Cybersecurity Awareness Month returns in October with a CISA campaign themed “Securing the Next 250.” For laboratory managers, the occasion raises a practical question: how would work change if staff could no longer access an instrument, a LIMS platform, or the data needed to interpret results?

Answering that question gives cybersecurity planning an operational purpose. Lab managers know which analyses are time-sensitive, which records support decisions, and how long work can pause. That knowledge helps IT teams understand the consequences of an outage and set priorities for protection and recovery.

Understand what depends on connected systems

A connected instrument is part of a workflow. Its usefulness can depend on a workstation, software, network connections, and somewhere to store results. Reviewing those relationships helps managers identify where losing access to one system could interrupt several stages of work.

An asset inventory provides the starting point, but its value lies in what it reveals. Alongside instruments and software, record the workflows they support, who maintains them, and whether vendors retain remote access. Managers and IT can then discuss which dependencies deserve closer attention.

This is particularly useful for older equipment. An instrument can remain analytically useful while its operating system no longer receives security updates. Replacement decisions therefore need to consider both scientific capability and cybersecurity exposure. Where replacement is impractical, IT and vendors can help assess restricted connections or other controls. Software updates also need coordination to address compatibility and applicable validation requirements.

Protect the data behind laboratory decisions

Laboratory work depends on access to trustworthy records. Protecting research data means considering who can view or change it, how collaborators receive it, and whether staff can retrieve it when needed.

That makes access management a laboratory concern. Permissions should reflect current responsibilities, including those of departing staff, collaborators, and vendors. Approved storage and transfer methods give staff a clear way to handle raw data, analysis files, and reports.

CISA’s cyber hygiene resources emphasize strong passwords, multifactor authentication, software updates, and phishing awareness. These practices support broader decisions about protecting systems and data. Connected equipment also introduces digital vulnerabilities, making unnecessary internet exposure and remote access important topics for discussion with IT.

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Help staff recognize when something is wrong

Staff encounter cybersecurity decisions during ordinary work: opening a vendor attachment, sharing a file, or responding to a login request. Training becomes more relevant when it explains how those familiar tasks can put laboratory systems or information at risk.

Use examples staff recognize, such as an unexpected request for credentials or an unfamiliar multifactor authentication prompt. Explain whom to contact and what to do after a suspicious interaction. Revisit that guidance when introducing new instruments or software so reporting expectations remain connected to actual workflows.

Know how the laboratory will keep working

An outage creates operational decisions before recovery is complete. Managers need to consider pending samples, storage conditions, reporting deadlines, and stakeholder communication. Planning with IT helps connect technical recovery priorities with those laboratory needs.

Recovery testing should establish whether backups contain usable data and the configurations needed to resume work. Discussing one realistic outage can also reveal unclear responsibilities or unworkable alternatives.

Use October to examine those gaps with IT and staff, assign responsibility, and agree on follow-up dates. The goal is to understand what laboratory work requires when its digital systems are under strain.

This article was created with the assistance of Generative AI and has undergone editorial review before publishing.