Every connected device is a door. Closing the ones you don't need, patching the ones you do, and keeping clean backups makes you dramatically harder to hurt.
Harden networked devices
Follow the manufacturer's hardening guide for anything on the network — printers, lab instruments, IoT, servers. Open only the ports and protocols you actually need.
- Change default admin passwords immediately.
- Disable services and ports you don't use.
- Keep firmware and OS patched automatically.
- Run anti-malware that updates and scans on a schedule.
Back up — and test the backups
A backup you've never restored is a hope, not a plan. Keep at least one copy offline or off-network so ransomware can't reach it, and verify restores regularly.
- Follow 3-2-1: 3 copies, 2 media, 1 offsite/offline.
- Disconnect at least one backup from the primary network.
- Test a full restore on a schedule — not just during an incident.