoring system that provides real-time visibility into your network traffic. Tools like intrusion detection systems (IDS) and intrusion prevention systems (IPS) can help identify suspicious activity and prevent potential attacks. These systems analyze network traffic and generate alerts when they detect anomalies.
Airiam’s AirGuard™ service includes advanced monitoring solutions that help you closely monitor your network activity. Our managed detection and response (MDR) services offer continuous monitoring, threat detection, and incident response to guarantee your network is always protected.
Implement log management solutions that aggregate logs from various sources, making analyzing and correlating events easier. Review and analyze these logs regularly to detect patterns and uncover potential security issues.
Comprehensive logs provide a detailed record of network events, including user access, system changes, and security incidents. These logs are invaluable for investigating security breaches, understanding the scope of an attack, and identifying the root cause.
10. Implement a Zero Trust Security Model
In a zero-trust model, no user or device is trusted by default, regardless of whether they are inside or outside the network perimeter. This principle guarantees that every access request is verified before granting access, reducing the risk of unauthorized access.
- Start with Identity Verification: Implement strong authentication mechanisms, such as multi-factor authentication (MFA), to ensure that only authorized individuals can access your systems. Continuously monitor and verify identities throughout the session to maintain security.
- Segment Your Network: Each segment should have its own security controls and access policies. This way, even if one segment is compromised, the threat is contained and prevented from spreading to other parts of the network.
- Enforce Least Privilege Access: Grant users the minimum level of access required to perform their job functions. This principle, known as the principle of least privilege, reduces the risk of internal threats and limits the potential damage caused by compromised accounts.
- Continuous Monitoring and Analytics: Implement advanced monitoring tools to detect unusual behavior and potential security threats. Use machine learning and artificial intelligence to identify patterns and anomalies that may indicate a breach.
- Secure All Devices: Implement endpoint security solutions to monitor and protect devices from malware and other threats. Regularly update and patch devices to address vulnerabilities.
- Verify Access Requests Dynamically: Access requests should be verified dynamically based on context, such as the user’s role, location, and the sensitivity of the accessed data. Use context-aware security policies to evaluate each access request in real time and make informed decisions about granting or denying access.
11. Hire a Chief Resilience Officer
Hiring a Chief Resilience Officer (CRO) guarantees your organization has a strategic approach to managing risks, responding to incidents, and maintaining business continuity.
The Chief Resilience Officer is responsible for overseeing the development and implementation of resilience strategies across the organization. This includes cybersecurity, disaster recovery, business continuity planning, and crisis management. The CRO works closely with other executives, such as the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) and Chief Information Officer (CIO), to align resilience efforts with overall business objectives.
A CRO brings a strategic perspective to resilience. This includes developing comprehensive incident response plans, conducting risk assessments, and implementing measures to mitigate identified risks. They also promote continuous learning, collaboration across departments, and employee education.
Become Cyber Resilient with Airiam
Knowing the modern-day cybersecurity best practices is a good first step, but now it’s time to do something about it. From multi-factor authentication and regular security training to hiring a Chief Resilience Officer, each step you take toward enhancing your cybersecurity posture contributes to your overall resilience.
And we’re here to help.
Our comprehensive solutions are designed to help you stay ahead of cyber threats and build a robust, resilient organization. Whether it’s through our AirAudit™ service for continuous monitoring and vulnerability assessments, AirGuard™ for advanced threat detection and response, or AirRescue™ for expert incident response and post-breach improvements, we have the tools and expertise to safeguard your business.
Don’t wait until a cyber incident exposes your vulnerabilities. Take proactive steps to protect your organization and foster a culture of continuous learning and resilience. Contact Airiam today to learn more about our cybersecurity services and how we can help you build a resilient, secure future for your business.
