Essential Cybersecurity Best Practices for Businesses

Understanding Cybersecurity's Importance

Cybersecurity is no longer just a technical issue. It has become a critical aspect of business strategy. Companies must prioritize it to protect their assets, reputation, and customer trust. As we dive into the best practices, remember that proactive measures can save you from costly breaches.

1. Employee Awareness Training: Your First Line of Defense

Let’s face it—people are the weakest link in cybersecurity. According to industry statistics, around 80% of hacks are caused by human error, with the most common culprit being the clicking of malicious links.

Historically, companies focused on training employees to “not click on links,” but Burnside argues that security awareness training needs to go far beyond that. Employees must understand the broader landscape of risks, from phishing attacks to domain impersonation and third-party vendor compromises.

“Security awareness training isn’t just about links—it’s about understanding the risks of doing business on the internet,” Burnside says.

Vendors to Watch

While KnowBe4 is the go-to name for security training, Burnside highlights vendors like Stickley on Security, which combines phishing simulations with educational videos and a less fear-based, more practical approach.

Real-World Lesson

Roush shared a sobering story of a client that paid a ransomware demand due to a lack of backups—miraculously recovering their data but only by sheer luck. Today’s attackers often exfiltrate data before encrypting it, using it as extortion leverage. This makes employee training combined with strong technical controls more important than ever.

2. Compliance: A Moving Target

Compliance frameworks like HIPAA, PCI DSS, and the fast-growing CMMC (Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification) are no longer optional—they’re the cost of doing business, especially for organizations working with the federal government.

Burnside describes compliance as a “never-ending treadmill”—you’re either running to stay ahead or you’re falling behind. For companies new to frameworks like CMMC, the challenge lies in implementing more than 100+ security controls outlined in standards like NIST 800-171.

Compliance-as-a-Service

To speed up compliance, companies are turning to compliance-as-a-service providers like Ariento. These providers can take an organization from zero to audit-ready in four to six months, compared to a painful DIY approach that could take a year or more.

Risk Tolerance & Cloud Choices

Choosing between public vs. private cloud for sensitive workloads often depends on your risk tolerance and specific compliance requirements. For example, businesses working with controlled government data must often use GovCloud environments from providers like AWS or Azure.

The Role of Business Impact Analysis

Before deciding on backups, disaster recovery plans, or cloud architectures, Burnside recommends conducting a Business Impact Analysis (BIA). This helps determine Recovery Point Objectives (RPO) and Recovery Time Objectives (RTO)—critical metrics for ensuring your operations can bounce back after an attack.

3. Cyber Insurance: The Safety Net (With Strings Attached)

Cyber insurance has shifted from a “nice-to-have” to a non-negotiable layer of business protection. But here’s the catch: insurers are becoming increasingly strict. They require companies to prove that security controls like multi-factor authentication (MFA) and endpoint detection and response (EDR) are implemented—and actually being used.

“Cyber insurance providers aren’t just looking for a checked box—they want evidence,” Burnside notes.

Don’t Forget Directors & Officers (D&O) Coverage

One overlooked area is D&O insurance, which can protect executives from personal liability in the event of a breach. As Roush points out, without proper coverage, executives could face personal financial exposure, from legal fees to losing personal assets.

Annual Policy Reviews

Cyber policies—and the security landscape—evolve rapidly. Burnside stresses that companies should review and update policies at least annually, including incident response plans and disaster recovery strategies.

Testing Disaster Recovery: The Achilles Heel

Burnside shared an alarming observation: very few companies test their disaster recovery (DR) plans. Many assume their backups or failover systems will work in a crisis, but never run real-world tests to confirm it. This is a huge gamble. Testing your DR plan annually (or even semi-annually, depending on your industry) not only validates your preparedness but also uncovers hidden gaps before disaster strikes.

The Takeaway: Cybersecurity Is About Proactivity, Not Reaction

Roush sums it up perfectly: too many companies only act after they’ve been hit by an attack. Whether it’s employee training, compliance readiness, or cyber insurance, the cost of prevention is far less than the cost of recovery.

“Don’t go straight to vendors. Work with an independent technology advisor who can cut through the noise and find what’s right for your business,” Roush advises.

Next Steps for Businesses

• Train your employees. Platforms like KnowBe4 or Stickley can dramatically reduce the odds of a breach.
• Get compliance help early. Providers like Ariento can accelerate your journey to CMMC or other required certifications.
• Review your insurance policies. Make sure your coverage matches today’s evolving threats.
• Test your backups and DR plans. Hope is not a strategy.

Building a Cybersecurity Roadmap

Need help building your cybersecurity roadmap? VocalPoint Consulting works with over 700 technology vendors and specializes in finding the right fit—not just the loudest pitch. If you’re ready to stop playing catch-up with cyber threats, reach out to us at vocalpointconsulting.com.

Cybersecurity is a journey, not a destination. By taking these steps, you can enhance your organization's resilience against cyber threats. Remember, the best defense is a proactive approach.