It should come as no surprise that in today’s day and age, IT is top of mind and at the forefront of almost everything businesses do. From their ability to operate at all to the processes that help them improve, digital is the way a lot of work is being done. But with so much technology to keep track of and countless systems to keep running, staying secure is just as important. One way to ensure you’re protecting your company, or yourself, is to have a cybersecurity checklist at the ready! Let’s discuss what your cybersecurity checklist should include and why it’s critical to have one prepared.

You Need a Cybersecurity Checklist

In order to protect yourself, whether you’re a business or an individual looking for more IT security, a cybersecurity checklist can come in handy. But how do you know what to include? We’ve compiled a list of everything from potential employee screening to regularly changing your passwords.

Give IT Policies an Update 

Because technology rapidly changes, your IT policy should, too. It’s recommended that updates are performed annually at a minimum, and regularly for any updates as they occur. These updates should include “Bring Your Own Device” regulations, policies on internet usage, remote access, and more. 

Have a Strong Password Policy in Place

Whether you never changed it after your first day on the job or yours is as simple as “12345”, you should regularly update your password. To safeguard your data, your password should be as long as allowed! You can use lyrics from your favorite song, or a line from a movie. Be sure to use different and distinct passwords for each of your accounts, this is especially true for your online banking logins.  Avoid reusing passwords you’ve used before. Not only should you change individual login passwords, but network logins should be replaced regularly as well. 

Secure Your Devices

With so much data stored on devices within your company, it’s imperative to properly secure them. Whether you physically lock them behind closed doors, or you lock them digitally, it should be done to devices containing any kind of business information. 

Make Sure You’re Connecting Securely

Your company’s confidential information is far too important to be accessed insecurely; always use a VPN or other secure connection. If any employees work remotely or out-of-office, they must make sure to check the authenticity of any external networks before accessing. They should also do all confidential work on an employee WiFi router or a personal mobile hotspot. 

Protect Mobile Devices

Oftentimes, employees have access to company laptops, smartphones, or tablets. Because of this, password protection and encryption requirements should be implemented. Data loss prevention initiatives should include a mobile device management (MDM) system for added security. If properly prepared, you can also complete a remote wipe if a device happens to be stolen or lost!

Keep Operating Systems Updated

Are you a Microsoft Windows user, or an Apple OS X user? No matter your company’s operating system of choice, setting automatic updates can help increase your cybersecurity. At the end of the day, turning off or rebooting computers can perform updates and reset a tired, muddied system. This also applies to any mobile device updates. 

Keep Antivirus Software Up-to-Date 

It’s likely your company already uses some sort of antivirus software to protect your endpoints. Make sure automatic updates are in place and that each computer is protected. In larger companies, you can even have status reports of scans sent to a centralized server that will take care of updates when they are needed and report any issues directly to IT teams.

Lock Up Screens

Just like your own personal device, that you probably lock with a code or a pattern, your workplace computers should also have similar protection. Setting a timer on your computer to lock after a few minutes of being idle can keep your system running efficiently. It can keep any prying eyes from seeing your important data if left unattended.

Encrypt Data

What’s the number one way you can keep your information safe? Encryption, encryption, encryption! Perhaps one of the most important aspects of cybersecurity, encryption can be what stands between your company and a devastating breach. Luckily, many mobile devices now perform automatic encryption simply when being locked. Your business should encrypt any backup information and store it safely until it is needed and restored for later use.

Breach Detection and Response Plan

Breach detection solutions immediately report and mitigate breaches and have become an important part of organizations cybersecurity toolkit. Beyond implementing cybersecurity measures, you should ensure your team has a breach response plan in the event of one occurring. Unfortunately, there is no foolproof way of fully protecting ourselves, so being able to respond accordingly should also be top of mind. This plan can include proper documentation of everything before the breach occurred, a plan for internal communications about the information at hand, and a proper chain of command so that the right entities are handling what comes next.

Outsourcing IT 

The best way to protect yourself from a cybersecurity breach or hacking attempts is to have the right team protecting you from the start. Kobargo is a top-rated Managed IT & Cloud Service Provider, and we’re equipped to handle your IT needs, whatever they may be, and wherever you are located. 
From managed IT to cloud services, your IT environment is in good hands. Contact us to speak with our team of experts and get started on protecting what matters most to you.