Common Cybersecurity Mistakes Companies Should Avoid

Common cybersecurity pitfalls are errors or oversights that can be avoided and allow a company’s systems, data, employees, and customers to be vulnerable to cyber threats. Some of these errors can be failure to change passwords, not updating software, not enforcing training of employees, providing too much access to users, and not performing reliable backups. The absence of some of these basic practices can be a serious threat to even the best of businesses with all their security tools in place. The best way to avoid these pitfalls is to take a practical approach that incorporates the use of technology, employee sensitivity, clear guidelines, regular review and monitoring and a response plan for security threats.

Cybersecurity is no longer an issue only for large technology companies. Digital systems are a crucial element in the operation of businesses of all sizes, enabling them to store data, connect with customers, handle payments, and streamline daily tasks. That dependency also brings opportunities to cybercriminals.

A single compromised account or outdated application can provide an opportunity for attackers to breach a company’s environment. This can lead to customer information compromise, loss, downtime, legal difficulties, and a loss of customer trust.

The upside is that there are lots of security issues that can be avoided. But businesses need not have complicated technologies to limit their exposure. Often, enhanced security begins with ensuring the basic elements are in place.

These are some of the most frequently made cybersecurity errors that businesses should stay clear of. 

Using Weak Or Reused Passwords

While passwords are still a vital security component for businesses, they can be mishandled. Users can have a simple, easily guessed password or share the same password with multiple accounts.

When one website suffers a data breach, and a re-used password is compromised, it can be used on business accounts. This type of attack is known as credential stuffing.

Businesses should set strict rules about the use of passwords and educate employees to use different passwords for each critical account. In addition, password managers can assist employees in generating and remembering robust passwords, as opposed to recalling dozens of them.

There is another key level of protection, called multi-factor authentication (MFA). An attacker may gain access to a password, but with an additional factor of identity it will be far more difficult.

MFA should be implemented on: 

• Create email and productivity accounts.
• Enable remote access and VPN services.Activate remote access and VPN services.
• Cloud platforms
• Financial & payment systems
• Administrative accounts
• Customer and employee management systems 

The issue of password security is not just related to IT. An employee’s compromised account can lead to access to valuable company resources. 

Ignoring Software Updates And Security Patches

Vulnerabilities in software, including operating systems, applications, browsers, cloud services and network devices, are constantly being discovered. Developers publish updates and security fixes to correct these vulnerabilities.

The issue is that sometimes companies delay the installation.

If the company is aware that a security patch exists for the flaw, but is not applied, the system can still be vulnerable. Attackers actively search for systems with known vulnerabilities as they may be easier to compromise.

Companies need to keep an inventory of their hardware and software to determine what needs to be updated. Priority should be given to critical security patches, particularly if there is an active exploitation.

In some cases, it can be helpful to get automatic updates for applications, but companies should not be taking the shortcut of relying just on automatic updates. IT teams need to check the patch status and ensure that critical systems are being patched.

The best patch management process will consist of: 

• This solution can be used to monitor business applications and devices.
• Identifying critical vulnerabilities
• Testing crucial changes, if required
• Installing security patches in a timely manner
• Checking if there are updates applied successfully or not
• Uninstalling obsolete software from the system.
• One of the easiest ways to minimize unnecessary security risks is to keep software up-to-date.

Not informing employees about cybersecurity 

Failing To Train Employees About Cybersecurity

The technology can’t be the answer to every mistake that a company makes. Staff send/receive emails, visit websites, access files, deal with customers, suppliers and business systems on a daily basis. This makes them a crucial component of an organization’s cybersecurity plan.

A common pitfall is cybersecurity training being a one-off event. An annual session is available, after which little guidance is given to the employees for the remainder of the year.

Cyber threats change quickly. Phishing emails can be more convincing, attackers can pretend to be a manager, and social engineering can target a specific employee.

Regular training can enable employees to identify common warning signs, which may include: 

• Requests for passwords or sensitive information that are unexpected.
• Urgent payment requests
• Links and/or attachments that appear suspicious
• Messages which put pressure on moving quickly
• In the case of executives or suppliers, the requests were unusual.
• When the employee does not know the login, alerts are issued. 

The training should also include what employees should do if something goes wrong. When people know they will be supported, rather than automatically blamed, for the activity, they are more likely to report it.

When the culture of an organization is strong, its employees will report errors promptly. If a problem can be contained, the more time that the security team has, the better. 

