Previous Cybersecurity Tips
Framework
October 26, 2026
Include recovery in planning — During Onboarding
A security program should consider how the organization will restore operations after an incident. During onboarding, Include the control in the new-employee checklist so it happens consistently. Keep the process simple enough that employees can follow it consistently.
NIST — Cybersecurity Framework 2.0 for Small Business →
Logging
October 25, 2026
Review alerts — During A Quarterly Review
Security alerts are only useful when someone notices and acts on them. Assign responsibility for reviewing important alerts. During a quarterly review, Record the result so you can demonstrate that the control was actually checked. Keep the process simple enough that employees can follow it consistently.
CISA — Use Logging on Business Systems →
Passwords
October 24, 2026
Treat security-question answers like passwords — During Offboarding
If a service still uses security questions, use answers that are not publicly discoverable and do not reuse them elsewhere. During offboarding, Remove or review the related access as part of the employee departure checklist. Test the control periodically and record any exceptions that need remediation.
NIST — How Do I Create a Good Password? →
Framework
October 23, 2026
Include recovery in planning — When Working With A Vendor
A security program should consider how the organization will restore operations after an incident. When working with a vendor, Confirm who is responsible for the control and what access the vendor receives. Assign an owner and a review frequency so the control does not become forgotten.
NIST — Cybersecurity Framework 2.0 for Small Business →
Basics
October 5, 2026
Plan for incidents
A short, practical incident-response plan is better than trying to invent procedures during an emergency.
NIST — Cybersecurity Basics →
Passwords
October 2, 2026
Check breach notifications
If a provider reports a credential breach, treat the affected password as compromised and replace it.
NIST — How Do I Create a Good Password? →
Backups
September 30, 2026
Keep an offsite copy
An offsite recovery copy can help when a fire, theft, flood, or ransomware event affects the primary location.
CISA — How to Protect the Data that is Stored on Your Devices →
Logging
September 29, 2026
Enable security logging — When Replacing Technology
Turn on useful security logs for servers, endpoints, firewalls, cloud services, and important applications. When replacing technology, Make security requirements part of the selection and deployment process. Assign an owner and a review frequency so the control does not become forgotten.
CISA — Use Logging on Business Systems →
Basics
September 23, 2026
Treat cyber risk as business risk — When Reviewing Cyber Insurance
Discuss cybersecurity in terms of downtime, financial loss, customer trust, and operational impact—not just technical problems. When reviewing cyber insurance, Check that your actual configuration matches any security requirements in your policy. Test the control periodically and record any exceptions that need remediation.
NIST — Cybersecurity Basics →
Logging
September 22, 2026
Centralize important logs
Centralizing logs makes it easier to correlate events and notice suspicious activity across multiple systems.
CISA — Use Logging on Business Systems →
Backups
September 21, 2026
Keep multiple backup copies — When Planning Disaster Recovery
Use multiple recovery points so a problem discovered today does not destroy every available copy of the data. When planning disaster recovery, Include the control in recovery procedures rather than treating it as an afterthought. Make this a documented checklist item rather than an informal expectation.
CISA — How to Protect the Data that is Stored on Your Devices →
MFA
September 20, 2026
Require MFA for cloud administrators
Cloud administration accounts can control large amounts of data and should have strong authentication.
NIST — Multi-Factor Authentication →
Phishing
September 19, 2026
Do not reply to suspicious messages — During Offboarding
Use a known phone number or trusted website to verify an unusual request rather than replying to the suspicious message. During offboarding, Remove or review the related access as part of the employee departure checklist. Test the control periodically and record any exceptions that need remediation.
NIST — Phishing →
MFA
September 16, 2026
Test MFA recovery — After A Security Incident
Verify that authorized users can recover access without relying on insecure workarounds. After a security incident, Use what happened as evidence for deciding whether the control needs improvement. Remove temporary exceptions when the original business need ends.
NIST — Multi-Factor Authentication →
Phishing
September 15, 2026
Verify urgent requests
Urgency is a common phishing tactic. Confirm unusual requests using contact information you already trust.
NIST — Phishing →
Passwords
September 10, 2026
Avoid predictable passwords
Do not build passwords from company names, seasons, years, sports teams, or information easily found about the user.
NIST — How Do I Create a Good Password? →
Ransomware
September 8, 2026
Practice business continuity — During Offboarding
Decide how the business will operate if critical systems are unavailable for several days. During offboarding, Remove or review the related access as part of the employee departure checklist. Keep the process simple enough that employees can follow it consistently.
NIST — Ransomware →
Backups
September 7, 2026
Monitor backup failures
A backup that silently fails for weeks is a business continuity problem. Configure alerts for failed jobs.
CISA — How to Protect the Data that is Stored on Your Devices →