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These 10 steps to cybersecurity developed by the National Cyber Security Center (NCSC) to help organizations to manage their cybersecurity risks. Cybersecurity risks are not only from the external environments such as cloud systems, mobile applications or working from home. But there are other threats, such as ransomware are also major concerns for every organization. The following 10 steps are essential to establish cybersecurity plan:
Summary of 10 Steps to Cybersecurity Plan
1) Risk Management:
This is the foundation or starting point for a cybersecurity plan. If you don't know what you have, you don't know what to protect. You should know what data and system you have and what business functions they support.
Measure cybersecurity risk for your organization, which should include legal, financial, and information systems. Once you have identified your assets, define an acceptable risk level, which requires board members and steering committee involvement.
2) Network Security:
Protect your computers, data, and reports from hackers. Use specialized software to detect unauthorized access and any malicious content.
3) User education and awareness:
This is the most important activity of the cyber risk protection plan. Engage employees and train them on DOs and DON'Ts. This has to be designed properly based on an organization's culture and practices.
4) Malware prevention:
Implement strict anti-malware policies. Clicking unwanted links or opening an email attachment received from an unknown source is the most common entry point for hackers.
5) Removable Management:
Restrict and scan for malicious content on all USB drives and external storage devices within the network.
"The purpose of the attack could be to disrupt business operation or steal data for fun, revenge, or financial benefit. Attacker(s) could be an employee(s) or an external hacking group(s)"
6) Secure configuration:
Keep the system current by applying security patches on time and create policies to define baseline configurations. Keep the list of system and ensure baseline defined for all devices.
7) Manage user level privileges:
Within an organization, there are employees need to read certain files and there are certain employees who need edit access. So it is important to keep the right access for employees. Implement need to know policy to avoid all access at the company level.
8) Establish an incident management protocol:
By taking these measures, we are minimizing the cyber attacks. Doing business online exposes an organization to a cyber attack. It is therefore important to create a protocol to know how to proceed in case of a security breach.
9) Monitor your system and networks:
It is important to monitor the company's system and network to detect any unusual activity that could be a cyber attack or security breach.
10) Home and Mobile working:
Organization should have policies on how employees should work remotely and how to use mobile devices on the company's network. Apply mobile device policies and implement mobile device management.