Explain the concept of cyber hygiene and name three practices for operators.

• A. Disabling all security features for performance.
• B. Regular maintenance and secure configurations to reduce risk; practices: patch management, MFA and strong passwords, asset inventory and baselining.
• C. Running default configurations for all devices.
• D. Random testing of network throughput and latency.

Answer: (B)

Cyber hygiene is the ongoing practice of keeping systems secure and reliable by continuously reducing vulnerabilities and exposure. For operators, the goal is to maintain a healthy, predictable security posture through disciplined, repeatable actions that harden the environment and enable quicker detection of changes.

The three essential practices are patch management, MFA with strong passwords, and asset inventory with baselining. Patch management ensures you apply the latest software updates and security fixes in a timely, tested manner, closing known gaps before they’re exploited. Implementing MFA and using strong passwords protects identities and makes it much harder for attackers to gain access even if credentials are compromised. Asset inventory and baselining mean you know exactly what devices and software are in your network, establish secure baseline configurations, and continuously monitor for deviations, which helps you detect rogue devices, misconfigurations, or unauthorized changes quickly.

Disabling security features, running default configurations, or focusing solely on performance or purely throughput testing do not establish or maintain a secure operating posture; they leave gaps that bad actors can exploit.