Online attacks and hacks on bigger businesses have become mainstream news in recent years. However, what many people don’t realize is that one out of every five small businesses in the United States may also fall prey to some type of cybercrime every year, with many business owners being forced to close shop and move on.
While this is true, there are some steps small business owners can take to improve their network security. Knowing what these steps are is the best way to prevent an attack.
Create and Implement a Network Security Policy
Having a comprehensive, fool-proof, and clear network policy can serve as a security map for any organization. These policies should outline user policies, including who is allowed to access the business network, what privileges and limitations each user has, and other related information.
Typically, this policy is focused on identifying the crucial data assets, carrying out various risk assessment tests, such as a pentest by aws security, and designing a viable disaster recovery plan. Typically, larger organizations will conduct drills to determine if the policy implementation is well-received by employees, if additional training is needed, or if the policy has any loopholes that need to be fixed.
Create and Use a Strong Password Policy
Using weak passwords is a death knell for any business network. Having strong passwords will go a long way in keeping a business network out of harm’s way. Everyone has heard of hackers engaging simple software to breach an employee’s or user’s account, so it is never a good idea to create a password based on the convenience of a person’s memory.
All network admins and managers need to make sure that device owners create passwords that are complex and that can’t be found in a dictionary. It is also smart to have passwords that will expire every 60 to 90 days so the complexity will reshuffle and stay as complicated and hard to guess as possible.
Keep the Network Updated
Once the network access points are secured using strong passwords, it is time to dig deeper to make the network infallible against potentially hazardous attacks. One way that cybercriminals find loopholes for launching attacks is through the older and outdated versions of the software. This is why business owners should consider updating their system’s operating system, firmware, antivirus, the device drivers, and other software used on endpoint devices.
Strengthen the Human-Side of Things
In many cases, the weakest link in any network is the users. This is how phishers can use social engineering to achieve their goals. Along with online attacks, threats may originate from certain physical sources, as well, like a vengeful employee.
When it comes to network security, now is the time to take action. Don’t wait too long to take a proactive stance against network attacks and protect a business from the devastating effects that these incidents can have. Being informed is the best way to ensure the desired results are achieved and a network is safe.