Cyber Security Best Practices Check List

Name: Towner Communications
Price range: $$

Towner’s cyber security experts have put together an advisory of security best practices to help protect businesses from the most common attacks they might experience. This guide aims to break down security into key categories that are easy to understand and easy to implement.

Use this checklist to ensure the highest levels of protection from all potential threats. Check in frequently to ensure practices are being enforced, passwords are being updated and security remains top of mind.

ACCOUNT SECURITY

SET PASSWORD REQUIREMENTS TO PREVENT USERS FROM CHOOSING EASILY GUESSABLE PASSWORDS

We recommend looooong vs complex passwords/passphrases. Choose a password expiration policy that is long enough that users don’t resort to writing down or reusing similar passwords frequently. Discourage users from using unsafe passwords by enforcing the “compromised
password” policy.
PURCHASE LICENSES FOR A PASSWORD MANAGER (LIKE LASTPASS) FOR YOUR EMPLOYEES
IMPLEMENT ACCOUNT LOCKOUTS WHEN THE WRONG PASSWORD IS ENTERED TOO MANY TIMES
ENABLE AND CUSTOMIZE SUSPICIOUS LOGIN ALERTS TO USERS AND ADMINS
RESTRICT ACCESS TO YOUR COMPANY RESOURCES BASED ON IP'S (FOR EXAMPLE, LIMIT IT TO RANGES AND COUNTRIES YOU KNOW YOUR USERS WILL CONNECT FROM)

Tip: Encourage the use of passphrases instead of passwords. They are longer, more complex and may be easier to remember.
Need some help suggesting a passphrase?

Ask these questions:
• If you walked outside, what is the first thing you would see?
• Close your eyes. I say the word “awesome” – what’s the first thing you think of?
• What would be included in your last meal?
• What makes up your ideal vacation?

ENDPOINT SECURITY

ENCOURAGE OR ENFORCE THE USE OF VPN FOR REMOTE USERS (WITH 2FA)
INVEST IN MOBILE DEVICE MANAGEMENT (MDM)
ENCOURAGE USERS TO ENABLE AUTOMATIC UPDATES OF APPS AND MOBILE OS
ENCOURAGE THE USE OF SECURE FILE SHARING AND BACKUP THAT CAN BE MONITORED BY AN ADMINISTRATOR AND THAT INCLUDES ADDITIONAL PROTECTION AGAINST RANSOMWARE ATTACKS
REMOVE ADMIN RIGHTS FROM STANDARD USER ACCOUNTS
LIMIT USE OF ROOTED PHONES OR INSTALLATION OF APPLICATIONS FROM NON-STANDARD APP STORES

EMAIL SECURITY

REVIEW YOUR EMAIL SECURITY SETTINGS AND OPTIONS ON A REGULAR BASIS
ENABLE TAGGING OR IDENTIFICATION OF EXTERNAL EMAILS TO HELP EMPLOYEES FOCUS ON POTENTIAL EXTERNAL THREATS
ENABLE ACTIVESYNC OR OTHER MOBILE SYNCHRONIZATION POLICIES TO BETTER PROTECT DATA STORED ON MOBILE DEVICES AND CONSIDER FURTHER FULL MOBILE DEVICE MANAGEMENT (MDM)
IMPOSE DELIVERY RESTRICTIONS ON EMAIL DISTRIBUTION LISTS THAT DO NOT NEED TO RECEIVE MESSAGES FROM EXTERNAL SENDERS
REMOVE ADMIN RIGHTS FROM STANDARD USER ACCOUNTS
ENABLE AN EMAIL ARCHIVING SOLUTION THAT IS INDEPENDENT FROM YOUR PRIMARY EMAIL MAILBOX

Tip: Set up an annual review of all account security settings to keep security top of mind

