How to See Yourself in Cyber: Top Tips from Industry Leaders

It’s 2022 and as we all know, the world is a very different place. However, one thing that has not changed is the importance of cybersecurity. In fact, it’s more important now than ever before, as the SolarWinds hack and Executive Order prove. That’s why for Cybersecurity Awareness Month this year, we asked cybersecurity pioneers and leaders to get their insights on staying cyber safe. Here are their thoughts on CISA’s 4 Things You Can Do to See Yourself in Cyber. 

Enable Multi-Factor Authentication 

“With the continued rise in cybercrime, there are a few simple steps every person should take to protect themselves, if they aren’t already. CISA’s first recommended step to stay 'cyber-safe' is to implement multi-factor authentication. It significantly lessens the likelihood of being hacked via unauthorized access and compromised credentials, which, according to Verizon’s 2021 Data Breach Investigations Report, were the gateway for 61% of data breaches. Enabling multi-factor authentication is a quick and easy way to immediately improve security hygiene for yourself and your company.” - Chris Eng, CRO at Veracode 

Use Strong Passwords 

“While it is always better to use multi-factor authentication than a simple password, sometimes you don’t have a choice. Against popular belief, it’s actually more important to have a long password than it is to have a complex password, which is why I recommend that developers build systems that allow at least a 64 character field for passwords and allows pasting passwords from password managers. Users should be sure to vary the password they use per service. A password manager is best for this but even changing part of a password per service is helpful protection. If your password is compromised from one service, it will be tried on others.” - Chris Wysopal, CTO at Veracode 

Recognize and Report Phishing 

“According to CISA, more than 90% of all cyberattacks begin with phishing. Phishing techniques are becoming more sophisticated, especially spear phishing targeting corporate employees, making them harder to identify. Threat actors are looking for an opening and they won’t stop at one phishing attempt. By reporting phishing scams, security leaders can warn others and hopefully avert catastrophe. After all, it just takes one unaware person to click on a link, and the hackers are in and can take advantage of weaknesses in the applications.” - Tim Jarrett, VP of Product Management at Veracode 

Update Your Software 

“Unpatched and outdated software is consistently among the top attack vectors for ransomware and other cybersecurity attacks. For organizations, this also means updating third-party libraries and code. A Software Bill of Materials (SBOM) can help you understand your risk. Research has found 92% of software vulnerabilities can be fixed with a simple update, which is why it’s in everyone’s best interest to prioritize software updates. It’s one of the easiest and most effective steps we can take to keep our personal and company data secure.” - Brian Roche, CPO at Veracode  

Conclusion

By following these tips, you can better protect yourself and others against cyber threats. Now that you know how to see yourself in cyber, are you ready to take the security of your organization’s data to the next level? Book a call with an Application Security Consultant today!