Small Habits That Change Security Visibility This Cybersecurity Month

Cybersecurity Awareness Month is a good time to revisit the digital behaviors that guide your organization’s defenses. AI has reshaped the attacker playbook, calling for fresh approaches in cybersecurity habits alongside your foundational skills. A few small, specific adjustments can meaningfully improve your team’s security visibility this year.

1. Adopt Phishing-Resistant MFA

MFA was once considered the gold standard, but many common forms can now be bypassed by modern cyberattacks. Adversary-in-the-middle phishing kits can let attackers clone legitimate login pages, capturing credentials to hijack an active session. Phishing kits could account for up to 90% of cloned credential attacks by the end of 2026, according to Rehack’s updated phishing statistics list.

With phishing-resistant MFA, each login becomes cryptographically bound to the actual domain. This means copied pages capture nothing that an attacker can reuse.

Consider these two options:

• Hardware security keys (FIDO2): These keep credentials on separate hardware, protecting shared workstations and high-privilege accounts. You should source keys from certified vendors and prioritize deploying to administrators and executives.
• Passkeys: These are software-based, encouraging adoption without the need to distribute and manage new hardware. Most identity providers, including Azure AD, Okta and Google, support passkeys through a simple configuration setting.

2. Conduct Regular Third-Party App Audits

Forgotten or over-permissioned third-party integrations create an easy entry point for attackers. A structured audit habit can keep this in check. Start by cataloging every third-party integration tied to core systems, including cloud storage and your CRM.

From there, check the OAuth and API permissions for each connected app and revoke any that request more access than their function requires. Remove access entirely as soon as a vendor relationship ends, or an app falls out of active use. Schedule this audit quarterly as well, so new integrations added by employees or departments do not go unreviewed.

3. Apply Zero Trust Principles to Limit Access

The Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC) tracked 1,029 data compromises in the second quarter of 2026, the second-highest quarterly total in its tracking history. Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA) can help manage this exposure. Under ZTA, you grant users and applications only the permissions their specific roles require, then recertify those permissions on a set schedule.

Your team should require reauthentication at each access attempt rather than relying on a single login to grant standing access across systems. Monitor activity continuously and investigate immediately if something looks off, such as access from an unfamiliar device or at an unusual time. Segmenting the network to contain access when something is compromised can improve overall network security.

4. Prepare for Zero-Day Attacks Before They Happen

Shifting from prevention to active readiness is important, since zero-day attacks are outpacing patch cycles. Further, the ITRC recorded 14 zero-day attacks in the first half of 2026, already almost matching last year’s full-year total of 17.

Build readiness into operations through these actions:

• Accelerate patch deployment: Push critical-severity patches within 24-72 hours of disclosure, as the standard monthly schedule may be too slow for implementation.
• Maintain an up-to-date asset inventory: Deploy automated discovery tools that track every application in real time, rather than a manually updated spreadsheet.
• Rely on behavior-based endpoint detection: Choose endpoint detection and response (EDR) tools to catch novel exploits that signature-based antivirus may miss.

5. Build a Comprehensive Incident Response Plan

Without a plan, response time slows, and the same vulnerabilities may be exploited again. You should require every incident report to document the confirmed or suspected attack vector and the systems or data affected, since this detail shapes the decisions that follow.

Assign a named owner for each response phase, covering detection, containment, eradication, recovery and post-incident review, so no step gets skipped under pressure. Run tabletop exercises at least twice a year using attack-vector scenarios from recent breach disclosures, then feed findings from each actual incident back into training programs and patching priorities.

6. Strengthen Security Awareness Training

AI has made phishing harder to detect, even for experienced leaders. Rehack found that 82.6% of phishing emails in 2025 used AI-generated content, while 56% of employees and executives could not tell a real email from a scam, and 66% of C-suite leaders could not recognize an AI-generated attempt.

Forensic accounting offers a useful model for training your team to meet this challenge. It relies on professional skepticism, a questioning mindset paired with careful assessment of evidence, before accepting a request at face value. Build that instinct through simulated phishing drills or verification callbacks for unexpected payment requests, and equip your business with a stronger human defense layer against AI-driven scams.

7. Treat Cyber Resilience as a Business Imperative

Cybersecurity has become a governance responsibility spanning the entire organization, from IT teams to the boardroom, rather than a technical concern managed solely by security staff. A 2025 Audit Committee Practices Survey found that 93% of audit committees rank cybersecurity as a top three priority, with half ranking it first, and 71% report discussing the topic quarterly.

Strengthening board-level oversight comes down to a few concrete practices:

• A standing quarterly agenda item: Add cybersecurity to the audit committee or board agenda as a recurring topic, not a discussion triggered only after an incident.
• Business-impact reporting from management: Require briefings framed around financial exposure, operational downtime and regulatory liability rather than purely technical metrics.
• Dedicated cybersecurity expertise on the board: Ensure at least one board or audit committee member has cybersecurity expertise or receives ongoing training to evaluate what they are told.
• Aligned reporting cadence: Tie cybersecurity posture reviews to financial reporting cycles so risk oversight keeps pace with the rest of the business.

Make These Cybersecurity Habits Part of Your Year-Round Routine

These cybersecurity routines can compound into meaningfully better security visibility when practiced consistently throughout the year. Pick one or two habits to put in place this week, then build toward the rest as your team gains capacity. The healthy digital practices you establish now help strengthen the foundation your business relies on as AI-driven threats continue to evolve.