The UK National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has developed the following 10 steps to cyber security that businesses and organizations can follow to improve their cyber security posture:
- Risk Management: Identify, assess, and manage risks to your organization’s information and systems.
- Network Security: Protect your networks from unauthorized access, attacks, and disruptions.
- User Education and Awareness: Develop a strong security culture in your organization by training employees on cybersecurity awareness.
- Malware Prevention: Protect your systems and networks from malware attacks, such as viruses, worms, and trojans.
- Removable Media Controls: Control the use of removable media such as USB drives and external hard drives, to prevent data loss or malware infections.
- Secure Configuration: Ensure that your IT systems and software are configured securely and patched regularly.
- Incident Management: Develop and test an incident management plan to respond to cyber incidents quickly and effectively.
- Monitoring: Continuously monitor your systems and networks for suspicious activity or threats.
- Home and Mobile Working: Implement policies and procedures to protect information when employees work remotely or use personal devices for work.
- Cloud Security: Implement appropriate security measures when using cloud services, such as data encryption and access controls.
By following these 10 steps, organizations can improve their cyber resilience and reduce the risk of cyber attacks.