Top Cybersecurity Best Practices

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency together with the National Security Agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the National Cyber Security Centre, and other international organizations, published this advisory providing recommendations for organizations in how to protect the integrity, confidentiality, and availability of the data used to train and operate #artificialintelligence. The advisory focuses on three main risk areas: 1. Data #supplychain threats: Including compromised third-party data, poisoning of datasets, and lack of provenance verification. 2. Maliciously modified data: Covering adversarial #machinelearning, statistical bias, metadata manipulation, and unauthorized duplication. 3. Data drift: The gradual degradation of model performance due to changes in real-world data inputs over time. The best practices recommended include: - Tracking data provenance and applying cryptographic controls such as digital signatures and secure hashes. - Encrypting data at rest, in transit, and during processing—especially sensitive or mission-critical information. - Implementing strict access controls and classification protocols based on data sensitivity. - Applying privacy-preserving techniques such as data masking, differential #privacy, and federated learning. - Regularly auditing datasets and metadata, conducting anomaly detection, and mitigating statistical bias. - Securely deleting obsolete data and continuously assessing #datasecurity risks. This is a helpful roadmap for any organization deploying #AI, especially those working with limited internal resources or relying on third-party data.

Does this work? Asking for a friend. While AV can play a role in defending an organization, it's only a part of a strong #cybersecurity program that utilizes a defense in depth methodology that implements other security measures like: 👉 Layered Security: Implement multiple layers of security controls and defenses to protect against different types of threats. This ensures that if one layer is compromised, others remain in place to provide protection. 👉 Physical Security: Secure physical access to facilities, including locks, surveillance systems, and access controls, to prevent unauthorized physical access to critical assets. 👉 Network Security: Use firewalls, intrusion detection systems (IDS), intrusion prevention systems (IPS), and network segmentation to protect the network infrastructure. 👉 Endpoint Security: Deploy antivirus software, endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions, and ensure that all devices are regularly updated with security patches. 👉 Application Security: Implement secure coding practices, conduct regular security assessments, and use web application firewalls (WAFs) to protect applications from vulnerabilities and attacks. 👉 Data Security: Encrypt sensitive data both at rest and in transit, implement access controls, and regularly back up data to prevent data breaches and loss. 👉 Identity and Access Management (IAM): Use strong authentication methods, enforce least privilege access, and implement multi-factor authentication (MFA) to ensure secure access to systems and data. 👉 User Awareness Training: Educate employees about cybersecurity best practices, phishing attacks, and social engineering techniques to reduce the risk of human errors leading to security incidents. 👉 Incident Response: Develop and regularly test an incident response plan to quickly detect, respond to, and recover from security incidents.

The "set it and forget it" approach to cybersecurity is a ticking time bomb. Why? Because cybersecurity isn't a one-and-done deal.  It's an ongoing battle that requires constant vigilance and adaptability. Threat actors are often relentless, constantly sharpening their skills and finding new ways to infiltrate your defenses.  If you're not doing the same, you're leaving the front door open for them to enter and wreak havoc on your business. What can you do to stay ahead of the game?  1. Treat cybersecurity like a subscription, not a one-time purchase. Stay on top of software updates and patches like your life depends on it (because, let's be real, your business does). 2. Continuously educate your team on the latest threats and best practices. Cybersecurity isn't just an IT problem; it's an everyone problem. 3. Regularly review and update your security policies and procedures. The cybersecurity landscape is constantly shifting, and your strategies need to keep up. 4. Conduct regular risk assessments and penetration testing. Identify vulnerabilities before the bad guys do, and plug those holes faster than lightning. 5. Create a culture of cyber resilience. Encourage your team to be proactive, curious, and unafraid to question the status quo regarding security. Staying vigilant and proactive with cybersecurity can feel like a never-ending battle.  But complacency costs far more than the effort required to stay secure.