New To Cybersecurity? Tips For Creating A Security Plan

When you are starting a new career in cybersecurity, you inherently take on a lot of responsibility. You have to ensure the security of the company's entire network infrastructure. Especially if you are hired by a company that's never prioritized cybersecurity, you will have to establish a security plan first and foremost. Here are a few tips to help you put together a cybersecurity plan from the ground up.

Start By Explaining Cyber Security And Why It Matters

When you are working with a company that has never truly put any focus on cybersecurity, the staff likely will not understand why it is such a big deal. As a result, you may have a hard time getting them to comply with your plan.

To avoid this, start your security plan and presentation with an explanation of cybersecurity risks, what those risks are, and what they can mean for the employees and the company. That way, everyone understands why this is so important. That understanding will make them more likely to listen to, understand, and follow your security plan.

Enforce A Password Management Program

Weak passwords are one of the biggest vulnerabilities in securing a company's infrastructure. If passwords can easily be cracked, hackers will be able to access the network quickly and without much effort.

You can eliminate this as a concern by enforcing password management as part of your security plan. Explain the difference between weak and strong passwords, and stress the importance of changing passwords regularly. If you are concerned about compliance, institute policies that force users to change their network and app passwords regularly, such as monthly or quarterly. You can also set the system to require strong passwords, such as alphanumeric passwords with special characters.

Require Security Updates And Patches

Another common vulnerability for company networks is the lack of security patches for server platforms and company software. When a vulnerability or weakness is identified by hackers, it can easily be exploited if the necessary patches are not applied. If the employees frequently dismiss notifications that an update is required, or the network team hasn't prioritized applying server patches, that leaves the entire infrastructure at risk.

Part of your security plan should include a requirement for all necessary patches and updates to be applied automatically. Eliminate the option for end-user application of these things and force them from the IT side so that you minimize the risk of human error or neglect.

Prohibit The Use Of External Media

Provide all users with storage space on the network servers so that they can maintain all of their files without risk of losing hard drive space. This eliminates the risk of users opting for USB drives or other external media. This is important because any external media connected to the devices on the network can be a potential security risk. If the external media was connected to a device outside the network previously, it could have been infected with malware that could then be passed into your company's infrastructure.

Set Policies For Sensitive Data Transfers

When the company deals with sensitive data, such as credit card numbers or other similar information, transmitting things like that through unsecured means, such as email, can put that data at risk of interception. Ensure that any sensitive information, whether it is financial or personal, is transferred through a secured file transfer protocol. Make sure that everyone dealing with this type of data understands the importance of this, and monitor the transmission to be sure that things are transmitted properly.

Starting a cybersecurity career can be a bit intimidating, but when you establish a solid security plan from the start, it reduces the potential for emergency situations that you might have to address.