Top 10 Cybersecurity Best Practices
Cyber threats aren’t distant possibilities; they’re daily realities, and no single tool or strategy can guarantee full protection. From ransomware shutting down critical infrastructure to insider threats quietly siphoning sensitive data, the risks organizations face are diverse, constantly changing, and each requires specific strategies and solutions to address. Because of this, effective security requires a layered approach built on tested best practices that strengthen resilience against both external and internal adversaries.
This article outlines ten of the most impactful cybersecurity best practices every organization should adopt. These practices, ranging from penetration testing and incident response planning to DevSecOps integration and physical security measures, are not just technical safeguards but operational necessities. Together, they provide a roadmap for reducing exposure, mitigating risk, and ensuring that when threats inevitably arise, businesses are prepared to respond swiftly and effectively.
Table of Contents
#1 - Penetration Testing
Even with strong security measures in place, organizations cannot assume their defenses will withstand real-world threats. Penetration testing provides a structured way to challenge those defenses by safely simulating how an attacker might attempt to break in. Unlike automated scans that simply list potential weaknesses, penetration testing demonstrates how vulnerabilities could actually be exploited under realistic conditions.
Without this practice, organizations often have an incomplete picture of their security posture, leaving hidden pathways for attackers to exploit. Conducting penetration tests on a regular basis ensures that emerging risks, from new software deployments to infrastructure changes, are identified and addressed before they can be weaponized. A strong penetration testing program should be planned in advance, performed by skilled professionals, and repeated at defined intervals.
"Penetration testing, often referred to as ethical hacking, is a proactive approach to identify vulnerabilities within an organization's network. By simulating real-world cyber-attacks, skilled professionals attempt to breach the system's defenses to expose weaknesses. The insights gained from penetration testing enable organizations to patch vulnerabilities before malicious actors exploit them. This proactive measure helps companies stay one step ahead of potential threats and fortify their security posture."
#2 - Proper Incident Response Planning
Even the strongest defenses cannot guarantee complete protection from cyber incidents. That’s why every organization needs a well-defined incident response (IR) plan. An IR plan outlines the step-by-step process for detecting, containing, eradicating, and recovering from a security event.
Without this structure, teams often waste valuable time deciding what to do in the heat of an attack, leading to greater damage, longer downtime, and higher recovery costs. A strong incident response plan clearly defines roles and responsibilities, communication protocols, escalation paths, and post-incident review procedures. It should be tested regularly through tabletop exercises or live simulations to ensure staff know exactly how to act when an incident occurs.
"There is really no proper incident response, and the best you can hope for is an effective. An effective incident response plan is crucial for minimizing the impact of a security incident. It involves establishing a well-defined process to detect, respond, contain, and recover from a security incident. The incident response plan should include clear communication channels, documented procedures, and a designated incident response team. The key is to build muscle memory, and this is done via strong, regular testing and from the learnings updating of the incident response plan to ensure its effectiveness when all cyber hell breaks out."
#3 - Employee Training
Employees are often considered the first line of defense, but without the right preparation, they can also become the weakest link. Human error is one of the most common factors in breaches, whether it’s clicking a malicious link, reusing passwords, or mishandling sensitive data.
Effective employee training turns this vulnerability into a strength by equipping staff with the knowledge and habits needed to recognize and resist attacks.
According to Verizon's 2025 Data Breach Investigations Report, 60% of breaches involve the human element.
- Verizon's 2025 Data Breach Investigations Report
Strong training programs involve ongoing awareness campaigns, phishing simulations, and scenario-based learning that reinforce best practices in real-world contexts. Training should also change with the threat landscape, covering topics like ransomware, social engineering, insider threats, and safe use of personal devices. When employees understand both the risks and their role in safeguarding the organization, they become active participants in cybersecurity rather than passive liabilities.
"The bane of all CISOs is the employees and good intentions. Employees are often the weakest link in any organization's cybersecurity defense. Comprehensive and entertaining training programs should be conducted to educate employees about common threats, social engineering techniques, and best practices for handling information.
By having a solid and ongoing cybersecurity awareness program promoting a security-conscious culture, employees become an active line of defense and are more likely to detect and report potential security incidents. But good security training goes further than just the security awareness; it should flow into things like incident response, how to do secure code, building secure images for servers, and more. It helps link security to DevSecOps, Tabletops Incident response games, and a few other security-related topics."
#4 - Regular Software Updates
Outdated software is one of the most common gateways for attackers. Vulnerabilities in operating systems, applications, and third-party plugins are constantly being discovered, and cybercriminals move quickly to exploit them. Regularly applying patches and updates closes these gaps before they can be leveraged in an attack.
Skipping or delaying updates, on the other hand, leaves organizations exposed to well-documented risks that adversaries actively scan for.
