Say the word “hygiene” and most of us can’t help but have flashbacks of the hand-sanitiser dispensers stationed outside every shop entrance. In this post-Covid world, however, another threat has reared its head that requires all of us to practise good hygiene, albeit of a different kind – cyber hygiene.
Referring to the fundamental cybersecurity best practices that security practitioners and users should follow, cyber hygiene helps to protect your network and assets.
The term became a buzzword following the sudden shift to remote work during the lockdown when cybercriminals jumped at the opportunity to exploit the security vulnerabilities that came with the rapid transition. With many organisations adopting hybrid work models (a combination of remote and in-person work) post-Covid, it has become even more crucial to ensure the security of remote connections, sensitive data, and communication tools.
A recent study by Cisco Networking Academy, a global IT and cybersecurity education programme, considered the cybersecurity challenges tied to a distributed workforce. In Cisco’s Cybersecurity Readiness Index, 6 700 respondents in 27 countries representing more than 18 industries shared how they measured up in solutions across the five core pillars of cybersecurity protection: identity, devices, network, application workloads, and data. According to the findings, 85% of companies are not prepared for a cyber-attack. Even worse, 41% of respondents said they experienced a cyber-attack costing their company more than R9 million in the past year.
Justin Westcott, the chief technology officer of DataGr8, says most people imagine cybersecurity threats coming mostly from skilled hackers who thwart the digital fortress of companies.
“Quite the contrary, most breaches come from human error and improper cybersecurity awareness training. Training your users on the most common cyber threats and teaching them the signs of threats is the most powerful tool in your arsenal as an IT manager,” says Westcott.
The South African-based company provides data-focused technology and services to customers across Africa. More recently, it partnered with Terranova Security, a cybersecurity company that provides a comprehensive security awareness training programme to individuals and organisations.
Moonstone Business School of Excellence (MBSE) is rolling out a series of cybersecurity courses, with content created by DataGR8, on its online CPD course platform. The series consists of three courses, six newsletters, and two webinars.
The first course, “Understanding the Cloud” went live in August, and the other two – “SMMEs’ approach to self-assessing cybersecurity” and “Cyber leadership and strategy” – set to follow in due course.
Read: Earn your CPD points by getting up to speed on cybersecurity
The two webinars will focus on the topics “AI and the impact on current cybersecurity controls” and “Cyber risk and the current threat landscape”, respectively.
The six newsletters will equip subscribers with the knowledge and tools necessary to protect their personal and business information from cyber threats.
The subjects covered in the newsletters include:
- The 12 cybersecurity concepts everybody should know;
- Cloud security;
- Sextortion;
- The AI revolution in South Africa’s financial sector: a deep dive into the opportunities and challenges;
- Cybersecurity must haves for SMMEs; and
- Business email compromise.
Cyber hygiene
Westcott says MBSE’s cybersecurity series aims to bridge the gap between the current level of knowledge of the average individual and the knowledge required to understand the basic requirements of cybersecurity and cyber resilience.
When it comes to practising good cyber hygiene, examples include changing passwords regularly, updating software to ensure the most secure versions are in use, updating hardware to maintain performance and prevent problems, managing new hardware and software installs, and limiting user access to data resources.
All these best practices and more are addressed in the cybersecurity series material.
The newsletters, specifically, will cover various concepts and practices to help subscribers better understand how to safeguard their sensitive information against unauthorised access, malicious software, and other security threats.
Westcott says that in today’s digital age where data breaches and cyber-attacks are becoming more common, it’s important to stay informed and proactive in maintaining your cybersecurity hygiene.
“With our newsletters, you can stay up to date on the latest cybersecurity trends and best practices and take proactive steps to protect yourself and your business,” he says.
CPD points
The Cyber Security newsletters (3 CPD points), which retail at R399, are available on MBSE’s CPD platform.
Click here for more information on the newsletters.
MBSE is a recognised CPD provider and offers programmes, including online courses, events, and publications to assist FSPs, key individuals, and representatives in gaining their required CPD hours.
Logging all your required CPD hours by 31 May next year may not seem a priority right now. But time passes quickly and before you know it, you can be left scrambling to get your CPD points by the deadline. Avoid the mad rush by signing up for one of MBSE’s CPD subscription packages.
Click here to choose an online CPD course that suits your needs.
