The year has just begun and we’re all ready to tackle whatever challenges lay ahead – but where should the focus be in 2023 with regards to your cybersecurity? Most people will simply turn a blind eye to security notifications or your PC begging you to renew your antivirus software because the threat of a cyber-attack always seems like something so surreal and isolated – only happening to large futuristic corporations by hackers who just robbed a Matrix convention.
Unfortunately, the reality isn’t as forgiving - or leather-clad - as the movies and cybersecurity threats lurk around every corner and are a danger to every one of us. The numerous advancements in malware have made it necessary to upgrade our stance toward cybersecurity and adopt changes in our routines that actively protect our cyberspaces.
A Security-First Stance
In essence, the idea of a security-first stance within cybersecurity involves the implementation and fostering of improved cyber hygiene practices that will keep your network safe. These have to be employed regularly and strictly – a feat that the Sangfor 2023 Cybersecurity Hygiene Calendar can help with. Your company should emulate the best cybersecurity exercises without needing to be told. This automatic response will indicate a functional security-first stance that will serve your organization greatly in terms of safe operation.
Why Do We Need a Security-First Culture?
For most companies, cybersecurity remains a low priority but there are new and alarming reasons to put pressure on this view. Adopting a security-first culture in your workplace has become more than just good PR, but a valued necessity due to several factors, including:
The Rise of Remote and Hybrid Working Environments
The Covid-19 pandemic left us all reeling in the face of sudden changes in how we function – with most businesses opting to switch permanently to remote or hybrid-working environments. It’s never been more integral to ensure that our cybersecurity is a priority. As more employees take to using home PCs and setups, the level of cybersecurity involved in protecting your organization’s network from threat actors dwindles. A simple phishing scam against an employee with inadequate guards can open up your entire company’s network to a cyber-attack – making your organization’s data vulnerable and your employees a liability.
Rapidly Advancing Technology
As the years pass, technology has made gigantic leaps – allowing us to connect and create instantaneously. However, this gift is not always used wisely and the growth in technology has made it so much easier for cybercriminals to infiltrate networks. The expansions in AI technology have even made it possible for some programs to write out malware at the click of a button. The race to technological enlightenment has pushed us to reconsider the way we approach cybersecurity.
Sophisticated Malware
The emergence of Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) platforms that offer increasingly advanced malware on the dark net threatens our lax attitude towards cybersecurity. Criminals have become more conniving in their methods to undermine your network’s safety – with anonymity. provided by the internet making them brazen in their attempts. The dramatic rise in cyber-attacks only serves as proof of this.
While we cannot always ensure that employees are making smart cybersecurity choices in their own time, we can help to create a solid understanding and set of guidelines to adhere to that will create a security-first culture for your workplace.
How to Develop a Cybersecurity-First Culture
Establishing a security-first culture within an organization begins at the top – where executive choices will sway how the company reacts to and organizes itself against a cybersecurity threat. To foster the development of safe practices there are a few steps that every organization can take:
Raising Cybersecurity Awareness
While most employees might grumble at the thought of having to endure workshops or training exercises, it’s important to create awareness of the real threats that are out there. Including regular workshops, training exercises, and daily cybersecurity maintenance will ensure that your network is protected. Sangfor provides a valuable Cybersecurity Hygiene Calendar for the 2023 year that will help immensely in ensuring a security-first cyberspace.
Creating Shared Responsibility
As mentioned before, a cyber-attack will likely enter your network through the careless actions of a single person. Your company is responsible for creating an atmosphere of shared responsibility and care for one another. When groups act in isolation and without the general well-being of the company or each other in mind, they will be less likely to employ better cybersecurity practices. A sense of community is needed to actively prevent being vulnerable to attack.
Investing in Better Cybersecurity Tools
Naturally, your company’s stance on safety also depends on the type of cybersecurity measures you choose to employ. The use of active threat-hunting technology and advanced endpoint security will ensure that your organization remains guarded while consistently targeting suspicious files in the network. The cybersecurity platform you choose to use should also be easy to maintain and use – many employees find complex safety protocols difficult to abide by and use. This is why Sangfor Technologies prides itself on offering simplified solutions that will give you peace of mind.
Sangfor 2024 Calendar: Your Roadmap To a More Cyber-resilient Year
Sangfor understands that it can be difficult to consistently maintain a security-first cyberspace within your work environment and that is why we’ve made it easier to do by introducing our dedicated Calendar for 2024. Each month giving you sound advice on planning, managing, and enhancing your security operations to better protect your data and infrastructure. Download the calendar for a precisely mapped-out monthly itinerary to keep your network safe and secure.
Sangfor also offers an array of advanced threat detection and response tools that can collaborate and coordinate to maintain the highest security measures. Some of Sangfor’s most innovative and comprehensive cybersecurity solutions include:
- Sangfor Next-Generation Firewall (NGFW): An AI-power next-generation firewall that can identify malicious files at both the network level and endpoints. Powered by the malware detection and protection of Neural-X and Engine Zero, it provides comprehensive and holistic protection from all threats with easy operation - ensuring that any security threats are curbed swiftly and effectively.
- Sangfor’s Endpoint Secure (EDR): This advanced technology provides integrated protection against malware infections and APT breaches across your entire organization's network – all with ease of management, operation, and maintenance. The platform also received the AV-TEST “Top Product” award for achieving 100% ransomware protection against zero-day malware.
- Sangfor’s Cyber Command Platform: Finally, this Network Detection and Response (NDR) platform monitors for malware, residual security events, and future potential compromises in your network and is coupled with our advanced Threat Intelligence technology and an enhanced AI algorithm that can keep you updated on any vulnerabilities detected.
For more information on Sangfor’s cyber security and cloud computing solutions, visit www.sangfor.com
