If you’re a sys admin, you’ve probably spent more time thinking about backups than your own hygiene. But let’s face it: in today’s digital world, your cyber hygiene is the only thing standing between you and a very bad day at work. It’s like brushing your teeth.
Do it every day, or you’ll regret it. Big time.
You’ve heard all the horror stories. Systems down, ransomware attacks, data breaches — all because someone forgot to patch, or worse, didn’t use a strong password.
Cyber hygiene isn’t just for the IT pros that run massive data centers; it’s for you, the everyday sys admin who needs to keep things running without catching a virus… literally.
Step 1: Patch or Be Punched
The first rule of cyber hygiene is simple: update everything.
You don’t want to be that person who’s still running old software with gaping security holes. Even your printer’s firmware needs love..
It’s a pain to stay on top of updates, but trust me, your job security depends on it. Missing one update could leave your network exposed, and guess what?
That’s when hackers love to show up.
Step 2: Passwords That Aren’t “password123”
You might think your password is strong because you added an exclamation mark at the end.
Nope.
The golden rule is: if you can remember it, it’s probably bad.
Password managers are your best friend here. Let them handle the tough stuff, so you can focus on, you know, not getting fired.
Step 3: MFA, Because One Layer Is Not Enough
You know that moment when you realize you’ve been logging into systems without multi-factor authentication (MFA)? Yeah, that’s a moment you never want to have.
Think of MFA as locking the door with not one, but two locks.
Sure, it’s a little more effort, but the last thing you want is someone waltzing into your network because they guessed your password while you were sipping coffee.
Step 4: Backups: Because Life Happens
Backups are like insurance. You don’t think about them until you need them, and by then, it’s often too late.
Schedule them. Automate them. Test them.
And for the love of everything holy, don’t store backups on the same server as your data. If the server goes down, so do your backups. Not ideal.
Step 5: The Secret Weapon: Regular Audits
What gets audited gets fixed. Schedule regular security audits. Look for weak points, vulnerable systems, and anything that could use a little TLC.
It’s like doing a daily inventory check. You don’t want to find out something’s missing when it’s too late.
Step 6: Stay Informed: Cyber Hygiene Is Evolving
This is the part where I get to say the most sys admin thing ever: stay on top of your game.
Cyber threats evolve constantly. The moment you stop learning, you’re one step closer to a bad day at work.
Subscribe to security blogs, attend webinars, and yes, even follow those annoying Twitter accounts that post nothing but security alerts. It’s for your own good.
The Bottom Line
Cyber hygiene isn’t glamorous.It’s not the most exciting part of your day. But it’s the part that might just save your job — or at least keep your systems running without sending you into a panic attack.
So, brush up on your patches, clean your passwords, and make sure your backups are there when you need them. After all, your job might depend on it.
And maybe, just maybe, your coworkers will stop calling you a “cyber janitor.”