Giving Employees Too Much Access

One of the most prevalent cybersecurity blunders is providing employees with excess data.

For instance, an employee might have access to one customer database, but multiple systems. If one of those employees has it compromised then the attacker could access all of those resources.

This is the reason why companies ought to observe the principle of least privilege. Access should only be given so that users can carry out their duties.

Access should also be adjusted if an employee is promoted or demoted. Accounts and permissions of those that leave the company should be disabled as soon as possible.

To enhance access control companies should: 

• Checking user permissions on a regular basis.
• Using role-based access controls
• Separating Admin Accounts from regular accounts
• Removing unused accounts
• Restriction of access to sensitive information
• Implementing MFA on top of privileged accounts 

Third party contractors, temporary employees and service providers are significant candidates for access reviews. 

Neglecting Backups And Recovery Planning

While many businesses realize the need to back up their data, they do not realize that just having a backup is not enough to help them recover from a cyberattack.

Important files may become inaccessible due to ransomware, accidental deletion, hardware failure, and more. Recovering the data will then be even harder if backups are also lost.

It is essential for businesses to have backups for their critical data and regularly test their recovery procedure.

When planning a backup strategy, one should take into account: 

• What are the critical pieces of information needed for the business?What are the critical pieces of information needed for the business?
• How often important data needs to be backed up.
• Place for backups.
• How backups are safeguarded from unauthorized access.
• Backups should be kept for a minimum of 10 years.The minimum timeframe for keeping backups is 10 years.
• The rate of system restoration. 

Beyond files, planning for recovery should be developed. A business needs to identify systems, applications, people and vendors needed for normal operation following an incident.

When it comes to security, many companies think it’s solely an IT problem.Many companies believe that Cybersecurity is only an IT challenge.

Assuming Cybersecurity Is Only An IT Responsibility

While IT teams are at its heart, cybersecurity impacts the entire organization. Management sets budgets and priorities of risk. HR is in charge of the induction and termination of employees. Finance is responsible for payment functions. Legal representatives might have to deal with regulations and contracts. Staff have daily contact with company systems.

These groups can be more effective in terms of security if they share responsibility.

Leaders need to be aware of the most critical digital assets within the organization and the potential risks to these assets. Staff should be aware of their duty. IT and security personnel are provided with the means to monitor systems and respond to incidents.

Additionally, companies should have a set of rules regarding personal devices, data handling, password management, acceptable use and remote working.

Only when employees know and understand a security policy and the company is consistently applying it is it useful. 

Failing To Prepare For A Cybersecurity Incident

Incidents can be experienced by any organisation, irrespective of their security measures. A second frequently made error is a belief that prevention is sufficient.

It is best for a company to have an incident response plan in place prior to an attack. Employees can be feeling pressured during a security incident and may not know what to do. A documented plan has a clear process.

An incident response plan should describe: 

• Who is responsible for leading the response
• Who to call in case of an incident
• How affected systems will be isolated and protected from the network.
• How evidence and logs will be retained
• How customers and other stakeholders will be notified when necessary
• How operations will be restored
• How the company will review the incident afterwards 

The plan should be tested periodically. Tabletop exercises can help teams practice their roles without disrupting normal operations.

Companies should also monitor their systems for unusual activity. Early detection can limit the impact of an attack.

Final Thoughts

Most cybersecurity errors are due to lack of simple security precautions. These factors can all make a company more vulnerable to cyber threats, such as weak passwords, unpatched software, insufficient employee training, excessive user permissions, lack of backups, and lack of a response plan.

Ideally, the objective should not be to make an absolute secure environment. No body is able to eliminate all cyber dangers. Rather, businesses should concentrate on minimizing preventable dangers and enhance their readiness to detect, react, and recuperate from the incidents.

The first step in a practical cybersecurity strategy is: 

• Strong, unique passwords and MFA.
• Maintain computer software and systems.
• Train employees regularly.
• Don’t grant users more than they need.
• Ensure and verify dependable backups.
• Institute a shared business responsibility for cyber security.
• Develop and drill disaster response plan. 

The following are some of the steps that can help to greatly improve the security of a business. More significantly, however, they contribute to fostering a culture in which cyber security is tackled as an everyday business concern, not something that is dealt with only after the event.

The starting point for any company wanting to enhance its cyber security is typically a basic risk review. Determine the most important systems and data, know where they are vulnerable, and prioritize the most critical vulnerabilities first. It’s better to get better consistently than waiting for the ultimate security solution.