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Cyber security is like basic hygiene. There are a few simple things that need to be done to prevent the majority of viruses and infections. We have to remember that the internet is a vast domain populated by a lot of people, and that like society as a whole, there will be those looking to cause harm.

Cyber criminals are adept at circumventing the most obvious security systems. But if they find an environment is too difficult or toxic, they will go somewhere else. It should be your objective (and ours) to make your environment as unattractive, as far possible, for the potential hacker. This can only be done if the basics are observed, and this is why tools like Cyber Essentials exist.

At very minimum, organisations should:

• Remove default passwords and use strong passwords everywhere
• Ensure your firewalls are properly configured and turned on
• Ensure your antivirus is up to date
• Control access management and identity
• Know your networks, monitor them for anomalous activity
• Keep your software updated and your patches current
• Test business continuity and disaster recovery plans regularly and learn the lessons from those tests

In addition, you need to ensure that all your staff, from chief executive downwards, are properly trained and that awareness of the threat is maintained. Make sure that management is involved in this process, and that there is somebody visibly accountable for the risk.

These basic measures will protect you from the majority of attacks. Depending on your size, criticality and proportionality, you may wish to go further and use such frameworks as the Cyber Assessment Framework (CAF) or the US NIST framework as the basis for your security posture. Whatever you choose, you have to make sure you invest appropriately.

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