12 Best Cybersecurity Practices for 2019

Are your sensitive data safe? It is not an exaggeration: any company can become a victim of cybercrime, with attacks reported across government, education, healthcare, banking, law firms, NGOs, and many other sectors.

Hackers, insider threats, ransomware, and other dangers are real. Smart enterprises are increasing cybersecurity investments to eliminate risk and protect sensitive data, yielding early results.

The following list presents the 2019 IT security best‑practice checklist.

1. Consider Biometric Security

Biometric technologies provide fast authentication, secure access management, and precise employee monitoring.

Verifying a user's identity before granting access to valuable assets is critical. Voice, fingerprint, palm, facial, behavioral biometrics, and gait analysis are effective options.

Biometrics offer stronger authentication than passwords or SMS codes and are now a core component of multi‑factor authentication.

Beyond authentication, biometric‑driven tools help security teams detect compromised privileged accounts in real time.

Behavioral biometrics analyze how users interact with input devices; anomalies trigger alerts for immediate response.

Examples of User and Entity Behavior Analytics (UEBA) biometric techniques include:

Keystroke dynamics – analyzing typing speed and typical errors to build a user profile.

Mouse dynamics – tracking click timing, movement speed, rhythm, and style.

Eye‑tracking biometrics – recording eye movements to detect unique patterns.

Market forecasts predict the biometric market will grow from $16.8 billion in 2018 to $41.8 billion by 2023, so keep an eye on this technology and choose the best fit for your use case.

2. Create Tiered Cybersecurity Policies

Why are written security policies important?

They serve as the formal guide for all security measures, aligning experts and employees on a common set of rules while allowing departmental workflow variations.

A centralized policy provides a baseline, but each department should be able to create its own policy based on the central framework.

This layered approach lets you address departmental needs without disrupting workflows or the bottom line.

The Illinois government website offers a useful security‑policy template as a starting point.

If you want to learn how to prevent, detect, and remediate insider attacks, consider building an internal‑threat program.

3. Adopt a Risk‑Based Security Approach

Regulatory compliance alone cannot protect your data.

Every industry has specific and hidden risks; focusing only on compliance is insufficient.

Identify the risks your company faces and how they affect the bottom line; a comprehensive risk assessment is the best tool.

Risk assessments enable you to prioritize security measures, avoid fines, reduce remediation costs, and prevent losses from inefficient processes.

They also help you spot weak points, monitor emerging hacking techniques (e.g., MITRE ATT&CK), and align security strategy with business goals.

Templates and examples are available on the Compliance Forge website.

4. Back Up Data

Regularly back up data to ensure its safety.

Backups have become a critical security practice, especially against ransomware, which can be mitigated by having complete, up‑to‑date copies.

Backups must be protected, encrypted, frequently updated, and assigned to multiple owners to mitigate insider threats.

US‑CERT provides a detailed guide on backup options; the FBI also offers an excellent article on ransomware.

5. Manage IoT Security

The IoT market continues to grow, with devices becoming increasingly popular.

While new technology is exciting, security must come first.

IoT devices pose a significant risk because they can access sensitive information.

Examples include security cameras, smart locks, thermostats, and office equipment—all potential entry points.

Best practices for enterprise IoT security include:

Conduct penetration testing to understand real risks.

Encrypt data at rest and in transit (end‑to‑end encryption).

Ensure proper authentication for trusted endpoint connections.

Avoid default hard‑coded credentials.

Purchase up‑to‑date routers and enable firewalls.

Develop a scalable security framework for all IoT deployments.

Consider implementing endpoint security solutions.

6. Use Multi‑Factor Authentication (MFA)

MFA is a must‑have component of advanced security strategies.

Even though it is a basic implementation, MFA remains highly effective and is promoted by national cybersecurity alliances.

MFA adds an extra security layer, making it extremely difficult for attackers to log in even if they have a password.

It also helps distinguish shared‑account users, improving access control.

7. Manage Password Security

Password management is a critical part of enterprise security, especially for privileged access management (PAM).

Use dedicated tools such as password vaults and PAM solutions to prevent unauthorized access to privileged accounts while simplifying employee password handling.

Key password best practices include:

Use a unique password per account.

Prefer memorable passphrases over random short strings.

Employ mnemonics or personal strategies for long passwords.

Never share credentials, even for convenience.

Require periodic password changes.

The National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center provides recommendations for strong passwords.

8. Apply the Principle of Least Privilege

Granting too many privileged users access to data is dangerous.

New employees are often given excessive privileges they don’t need, increasing insider‑threat risk.

The principle of least privilege means assigning the minimum necessary rights and revoking them when no longer required.

Continuous privilege management can be complex, but many access‑management solutions simplify the process.

Specialized PAM solutions can be a lifesaver for handling uncontrolled privileges.

This principle aligns with zero‑trust models, which grant access only after verification.

9. Focus on Privileged Users

Privileged‑account users are both valuable assets and major security threats.

To minimize risk:

Limit the number of privileged users via least‑privilege.

Immediately remove privileged accounts when employees leave.

Use user‑activity monitoring to log all actions.

See the Ponemon Institute report for more on privileged users in insider‑threat scenarios.

10. Monitor Third‑Party Access to Data

Controlling third‑party access is a crucial part of your security strategy.

Remote employees, contractors, partners, and suppliers can all access your data.

Third‑party access raises internal‑attack risk and opens doors for malware and hackers.

Monitoring third‑party actions, limiting their scope, and knowing who connects to your network help protect sensitive data.

Combine user‑activity monitoring with one‑time passwords for comprehensive logging.

11. Beware of Phishing

Are all your employees aware of phishing?

Most internal threats stem from well‑meaning employees unintentionally aiding attackers.

Attackers use spam and phone phishing to harvest credentials or deliver malware.

Basic defenses include a properly configured spam filter and employee education on phishing techniques.

Education has proven effective; Verizon reports show a drop in phishing click‑through rates.

More information is available on the US‑CERT website.

12. Increase Employee Awareness

Employees are the key to protecting your data.

Educate them on why security matters, the threats the company faces, and the impact on the bottom line.

Use real‑world breach examples, solicit feedback, and encourage ideas for balancing security with workflow efficiency.

Well‑trained staff reduce accidental breaches far more effectively than reactive measures.

These cybersecurity best practices will help safeguard your data and reputation, though implementation remains a challenge.

Original sources: ekransystem.com and intelligentx.net .