Basic network hygeine and security fundamentals prevent the vast majority of cyber incidents

[StevenJ6052]

The seemingly daily cyber incidents and and data breaches we read about reinforce the need to adhere to basic network hygiene and security fundamentals. Event the most technically proficient exploit is usually foiled through comprehensive system patching, permissions and user rights management, and a team well trained in the basics. see more at http://managethenet.blogspot.com.

[Badfilemagic]

I often say that if an organization doesn't do the first five critical security controls, the other 15 don't really matter. 

For an interesting addition to that, Rob Joyce, the head of NSA's Tailored Access Operations (TAO) delivered a rare public talk at the USENIX Enigma conference in 2016. The major takeaway from that is that application whitelisting is that "one thing" that dramatically raises the cost of successfully prosecuting an attack, even for state sponsored actors.

A video of that talk can be found here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDJb8WOJYdA