HUMAN SECURITY

ENCOURAGE EMPLOYEES TO CALL THEIR PERSONAL MOBILE PHONE PROVIDERS, AND TURN-ON EXTRA SECURITY VERIFICATION STEPS, LIKE A PIN
ENCOURAGE EMPLOYEES TO NEVER RE-USE THE SAME PASSWORD TO THEIR EMAIL WITH ANY OTHER SYSTEMS OR APPLICATIONS THEY USE
DISCOURAGE USERS FROM STORING PASSWORDS IN THEIR BROWSER
MANDATE ALL EMPLOYEES TAKE SECURITY TRAINING (EX: HTTPS://WWW.KNOWBE4.COM/PRODUCTS/ ENTERPRISE-SECURITY-AWARENESS-TRAINING/)

Tip: Reward users for reporting anything suspect, this will make them more likely to come forward if they do fall for a phishing or other malicious attack

Cyber Security Best Practices Check List

ACCOUNT SECURITY

SET PASSWORD REQUIREMENTS TO PREVENT USERS FROM CHOOSING EASILY GUESSABLE PASSWORDS

PURCHASE LICENSES FOR A PASSWORD MANAGER (LIKE LASTPASS) FOR YOUR EMPLOYEES

IMPLEMENT ACCOUNT LOCKOUTS WHEN THE WRONG PASSWORD IS ENTERED TOO MANY TIMES

ENABLE AND CUSTOMIZE SUSPICIOUS LOGIN ALERTS TO USERS AND ADMINS

RESTRICT ACCESS TO YOUR COMPANY RESOURCES BASED ON IP'S (FOR EXAMPLE, LIMIT IT TO RANGES AND COUNTRIES YOU KNOW YOUR USERS WILL CONNECT FROM)

ENDPOINT SECURITY

ENCOURAGE OR ENFORCE THE USE OF VPN FOR REMOTE USERS (WITH 2FA)

INVEST IN MOBILE DEVICE MANAGEMENT (MDM)

ENCOURAGE USERS TO ENABLE AUTOMATIC UPDATES OF APPS AND MOBILE OS

ENCOURAGE THE USE OF SECURE FILE SHARING AND BACKUP THAT CAN BE MONITORED BY AN ADMINISTRATOR AND THAT INCLUDES ADDITIONAL PROTECTION AGAINST RANSOMWARE ATTACKS

REMOVE ADMIN RIGHTS FROM STANDARD USER ACCOUNTS

LIMIT USE OF ROOTED PHONES OR INSTALLATION OF APPLICATIONS FROM NON-STANDARD APP STORES

EMAIL SECURITY

REVIEW YOUR EMAIL SECURITY SETTINGS AND OPTIONS ON A REGULAR BASIS

ENABLE TAGGING OR IDENTIFICATION OF EXTERNAL EMAILS TO HELP EMPLOYEES FOCUS ON POTENTIAL EXTERNAL THREATS

ENABLE ACTIVESYNC OR OTHER MOBILE SYNCHRONIZATION POLICIES TO BETTER PROTECT DATA STORED ON MOBILE DEVICES AND CONSIDER FURTHER FULL MOBILE DEVICE MANAGEMENT (MDM)

IMPOSE DELIVERY RESTRICTIONS ON EMAIL DISTRIBUTION LISTS THAT DO NOT NEED TO RECEIVE MESSAGES FROM EXTERNAL SENDERS

REMOVE ADMIN RIGHTS FROM STANDARD USER ACCOUNTS

ENABLE AN EMAIL ARCHIVING SOLUTION THAT IS INDEPENDENT FROM YOUR PRIMARY EMAIL MAILBOX

HUMAN SECURITY

ENCOURAGE EMPLOYEES TO CALL THEIR PERSONAL MOBILE PHONE PROVIDERS, AND TURN-ON EXTRA SECURITY VERIFICATION STEPS, LIKE A PIN

ENCOURAGE EMPLOYEES TO NEVER RE-USE THE SAME PASSWORD TO THEIR EMAIL WITH ANY OTHER SYSTEMS OR APPLICATIONS THEY USE

DISCOURAGE USERS FROM STORING PASSWORDS IN THEIR BROWSER

MANDATE ALL EMPLOYEES TAKE SECURITY TRAINING (EX: HTTPS://WWW.KNOWBE4.COM/PRODUCTS/ ENTERPRISE-SECURITY-AWARENESS-TRAINING/)

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