ONE OF THE MOST PREVENTABLE PROBLEMS FACING SMALL BUSINESSES TODAY IS LAX NETWORK SECURITY POLICIES.

PCWorld says that in 2012, 31% of all network security breaches were perpetrated against small businesses. Many organizations have the “It can’t happen to me” attitude. Without proper training and awareness, small businesses can become at risk for falling victim to a network security incident.

SOFTWARE CAN POSE A SECURITY RISK

Intruders aren’t typically capitalizing on security flaws in hardware, they’re looking for security holes in software. An unpatched operating system can potentially contain hundreds of unfixed security flaws.

Good network security practices regarding software include:

—Taking the proper steps to ensure your end user’s software stays patched and updated —Keeping your systems centrally patched using a utility such as WSUS —Ensuring that your organization follows best practices for password maintenance —Only assigning administrator privileges to end users that absolutely require it for their day-to-day job functions

LOCKDOWN YOUR PHYSICAL HARDWARE

While security appliances provide an extra layer of protection, they certainly aren’t foolproof.

Good network security practices regarding hardware include:

—Securing your networking closet with a locked door that has its outer perimeter monitored—Auditing all of the login portals of your hardware devices —Double checking user accounts to make sure no users are allowed to login with the default password —Installing a physical firewall appliance in your data center within your organization —Properly configuring your firewall so that it doesn’t inadvertently offer an open window into your network from the internet

NETWORKING TOOLSThe Best Things in Life Are Free

There is a plethora of free network analysis tools available which will help you harden and analyze your network’s settings.

—Free testing tools such as Wireshark, Spiceworks, and Microsoft Network Monitor can be freely downloaded from their vendor’s websites. —There’s a Linux distro called Kali which will allow you to perform sophisticated penetration testing on your network.

Network security doesn’t have to be a complex issue for your organization. Some of the easiest methods for securing a system are often the most effective. Once you master the basics of network security, your organization can focus on it’s most important task: attracting more customers.

Wolf Technology Group | wolftg.com | (864) 248-6316

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