{"id":34437,"date":"2022-12-13T07:00:29","date_gmt":"2022-12-13T15:00:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tpx2025.wpenginepowered.com\/?p=34437"},"modified":"2025-04-19T21:48:35","modified_gmt":"2025-04-20T01:48:35","slug":"cybersecurity-preparedness-checklist","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tpx.com\/blog\/cybersecurity-preparedness-checklist\/","title":{"rendered":"Cybersecurity Preparedness Checklist"},"content":{"rendered":"

Today\u2019s threat landscape can be difficult to navigate. With cyberattacks occurring every 39 seconds<\/a>, it is important to know whether or not your organization is protected. To help remove some of the guesswork, we\u2019ve complied a cybersecurity preparedness checklist that you can use to help improve your security posture and defend against potential attacks. If you can check off all of the below, then you\u2019re better positioned to defend against cyber threats.<\/p>\n

\u2705 Complete a risk assessment.<\/strong><\/p>\n

By completing a free risk assessment<\/a>, you\u2019ll get a baseline understanding how much risk you have today and where you need to focus your security efforts.<\/p>\n

\u2705 Perform regular penetration scans.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Working with a managed services provider to complete Vulnerability and Penetration scans<\/a> can identify weaknesses in your defenses as well as provide a report as to how you can address vulnerabilities. The findings can be used to inform your cybersecurity strategy as well.<\/p>\n

\u2705 Establish cybersecurity policies.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Cybersecurity policies are a vital part in any security strategy. They lay out what each employee\u2019s responsibility is when it comes to protecting your network or recovering from an incident. Testing these policies and making sure employees are familiar with them is also important.<\/p>\n

\u2705 Back up your systems.<\/strong><\/p>\n

While many equate backups to a natural disaster event like a hurricane or even power outage, they can be instrumental if hit with a ransomware attack. You can use your backups<\/a> and revert to a point in time prior to the attack, if your data or systems are rendered inoperable.<\/p>\n

\u2705 Use firewalls.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Firewalls are often referred to as your first line of defense, and for good reason. Network firewalls<\/a> filter traffic, making sure that dangerous data packets don\u2019t enter or leave your network.<\/p>\n

\u2705 Use a virtual private network (VPN).<\/strong><\/p>\n

A VPN gives you a secure, encrypted tunnel through which hybrid and remote employees can communicate without fear of having sensitive data fall into the hands of eavesdroppers.<\/p>\n

\u2705 Keep your patches up to date.<\/strong><\/p>\n

While patches can enhance functionality, they can also correct any bugs or vulnerabilities in your software. If you have the most recent software patches<\/a> installed, you can take advantage of the research and work of each application\u2019s security team.<\/p>\n

\u2705 Don\u2019t use unsupported software.<\/strong><\/p>\n

If a company decides to drop support for the software you\u2019re using, you should stop using it because it won\u2019t be getting new patches to address new threats. Hackers can take advantage of these systems easier, leaving you more at risk.<\/p>\n

\u2705 Use a next-generation antivirus.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Not all antivirus software is created equal. A next-generation antivirus uses artificial intelligence to detect threats based on behavior, not just thread signatures.<\/p>\n

\u2705 Filter traffic using domain name system (DNS) protection.<\/strong><\/p>\n

DNS threats can send visitors to a hacker\u2019s site, making customers and others think they\u2019re visiting yours. By using DNS protection<\/a>,\u00a0 you\u2019ll be able to better defend against internet-based threats by blocking and filtering traffic to and from malicious sites and sites infected by malware.<\/p>\n

\u2705 Use access controls for admin accounts.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Not all members of your IT team need admin access to everything. You should ensure that even administrators only have access to the areas they need to do their jobs. Controlling admin access can help keep your infrastructure secure in the event that credentials become compromised.<\/p>\n

\u2705 Invest in endpoint security.<\/strong><\/p>\n

With an endpoint security system<\/a>, you make sure that each endpoint device that employees use has sufficient protection from threats, and you also protect your network from rogue endpoints that attackers have already compromised.<\/p>\n

\u2705 Use managed detection and response (MDR).<\/strong><\/p>\n

If a threat occurs, acting quickly is critical. But not all companies are prepared to respond to cyberattacks. With MDR<\/a>, you can respond to threats faster because the system monitors, detects, and handles threats on your behalf.<\/p>\n

\u2705 Train employees about cybersecurity.<\/strong><\/p>\n

By giving your employees the knowledge they need<\/a> to recognize and avoid attacks, you essentially extend the reach of your cybersecurity team.<\/p>\n

\u2705 Enforce strong and complicated passwords.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Simple passwords are not only easy to guess, but they can also appear in breaches. This makes it easier for attackers to use them in brute force attacks, which use automation to repeatedly guess passwords.<\/p>\n

\u2705 Use a password manager.<\/strong><\/p>\n

A password manager keeps your passwords secure and relieves you of the responsibility of having to memorize each one. You only have to remember one password for everything \u2013 the password for your password manager.<\/p>\n

\u2705 Enable multi-factor authentication.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Multi-factor authentication makes it significantly harder for hackers to gain access to your system because they need more than just a username and password for authentication.<\/p>\n

\u2705 Use an inbox detection and response system.<\/strong><\/p>\n

With an inbox detection and response<\/a> system, employees become a key element of your security strategy because they can freely report suspicious emails without wasting time investigating them on their own.<\/p>\n

\u2705 Use simulated phishing emails to test employees.<\/strong><\/p>\n

If you periodically test employees using simulated phishing emails, you can evaluate how well they respond to this common threat and provide additional training and coaching if they don\u2019t respond well.<\/p>\n

\u2705 Get a separate cyber insurance policy.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Most standard insurance policies don\u2019t include protection if you\u2019ve been hit with a cyberattack. With a cyber insurance policy<\/a>, you are better protected against the financial ramifications of being attacked.<\/p>\n

If you need help checking off some of these cybersecurity activities, TPx can help. With certified professionals experienced in all these mitigation strategies, TPx can give you exactly what you need to take your security to the next level. Learn more about TPx\u2019s services by reaching out today.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Today\u2019s threat landscape can be difficult to navigate. With cyberattacks occurring every 39 seconds, it is important to know whether or not your organization is […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":34438,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[156],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-34437","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business-cybersecurity"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tpx.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34437","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tpx.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tpx.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tpx.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tpx.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=34437"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.tpx.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34437\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tpx.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/34438"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tpx.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=34437"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tpx.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=34437"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tpx.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=34437"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}