According to Edgescan, the average mean time to remediate (MTTR) for high or critical severity vulnerabilities is 74.3 days for web applications and 54.8 days for devices and networks.
- Edgescan's 2025 Vulnerability Statistics Report
Effective patch management requires a structured process for identifying critical updates, testing them in controlled environments, and deploying them swiftly across the organization. Automation can help streamline this process, especially in large or distributed environments. By making regular updates a standard operating practice rather than an afterthought, businesses reduce their attack surface and strengthen the overall reliability of their systems.
"Outdated and end-of-life software is the headache of all organizations. Technical debt often contains known vulnerabilities that can be exploited by attackers. Regularly updating software, including operating systems, applications, hardware, and firmware, is crucial to patch these vulnerabilities and protect against potential threats. Automated patch management systems can streamline the update process and ensure timely application of security patches."
#5 - Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
Relying on passwords alone is no longer sufficient in today’s threat landscape. Stolen, weak, or reused credentials continue to be one of the most common ways attackers gain access to sensitive systems.
Multi-factor authentication (MFA) adds an essential layer of protection by requiring users to verify their identity through multiple factors, typically something they know (a password), something they have (a phone or token), or something they are (biometrics).
“We’ve found that more than 99.9% of compromised accounts don’t have MFA, which leaves them vulnerable to password spray, phishing, and password reuse.”
- Microsoft Learn
By requiring more than one form of authentication, MFA dramatically reduces the risk of unauthorized access, even if passwords are compromised. Modern MFA solutions can be integrated seamlessly with cloud applications, VPNs, and enterprise systems, making them practical for both remote and on-site employees. In many cases, MFA is the difference between a contained phishing attempt and a full-scale breach. For organizations serious about protecting sensitive data, enabling MFA is not optional; it’s foundational.
"This is becoming a hot topic fast, with all organizations wondering where, how, and what should have MFA attached to it. As people apply for cyber insurance they are seeing that this is one of the questions and drives many companies to an MFA strategy. MFA does add an extra layer of security by requiring users to provide multiple pieces of evidence to verify their identity. This could include a combination of passwords, biometrics, security tokens, or one-time passwords.
By implementing MFA, organizations significantly reduce the risk of unauthorized access, even if a password is compromised. Hackers are targeting this as there is now in our industry a saying called MFA fatigue due to hackers forcing many prompts to hopefully get that one person to hit approve. To mitigate this, we have a security awareness program to help reduce the success of hackers."
#6 - DevSecOps Integration
Traditional software development often treats security as an afterthought, bolting it on just before release or leaving it to be handled by separate teams. This siloed approach slows down development and allows vulnerabilities to slip through unnoticed.
DevSecOps changes that dynamic by embedding security into every stage of the development lifecycle, ensuring that code is tested, validated, and secured before it ever reaches production.
According to Gartner, 66% of technology leaders report fewer security incidents as a result of DevSecOps.
- Gartner DevSecOps: Strategies, Organizational Benefits and Challenges
Integrating DevSecOps means shifting security left, bringing testing and validation into the earliest phases of design and coding. Automated tools check for misconfigurations and vulnerabilities continuously, while collaboration between developers, operations, and security teams ensures that fixes happen quickly and efficiently. This approach not only reduces risk but also accelerates deployment, allowing organizations to innovate without sacrificing protection. By weaving security into the fabric of development, DevSecOps ensures that resilience grows alongside speed and scalability.
"This is one of my soapbox topics. In my experience, DevSecOps has been the biggest creator of security incidents on my watch (So many stories). DevSecOps needs to integrate security practices deeply and interwoven within the software development lifecycle, thus hopefully ensuring that security is prioritized from the initial stages of development and throughout the lifecycle to deployment.
By embedding security controls, continuous monitoring, and automated testing into the development process, organizations can proactively identify and address security vulnerabilities, reducing the risk of deploying insecure software. The next step is to ensure, through different methods and processes, that the software is monitored and patched to ensure the security and integrity of the software."
#7 - Insider Threat Mitigation
While many security programs focus on external attackers, insider threats often pose an equal, if not greater, risk. Whether malicious or accidental, insiders have legitimate access to systems and data, making their actions harder to detect and potentially more damaging.
An employee downloading sensitive files to take to a new job, or a contractor misusing credentials, can cause as much harm as a sophisticated external breach.
According to IBM's Cost of a Data Breach Report 2025, insider errors and malicious insiders combined account for 19% of data breaches.
- IBM's Cost of a Data Breach Report 2025
Mitigating insider threats requires a balance of trust and verification. Monitoring tools that track user behavior can identify anomalies, such as unusual access times, large data transfers, or attempts to bypass controls. Enforcing the principle of least privilege ensures that employees only have the access they need, reducing the potential impact of misuse. Just as important are cultural measures, clear policies, consistent communication, and a workplace that encourages reporting suspicious behavior without fear of retaliation. Together, these measures reduce both the likelihood and the impact of insider-driven incidents.
