5 Essential Steps to Ensure Network Security

Nowadays, almost every business enterprise tends to employ an IT professional who is expected to look after the IT business operations and network of your organization. However, this is not an easy task since the person will have to take care of several factors. In fact, it can become an overwhelming affair at times. For instance, they are expected to resolve the workstation issues that your employees face as well as ensuring the flawless functioning of hardware.

Plus, make sure that the IT expert that you hire is a genius in securing the data of your company from malicious cyberattacks. However, since there are numerous things to take care of, it will be challenging for a person to prioritize the security of your company at times. Thankfully, you can ensure maximum cybersecurity to your enterprise by adapting a particular workflow or steps. Below are some of those brilliant steps that an SME (small-to-medium enterprise) may consider to secure their business from malicious cyber threats.

Consider the best antivirus and firewall software

Hackers have become so advanced and are designing new threats daily and even sometimes on an hourly basis. To safeguard your company from such security threats, especially data breaches, one of the main factors that you must consider is reliable firewall protection. It is worth noting that sophisticated hackers will be able to successfully worm into your company network if you are using an outdated version of a firewall. To avoid this, always keep your firewall patched or replace the hardware. Note that you are likely to get amazing discount deals if you have been using the product for 3 years or more in this case. Otherwise, purchase hardware from a dealer who boasts a great introductory offer.

Apart from the firewall, make sure that all your company systems are secured with credible antivirus software and are up-to-date. In this case, you are likely to find both free and fee-based antivirus software in the market. Needless to mention, go for a free or trial version of antivirus software only if you are considering it for your home computer. When it comes to the company system, buy reliable fee-based software. Subscription-based antivirus software will always have more features to offer in comparison to its free counterparts.

Additionally, ensure that your subscription features enough licenses that can cover the laptop or other devices used by remote employees as well. To choose the best antivirus software, shortlist a few first options and then, compare them and zero in on the right option. Try to choose a product that offers free updates and even upgrades in the future. This will surely help you save a good amount of money while ensuring that your business is secured against malware, spyware, viruses, and other threats.

Keep your software up-to-date

Thankfully, most antivirus software comes with automatic updates. This is really helpful even for small businesses since you won’t have to check for updates frequently. Rather, you can simply set the software in a way to automatically scan for threats and install necessary updates during free hours.

In case you have to check the updates in person before installing it, set it in a way to notify you about the pending updates. Hence, you can easily review and install the update as soon as possible. This practice is sure to offer protection against security breaches.

Manage your network login ID and password data

One of the main factors that cybercriminals may exploit to break into your network is your login IDs and passwords. Needless to mention, having a password and login ID that are too easy to guess can pose security threats to your business. After all, no one is going to delete your login data once you leave the office. Similarly, using the same password and login ID for multiple platforms is also a potential mistake that most people are likely to commit.

Note that this will help hackers collect all your information in a jiffy once they broke the password. People usually do this when they find it hard to remember multiple passwords. To tackle this issue, you may rely on any of the credible password managing apps. You should also change your login ID and password regularly for better security. Besides, network login ID and password can be strengthened by employing some easy procedures.

First, make it mandatory to update all the login credentials and passwords at least once every quarter or month. In case any employee failed to do the task, set it in a way that the old credentials tend to expire on a particular date after which the user will be denied access. Of course, your IT manager will be able to train your employees on structuring strong login and password credentials that will be challenging for even the most sophisticated hackers to break.

Monitor your Virtual Private Network regularly

A virtual private network is undoubtedly the best way to secure your company data when your staff goes online. Some people have a misconception that it can also pose some complications if all the employees are not working from the same location. Note that virtual private networks are ideal for both remote and local access. However, the network manager will have to set it in a way to grant access to the employees working from remote places as well.

Just like antivirus, firewall, and other security measures, it is recommended to avoid using free Virtual Private Networks. Note that such VPNs tend to feature several security holes and often keep details of your traffic making your networking activities less private. The best way to avoid this issue is to standardize the devices used in your company. In other words, ask both your in-house employees as well as the staff who work remotely to use company-issued devices which are of the same brand, model, and equipped with the same safety features.

Furthermore, review your network records regularly. Always keep a track of the threats you blocked, the sites your employees are frequently visiting, the overall system health, etc. similarly, along with performing basic auditing on a daily basis, go for a thorough sweep at least once every month.

Professional auditing

Finally, seek the service of a professional at least once every two years. Ask him/her to come in and thoroughly check out your network setup. Even though seeking outside help can be expensive, it will be worth it. After all, investing in your network security will let you keep your company data from the hands of cybercriminals in the long run. Hence, no business owners should ignore these steps.