Today’s businesses are more dependent on data than ever before. For many businesses, data are missions critical, meaning that the firm cannot function without it. This means that it is essential that they have a comprehensive network security policy.
The problem is that many businesses don’t. And what’s worse, the threats to business security are becoming more and more sophisticated over time. The following are just some of the ways you can protect your business’s network from being compromised.
Install a firewall
Firewalls have been around for a long time. Essentially, they’re a program that keeps a beady eye out for any processes on your network that shouldn’t be there. It will then close down those processes and ask you for further instruction on what to do.
It’s a basic approach, but one that stops complete exposure to viral programs like Trojan horses and worms.
Most firewalls are also useful in preventing malware and adware in general from slowing your system down.
Start using strong passwords
The online hackers and criminals now have access to the encryption keys for thousands of traditional passwords. It’s like a big database for the bad guys.
And they know that most people use one of 200 or so common passwords for most applications. They can just enter the password based on the key and get access to your data and files.
Traditional passwords are not good enough in today’s security environment. They need to be updated in several ways, including being longer and having a mixture of numbers and letters.
Adopting a strong password policy in your business will help you to see off threats from those that want access to your data.
All-In-One solutions
There are now companies like ITWorks365 that provides all-in-one solutions for network security. Dealing with a single firm that manages your IT, cloud computing platforms and your security and firewall is beneficial.
That’s because they’re more likely to know how their systems interact and whether other parts of your network are at risk.
Because it’s a more comprehensive approach, weaknesses in other systems can more easily be rooted out and fixed.
Use the cloud
The cloud tends to be a more secure system than many people imagine. That’s because it offers several features that traditional computing platforms just don’t.
For one, using a cloud solution often means you can tailor who has access to what information. It’s not the case that all of your employees need access to all your data all the time.
But it is the case that such an open door policy increases your security risk. Only allow people to access data on a “need to know” basis.
Cloud computing also enables you to partition sensitive data so that it is effectively separated from the rest of the internet. Many sophisticated companies offer cloud solutions that block off traffic so that data remains secure.
Lastly, cloud computing platforms are also regularly updated. That means that if there are any new threats, your business is protected. Often cloud services are very quick to implement new updates, much faster than your company could do it itself.
Related: Why You Shouldn’t Start a Business Without a Data Security Plan