“Insider threats can pose a significant risk to any organization if not taken into consideration. Implementing access controls, segregation of duties, and regular monitoring of user activities can help mitigate these threats. Additionally, organizations should foster a culture of trust and transparency while implementing strong policies, plus a robust platform to help report suspicious activities. Linking this to a solid security awareness training can help employees recognize and report potential insider threats is key.”
#8 - Strong Password Management
Weak or reused passwords remain one of the easiest ways for attackers to gain unauthorized access. Despite the growing availability of advanced authentication methods, compromised credentials still account for a significant portion of breaches. Strong password management is therefore essential for reducing risk at every level of the organization.
Best practices include requiring complex passwords, enforcing regular rotation, and discouraging reuse across multiple accounts. However, complexity alone isn’t enough; employees need tools that make secure practices practical. Password managers help by generating and storing unique credentials, while multi-factor authentication (MFA) adds another layer of defense by requiring additional verification beyond just a password. Together, these measures greatly reduce the effectiveness of credential-based attacks, turning one of the most common points of failure into a hardened line of defense.
"Weak passwords remain a common entry point for attackers. Look into the enforcement of strong password policies, requiring complex passwords, regular password changes (this can be mitigated through MFA), and prohibiting password reuse. Implementing a corporate password manager and multi-factor authentication further enhances password security, reducing the risk of unauthorized access, and if done correctly, can help reduce the insider threat vector."
#9 - Securing Personal Devices in the Workplace
The rise of remote work and bring-your-own-device (BYOD) policies has blurred the boundaries of the corporate network. While personal devices increase flexibility and productivity, they also expand the attack surface. Unsecured laptops, smartphones, or tablets can become entry points for malware, data leaks, or unauthorized access if they aren’t properly managed.
Securing personal devices requires a mix of policy, technology, and user accountability. Organizations should enforce mobile device management (MDM) solutions that allow IT teams to push updates, enforce encryption, and remotely wipe devices if they’re lost or stolen. Access controls can ensure that personal devices only connect to corporate resources under strict conditions, such as using VPNs and meeting compliance checks. By treating personal devices with the same rigor as company-issued hardware, organizations can balance flexibility with security without leaving open doors for attackers.
"With remote work, personal devices, and people's home and guest networks have become a common access point to sensitive organizational data through different channels. It is essential to implement policies that ensure personal devices meet security standards, such as encryption, remote wipe capability, and secure network connections.
But the same controls need to be on the corporate devices as well. It is best to have vpn or encrypted connectivity the minute the corporate or personal device is switched on and connected to any network. Making it mandatory to have a secure connection to any asset. Employee training should emphasize the importance of securing devices, handling data, and the risks associated with unauthorized access or usage. An acceptable use policy should be one of the first documents that an employee reads when starting."
#10 - Physical Security Measures
Cybersecurity is often seen as purely digital, but physical security remains just as critical. Unauthorized physical access to servers, workstations, or networking equipment can quickly compromise even the strongest technical defenses.
Something as simple as an unattended workstation or an unlocked server room can give attackers direct entry into sensitive systems.
According to IBM's Cost of a Data Breach Report 2025, physical theft or security issues accounted for 9% of data breaches.
- IBM's Cost of a Data Breach Report 2025
Effective physical security combines layered protections. This includes badge access controls, surveillance systems, security guards, and visitor management processes to limit who can enter sensitive areas. Equally important are employee habits, locking screens when away from desks, securing laptops during travel, and safeguarding ID badges. By recognizing that cybersecurity and physical security are interconnected, organizations create a more holistic defense posture that covers both the digital and physical dimensions of risk.
"This could be a whole separate topic but, I will address this in a few words. Digital threats are significant; physical security controls cannot be overlooked. Implementing measures such as access controls, surveillance systems, visitor management, gunshot detection, and secure server rooms helps protect against physical breaches. Physical security measures should be integrated with digital security practices to create a holistic security approach. I did not even scratch the surface on this topic."
Building a Resilient Cybersecurity Foundation
Cybersecurity is not achieved through a single tool or policy, but through the consistent application of best practices that reinforce one another. From penetration testing and employee training to MFA and physical security, each measure plays a role in reducing exposure and building resilience. When combined into a comprehensive strategy, these practices ensure that organizations are not only defending against today’s threats but are also prepared for the challenges of tomorrow.
The most successful programs treat cybersecurity as an ongoing commitment rather than a one-time project. By continuously testing defenses, updating processes, and engaging employees, businesses create a security culture that adapts alongside evolving risks. In the end, the goal is not just to prevent attacks, but to build an environment where threats can be detected quickly, contained effectively, and overcome with confidence.
That’s why our approach is built around continuous security, ensuring organizations stay resilient no matter how threats evolve.
