You might be wondering if you need a third party security suite for your computer...
Your concerns might include:
- Are they needed for effective protection?
- Are they worth the money?
- Do they just gum everything up?
- Are they tough to remove?
- Do they open me up to online attacks?
These are all valid concerns and for most people, basic cyber hygiene is all you need.
Cyber hygiene is a generic term for doing the minimum to secure a system. Things like default passwords, no password, out-of-date operating system, simple phishing. These can be exploited with Influence Energy 0 -- 1 hour or less of effort. You want to deny cybercriminals these easy wins and force them to spend more effort to exploit you. The goal is to make them expend more influence energy than you are worth, which forces them to move on (you win) or out of business (everyone wins).
Cyber hygiene is the cornerstone of any security program whether for an individual or multinational corporation. No amount of fancy security certifications or blinking-light boxes will make up for it. It is defined as Security Energy Level 0 and is the starting point you must achieve before doing anything else.
What are the components of Security Energy Level 0?
- Email Security
- Use a main email provider (e.g. Gmail, Microsoft 365, iCloud)
- Know how to spot deceptive domains
- Device Security
- OS Updates - If device is not eligible for OS updates, replace with a new model
- Built in AV
- Turn on enhanced security mode (Edge/Chrome)
- Update browser when prompted
- Passwords
- Use password manager built in to browser to ensure different passwords for each site
- Enable SMS/Authenticator app on your phone
My forthcoming Level 0 security guide will show you exactly how to implement these in a simple, step-by-step manner. No more worrying about if you did it right.
If you've done all of these items and have larger assets and/or income, you are ready for Level 1. This includes some third party security programs which become important to mitigate threats you might face at higher value to attackers.
Subscribe to be informed as additional guidance comes out or reach out today if you are concerned!