Constangy Cyber Advisor 

As 2026 begins, does your cybersecurity protect the “crown jewels” of your data and operations?

What are your “crown jewels”?

Your organization probably does not house multimillion-dollar paintings or conserve ancient artifacts. But, like, most organizations, you must protect a growing collection of sensitive data, critical systems, administrative credentials, customer information, and financial access. Individuals in your organization must also safeguard email accounts, cloud storage, identity data, and banking and credit card information.

Attackers typically choose the easiest path into a network or device to steal this precious information. They target poorly secured credentials, reused passwords, neglected administrative interfaces, and legacy systems. These gaps are often the most efficient route to the valuable data and access they want to monetize.

The first line of defense doesn’t need to be high walls or advanced surveillance. It starts with basic practices: complex single-use credentials, multi-factor authentication, timely patching; and least-privilege access. When these basic defenses are not enforced, virtually any system will be vulnerable.

Common security failures

Typical security failures include the following:

• No use of multi-factor authentication on critical systems.
• Lack of regular password updates or governance.
• Legacy systems that are left unpatched or unsupported.
• Too many people with broad access, and no regular cycle of reviews of access authorizations.

These protections are not flashy or sophisticated like endpoint detection and response software. But staying current with these practices can make the difference between enjoying a secure environment and being the next victim.

3 steps to strong security

Step One: Prioritize your “crown jewels”

Start by building an inventory of essential systems and accounts. Rank each asset by sensitivity and potential impact. Identify which credentials hold disproportionate power, such as administrative, email, cloud, or financial accounts. Ask yourself, “If this one account fell, what else would topple with it?”

Step Two: Strengthen your password strategy

Create strong, unique passphrases for each critical system. Avoid predictable information like organization names, cities, years, pets, or slogans. Longer is better. Longer, memorable passphrases are more secure than short, complex strings. Follow modern guidance by changing passwords frequently and whenever there is evidence that passwords have been exposed or compromised. Require employees not to re-use personal passwords on company systems.  And enable multi-factor authentication everywhere -- especially for email, administrative consoles, cloud apps, and virtual private networks.

Step Three: Reduce risk through governance

Conduct regular access reviews to determine who needs access and who doesn’t. Remove dormant or legacy accounts. Ensure that critical systems are not running outdated software, and install updates and patches as needed. Require the use of password managers for staff, audit any “single points of failure” (one password unlocking too much), and run tabletop exercises to test how quickly your team can respond to a potential compromise.

The Constangy Cybersecurity & Data Privacy Team assists businesses of all sizes and industries develop a comprehensive incident response plan or support with a breach. We are here to help! The Constangy Cyber Team is available 24/7. Contact us at breachresponse@constangy.com or by phone at 877-DTA-BRCH.