NCSAM), which puts an extra emphasis on different areas of cybersecurity each year.
In 2020, NCSAM is focused on device protection, including computers, mobile devices, and IoT devices.
Company networks are having more devices connected to them all the time, and now mobile devices have overtaken computers when it comes to number of endpoints.
Computers and servers now make up only about 40% of network endpoints.
This fact makes device security all the more important, because often mobile devices and IoT devices aren’t as well protected as they should be.
One of the benefits to businesses in Wise and Denton county when October rolls around is that the NCSAM website has several free resources you can leverage to boost your employee security awareness training efforts.
Here’s a Plan for Promoting Device Security to Your Employees
Although NCSAM is in October, don’t feel like you’ve missed any opportunities. These weekly cybersecurity themes and resources can be used anytime.
Below, we’ll go over the four weeks of themes and the resources that you can use for your own cybersecurity awareness program.
Week 1: If You Connect It, Protect It Each user has a certain responsibility for protecting the devices they use for work. While you may have an I.T team or managed I.T. services that pick up the bulk of the cybersecurity, users still play a part. For week 1, emphasize that everyone can help improve your company’s overall I.T. security by understanding their own device safety responsibilities. These include things like:
Password Security: Users should create strong passwords for all logins and ensure passwords are unique and not reused between different accounts.
Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): An added protection that can significantly increase online safety on any device is to enable MFA for all logins.
Physical Device Security: Employees should use passcodes on devices and screen locks, especially on laptops and mobile devices, which are easily lost or stolen. Free NCSAM resources to use:
Week 2: Securing Devices at Home and Work77% of companies expect to have more employees working remotely after the pandemic than before. Whether an employee is at the office or working from home, the same types of device security apply for both computers and mobile devices. Here are some tips you can share for at-home and at-work I.T. security:
Updates: computers and mobile devices should have updates installed in a timely manner. They often contain vital security patches.
Watch Out for Phishing: Just one wrong click on an email and an entire network can be infected with ransomware. It’s important to stay alert and suspicious of all unexpected emails.
Antivirus/Anti-Malware: Mobile devices also need to have a good antivirus/anti-malware app installed, just like computers do. Free NCSAM resources to use:
Week 3: Securing Internet-Connected Devices (IoT) IoT devices are multiplying in homes and businesses. These include routers, voice assistants (e.g. Alexa), IP security cameras, wireless printers, and more. These types of devices are typically attacked within five minutes of being connected to the internet. Unfortunately, many hackers succeed because the device hasn’t been secured properly. IoT security tips you can give employees are:
Separate the Network: Set up a “guest” network on a router and use it exclusively for IoT devices. This reduces the risk of a hacker being able to get to more sensitive devices on the network through an IoT device.
Change the Default Login: It’s vital to change the default manufacturer’s login to an IoT device during the setup. Hackers know these and use them.
Update Firmware: Employees should regularly log into their router settings, as well as those for other IoT devices, to check for and apply any updates. Free NCSAM resources to use:
Week 4: The Future of Connected Devices For week 4, having a discussion about what the future holds for connected devices is a great idea. This allows your team to begin thinking about future cybersecurity needs in advance, so they’ll be ready for what’s coming. Discuss things like:
5G: What the speeds of 5G will mean for how devices are used and how that could pose more risk.
Wearables: Wearables will continue getting more powerful, representing yet another endpoint that needs cybersecurity protection.
Wi-Fi 6: What improvements does Wi-Fi 6 and WPA 3 bring to network security and how can this be applied to your company’s cybersecurity plan? Free NCSAM resources to use:
Social media posts and graphics to use for all themes