What Is Cyber Hygiene?

Sentinel Forge Cyber Hygiene

Small businesses, personal and shared computers, and technology infrastructures are potentially exposed to cyber threats over 2,240 times per day.  

That’s a potential cyberattack on your sensitive business and personal information every 38 seconds.

Virtually any electronic device connected to the internet is vulnerable to malicious cyber activity, including cyber extortion, identity theft, and compromised private information.

The question our clients and potential new customers so often ask us is, “What can we do to protect ourselves and our digital assets from cybercrime?”

We’ll provide answers to that question in this post as we explore the essentials of something we call “Cyber Hygiene”, including best practices, practical solutions, and where you can go for field-tested, cost-effective cyber defense solutions in 2023. 

But what exactly is “Cyber Hygiene”? 

 The VPN security solution providers at Cyber Ghost provided a great definition in a recent article:

Let’s use a personal hygiene analogy. Personal hygiene is a set of routine practices such as brushing your teeth, washing your hands, and showering. You make a habit out of these to keep yourself clean and healthy.

Similarly, Cyber Hygiene is a set of habits you form to protect your privacy, prevent data loss, and stay safe from all kinds of cyber threats. It’s a more proactive approach toward cybersecurity. 

 Now let’s build on top of that foundation.

 In this post, we’re going to cover the basics of personal and small business cybersecurity in context.

 Here’s what you’ll learn:

  • What is Cyber Hygiene?
  • 10 Simple steps to improve your Cyber Hygiene
  • Why is Cyber Hygiene necessary?
  • Where do you go from here? 

Sentinel Forge Technologies is a specialized cybersecurity company located in Maryland. Get in touch with us today to learn more about Cyber Hygiene.

So let’s get started with the essentials.

 What exactly is Cyber Hygiene?

 Cyber Hygiene is a documented framework of habitual security best practices, policies, and procedures designed to protect the digital private property of Maryland business owners, individuals, and families. 

The “habitual” part is crucial here. It’s easy to get lulled into a false sense of security when it comes to cyber threats. Remember, you’re potentially vulnerable to a threat every 38 seconds.

We all know we need to stay vigilant, but how?

 10 Simple steps (+ Bonus Tip!) to improve your Cyber Hygiene (and reduce your cyber threat profile).

  • Use strong passwords and secure your password file offline (paper is unhackable!)
  • Don’t store passwords in browsers (even if it is convenient!)
  • Do regular system backups of important data to a storage device that is disconnected from the network
  • Backup any critical data FROM the cloud to your private backup device and store offline
  • Keep your software applications updated (this is important!)
  • Be judicious with sharing ANY confidential personal information on social media
  • Keep your networks secure with firewalls
  • Stay completely away from suspicious websites
  • Never download files from the internet from untrusted sources
  • Never click on, open, download, or reply to anything in a suspicious email

 What’s “suspicious?” Anything or anyone you don’t personally know or trust. And if you know someone who sends you a suspicious-sounding message, verify it with them before you respond. Their email account may have been hacked!

This list is by no means exhaustive, but it’s an excellent ten-point checklist to get started on a path to maintaining good cyber hygiene.

And the bonus tip? Consider joining the Sentinel Forge Secure Sentinel Network (SSN). More on that later.

Why is Cyber Hygiene necessary? 

Practicing good Cyber Hygiene (see checklist) can prevent you from being hacked or having your personal information and identity compromised. Many modern cyberattacks rely on the Attacker tricking an unsuspecting user into willingly providing them access to sensitive information. When these practices are combined with a Sentinel Forge Sentinel Box on the SSN, you have a nearly impenetrable digital fortress.

The Sentinel Box service changes the rules of the game for malicious hackers by concealing multiple decoy systems, called Sentinels, that act as “bait” for bad cyber actors. The Sentinels are monitored for any activity and provides early warnings of malicious hackers inside your network’s cybersecurity defenses.

Now you’ve managed to trick the hackers into alerting you to their presence which gives you a decisive advantage. You and your SSN Relay can take decisive action to contain and neutralize the now-identified cyber threat.  

Where do you go from here? 

That’s the easy part, you’re halfway there. Click on the link below and fill out the form. This simple first step takes less than five minutes. 

At Sentinel Forge Technologies, we provide proactive security monitoring and threat detection services for families, individuals, and small businesses with our patent-pending Secure Sentinel Network, or SSN.

We’re offering incentives for individuals, businesses, and farmers to join the SSN today. Sentinel Forge Technologies is here to earn your business the old-fashioned way—by earning your trust and confidence.

 

Call us at (443) 991-8280 or get in touch online today.

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