5 Important Network Security Principles to Protect Businesses From Cyber Attack
June 6, 2019 Share

5 Important Network Security Principles to Protect Businesses From Cyber Attack

Network Security

Globally, the rate of ransomware attacks increases by 6,000 percent every year. Network security ignorance is the main cause!

Business networks become vulnerable with the addition of applications, devices, and users. Although these are the main threats, they are essential for the growth of a business. Most cybercriminals target small businesses because they lack computer security to protect emails, confidential business information, and business accounts.

Learn these five network security requirements that your business needs urgently.

Employee Education about Network Security Requirements

Human error is one of the biggest business security threats to businesses. It includes mistakes such as downloading malicious files, sharing passwords and failing to update them regularly, and phishing.

An effective way to mitigate cybersecurity challenges is by educating employees about network security best practices. Educate them about ways of identifying phishing scams and how to respond to them. Remember to discuss the importance of updating software and business devices.

Create security policies regarding frequency of password change, network access, procedures of reporting lost devices, safe ways of sharing files, and more. Most importantly, educate employees about these policies and ensure that they understand them.

Keep Software and System Backups Updated

Your business needs a network security plan in case of data damage by unscrupulous employees, thieves, malware intrusion, and natural events such as floods and earthquakes.

Investing in Managed IT Services is one of the best ways to benefit from 24/7 monitoring, antivirus protection, network security consultation, system updates, data backup, and cloud services. Most hackers target small businesses because they use older software versions that are easy to manipulate. Always have a schedule for data and system backup.

Safeguard the WiFi

One of the entry points for hacking is a company’s WiFi network.

However, it’s easy to secure your WiFi network. First, use a firewall and ensure that all data is encrypted. Protect the router with a password, and only give it to employees. Hide your network to prevent access by unauthorized people.

Hide your network by setting up the router in such a way that it doesn’t show your network name.

Two-factor Authentication

This is one of the most overlooked small business network security threats!

Most hackers hijack cloud databases because businesses don’t turn on two-factor authentication. The other possible point of entry is leaving outdated versions exposed. Establish safe practices such as Managed IT Services when accessing cloud services for maximum safety of the system.

It is advisable to avoid passing network security responsibilities to your cloud provider. Most of them understand your weak points and may take advantage of the situation.

Simplify Network Segmentation

Breaches aren’t 100 percent preventable. In case of a breach and your network isn’t segmented, the threat
can easily spread. Segmentation helps to isolate threats. But never complicate network segmentation.

Effective segmentation involves enforcing consistent policies and creating network security plans. Micro-segmentation is also essential because it improves security by isolating certain workloads. Defining boundaries helps to solve problems within a short time.

Network security is a major problem for all businesses whether small or big, but with proper cybersecurity measures, your business will stay safe. Check out our blog to learn more about network security requirements.

This post 5 Important Network Security Principles to Protect Businesses From Cyber Attack originally appeared on GB Hackers.