Back to the Basics: Simple Cybersecurity Practices That Still Very Much Matter - National Information Solutions Cooperative (NISC)

Back to the Basics: Simple Cybersecurity Practices That Still Very Much Matter

With the ongoing evolution of cyberthreats, it is easy to forget that the basics of cybersecurity still play a pivotal role. Despite all the new tools and methods of attack, most breaches still succeed because of overlooked fundamentals.

  • 68% of breaches involve a human element – KnowBe4
  • Phishing remains the #1 attack vector. 80% of phishing campaigns target credentials – Huntress
  • Stolen credentials are used in over 50% of breaches – Total Assure
  • 41% of organizations report backup failures during ransomware recovery – Gitnux

While cybercriminals are leveraging new techniques, including AI, for their nefarious goals, it is critical to acknowledge that cyberattacks aren’t always highly sophisticated. The majority of successful cyberattacks don’t rely on advanced techniques. They focus on sheer volume, evolving as the IT industry evolves. But they succeed quite often because basic controls were missing, delayed or overlooked.

Sometimes the simplest processes and procedures, such as frequent password changes as mundane as they may seem, are some the of most effective defensive strategies your organization can employ. Ensuring the computers on your network are effectively updated instead of hitting “remind me later” for a few weeks can also close the door to security vulnerabilities you didn’t even know were there.

Being proactive and prioritizing the key pillars of cybersecurity do not require expensive hardware or services. Many of the best practices simply involve planning, training, consistent communication and updating (and tracking) your technology.

The price tag to have a sound cybersecurity plan for your organization is not large. But the lack of a plan does come at a steep cost if and when you are the target of an attack.

Key Pillars of Cybersecurity

Overall, cybersecurity in practice can seem daunting. The procedures and strategies can be very complex, and cybercriminals are always evolving their techniques. But sometimes the most effective strategies are as simple as understanding the elements that are in your control.

  • Know Your Assets: You cannot protect what you don’t know you have. Research all of your organization’s digital assets, from the office to the field, and then create a living inventory of all hardware, software and connections.
  • Prioritize Patching to Keep Systems Updated: Break the habit of delaying computer and network updates. Regular patching and performing updates can and will close known vulnerabilities and allow your organization to strike the balance between uptime requirements and security.
  • Access Control & Least Privilege: Reviewing user accounts and their permissions should be a regular practice for your organization. By limiting access based on a particular role and need, your organization can reduce risk by limiting potential damage if someone’s credentials are compromised.
  • Network Segmentation: Divide your larger network into smaller, more isolated networks. Separating critical operational systems from corporate IT is a best practice all organizations should implement. With a segmented network, a malware attack is contained on one network and not across the entire organization, thus reducing the attack blast radius.
  • Employee Awareness & Training: People are truly your front line of defense. Empower them to learn more about the impact they can have on your cybersecurity posture. Educate them about phishing, social engineering and password hygiene and the important role they play in keeping cybercriminals at bay.
  • Incident Detection & Response Readiness: No organization is immune to incidents. Establish a basic incident response plan that defines roles, communication steps and escalation paths. The ability to quickly detect, respond to and contain an incident significantly reduces impact. Time matters in these situations…Ensure you and your organization are prepared.
  • Secure Configurations and Hardening: Default settings are rarely secure. Systems, applications and network devices should be configured intentionally to minimize exposure. Disabling unnecessary services, enforcing strong authentication and standardizing secure configurations reduces your attack surface.
  • Backup and Recovery: Having reliable, tested backups is essential for resilience. Make sure backups are performed regularly and stored securely (including offline or immutable copies) and tested for restoration. In the event of ransomware or system failure, strong backups can mean the difference between quick recovery and long disruptions.

The Payoff of Mastering the Basics

Your industry faces unique challenges, making the basics even more critical to successfully securing business-critical data and networks. From a true inventory of all assets to updating systems to address vulnerabilities to ongoing employee training, mastering these fundamentals makes advanced security strategies more effective. Going back to basics is not a step backward…It’s the foundation for resilience in the evolving cyber landscape.