Digital cleaning is a great way to strengthen and improve your cyber hygiene. Security risks have evolved over time and will continue to do so, which means ensuring your security posture advances with the threat landscape is critical for individuals and organizations alike. In the same way we organize and declutter our homes, there’s many ways to make sure our data is continuously cleaned up and safe online.
“Security isn’t something you can do once and forget about—it’s a continuous practice,” said Senior Consultant Larry Kinkaid. “At the end of every piece of online data is a real person, and it’s important to become educated and empower yourself to take control of your online identity.”
To help you get started, we’ve outlined what steps individuals and organizations can take to improve their cybersecurity posture.
It’s all about awareness. As simple as it sounds, being aware of your online presence can make a big difference. For example, if you’re using public wifi at a local coffee shop, it’s best not to enter in your banking details. Or, when typing your credit card information into a website, double-check that your internet connection is encrypted.
Additionally, individuals can take the following steps to protect themselves online:
Preventing data breaches and security incidents requires thoughtful efforts to prioritize data security. While there are many resources available for organizations when it comes to improving security posture, here’s a few tips to help simplify the process.
“The biggest piece of advice I give to clients is to implement role-based access. These controls allow companies to align access and privileges based on their individual roles, providing a more streamlined and secure process to ensure there are no individuals with inappropriate access rights,” said Teddy VanGalen, senior associate for BARR’s cybersecurity consulting practice.
Additionally, your organization can:
“Small steps can lead to big success,” added Kinkaid. “Staying aware and thinking of digital cleaning as an ongoing practice can help you and your organization clean up your online presence and improve overall cyber hygiene.”
BARR’s cybersecurity consulting team is dedicated to guiding you through digital cleaning practices as well as helping you develop a strong security program. Interested in learning more? Contact us today.