Top 10 Cybersecurity Practices for IT Infrastructure Protection

Check out this comprehensive guide to secure IT Infrastructure.

Cybersecurity can be compared to a fortress, protecting valuable information and assets from online threats, just as a physical fortress protects its residents from external dangers. Companies without a strong and reliable “fortress” are constantly at risk of a hacker attack.

According to IBM, in 2022 the average cost of a data breach was USD 4.35 million worldwide, and USD 9.64 million in the United States. These figures involve the cost of finding and managing the breach, lost revenue due to downtime, and the lasting harm to a company’s reputation and brand image.

So what are the best practices companies can use to protect their IT Infrastructure from such a financial loss in the future? Let’s figure it out!

Cybersecurity Practices Explained 🔐

Cybersecurity doesn’t shield your digital assets against physical theft. Or even vandalism and natural catastrophes. Thus, a physical security plan should include data recovery procedures. And it’s recommended that they use offsite backups situated in several geographical regions.

Here are the top ten practices to enhance your server and infrastructure security strategy in business:

#1. Smart Cybersecurity Policy

Understanding and addressing all the hazards is crucial for cyber security management. Establishing security standards should be your first step. They must be relevant to your company’s operations, your niche, and the skills of your personnel.

You should also clearly define the regulations for employee and administrative access to your systems. These include passwords, other end-user credentials, and content-filtering procedures. This will put IT infrastructure security policies in place.

Password security should be taken very seriously. Create strong passwords for every login and use two-factor authentication. Also, specify who handles what while handling cyber risks.

#2. User Access Review

Regularly check user permissions. Remove those that are no longer required, as well as any that are granted to users who leave the company to prevent unauthorized access. It’s best to use privileged access and access management technologies to limit the number of users who can obtain information.

Additionally, one of the greatest practices for network security is efficient password management. The rule is as follows: at least 10 characters in a password and periodical updates. You can use systems for managing passwords or include multi-factor authentication.

#3. Secure Protocols

Security protocols rely on the cryptography technique. This helps them protect sensitive data, financial data, and file transmission. They provide information on the data structure and data representation, as well as how the algorithm functions.

Make sure your web assets are using secure protocols. For example, Safe Socket Layer (SSL) and Secure Shell (SSH) offer a secure path for communication even across unsecured networks.

#4. Validated Software and Hardware

Choosing hardware and software, available at a price or even free, is really attractive. But making such a decision has certain unspoken dangers. You may select solutions that already have an efficient security mechanism built in. Yet this usually comes at a cost.

Besides, it’s crucial to refrain from obtaining software from unreliable sites. They could include malicious software in them. It can infiltrate your system and provide others with access to the private information of your enterprise.

#5. Robust Firewall System

A key component of any cybersecurity strategy should include firewalls. Make sure they are set up correctly because a poorly set firewall poses just as much risk as none at all.

Yet, a lot of businesses struggle with network-level firewall installation. Each employee’s gadget must have a firewall, but the overall systems should also be secured. Thus, it is strongly advised to set up hardware and packet-filtering firewalls. They add another layer of network infrastructure security.

#6. Code Aligning with Safe Development Rules

A framework like DevSecOps might be helpful for protecting your technological infrastructure. It can establish a security-focused attitude within the development team. Ensure the code complies to secure development principles.

#7. Data Encryption

Whenever possible, rely on data encryption. For hackers who successfully breach the system but lack the keys, encrypted files are generally worthless.

IT firms must regularly test data categorization and use encryption where necessary. Besides, VPNs can add another degree of cybersecurity. This concerns your employees who may need to access sensitive information from faraway locations.

#8. Backup Copies

Back up all your systems on a regular basis. Offsite backups are your best line of security against ransomware assaults. Back up both highly sensitive and operationally significant data. This is essential when dealing with cybercrime.

#9. Regular System Testing

Conduct frequent system stress tests for the ultimate security resilience in your organization. To find vulnerabilities, conduct security scans and penetration testing.

#10. Hiring Cybersecurity Expert

Even the finest practices for IT infrastructure protection might not always help. Companies still struggle to manage their time and resources to set cybersecurity in motion. Working with a cybersecurity specialist can help you avoid this hazard.

Read also: Budget-Saving Strategies to Optimize Your IT Infrastructure
Discover the best DevOps practices that help to reduce IT infrastructure costs

Developing Cybersecurity Strategy for IT Infrastructure: 4 Main Steps 📈

Companies start recognizing the threat that poor cybersecurity strategy represents to their business. More specifically, their productivity, goodwill, and bottom line. If you want to be genuinely safe, you need a clear plan for how to handle any future security needs.

These steps will strengthen your cybersecurity strategy:

Security risk assessment is carried out to evaluate, analyze, and improve your company’s cyber resilience. This process involves cooperation from many groups and data owners. The management’s commitment helps allot resources and execute the necessary cybersecurity solutions.

The value of different data created and kept within the company is likewise determined by cyber risk management. Thus, allocating tech resources where they are most required would be impossible without this step. Your management team must perform an IT infrastructure audit to determine the data sources that are most important to the firm. This can also indicate where the storage is situated and data vulnerabilities to properly assess risk.

Business goals must be aligned with your cybersecurity strategy. This is a golden role for success in critical infrastructure protection. Once your corporate goals are clear, it’s easier to start integrating the cybersecurity framework into it.

Focusing on different areas might help in developing security goals:

• Establish reasonable expectations;
• Assess your security maturity;
• Comprehend your company’s risk appetite;
• Take immediate action on simple tasks;
• Deal with security issues as they arise.

Cybercriminals use cutting-edge tactics to attack modern businesses. This includes companies of all sizes, geographies, and industrial sectors. So, you must have a solid plan for managing physical and cybersecurity across crucial systems and assets. This will help you operate in the present business climate.

The cybersecurity practices mentioned above will help protect your crucial technology infrastructure. As a result, your team can enhance its cyber security resilience. It will also prevent malevolent behavior of any sort that can threaten your information system resources.

The strategy assessments and policy plans are almost finished. This is the time to allocate tasks to teams and prioritize remedial efforts. To internal teams, assign cybersecurity tasks according to their priority. Also, make use of the Project Management team inside your company, if one exists. Provide leadership, interact with the internal teams, and plan the activities if there is no project team available. Set realistic deadlines: it’s best to plan for more time than you think.

Final Words📍

A serious approach to cybersecurity today will save you from unplanned expenses tomorrow. The above-mentioned practices and stages to creating a cybersecurity strategy are a great point to start. To be sure that all vulnerabilities are protected and a strong “fortress” is built that even the most experienced hacker cannot overcome, consider hiring a reliable security consultant to monitor network and device security.

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Originally published at https://www.visartech.com.