Data Security is Essential

Today, the threats businesses encounter from the Internet are more frequent and dangerous than any previous threats. To avoid being the victim of a cyberattack, you will need strategies and procedures aimed at mitigating them. Let’s look at some strategies you need to consider if you are to keep the threats off your network. 

Securing Your Endpoints

Really, cybersecurity is just the central management of several tools designed specifically to keep unauthorized users, and malicious software, off of your business’ network. Since your network’s endpoints are the closest to the actual Internet, fortifying them is important, but where you really have to focus your attention is the people on your network. You see, 94 percent of cyberattacks against businesses are actually driven by someone who works on the network. This makes most data breaches, malware attacks, and the like, completely avoidable. Let’s go through four strategies that can keep you from being a victim of a cyberattack.

#1: Deploy and Maintain Security Solutions

The first suggestion is one that network administrators have made for decades: secure your network with software. Firewall, anti-malware, antivirus, spam and content filtering, and even a dedicated monitoring platform will pay big dividends for a company looking to keep nefarious entities off their network. 

#2: You Need to Train Your Staff

The statistic referenced above should be the only piece of information you should need to put in a comprehensive cybersecurity training platform for your business. How do you go about implementing such a thing? Initially you begin with email training, since this is where the lion’s share of problems begin. Here are three easy steps: 

1. Promote awareness of phishing, social engineering, and cybersecurity.
2. Continually test your staff to determine which users are susceptible to phishing.
3. Re-train deficient employees and frequently test all staff.

It may seem like common sense now, but a lot of businesses out there don’t do anything like this and are frequently being phished, hacked, and worse. 

#3: Get a Handle on Mobile 

Securing your business’ mobile platforms has to be a priority. More data is being sent and received via mobile than any other platform. All devices that are capable of transmission from smartphones to IoT devices need to be continuously managed by your business’ IT administrators. They all need to be considered endpoints and need to be monitored properly in order to mitigate threats.

#4: Testing Your System

Once all your strategies and tools are in place, it is important to challenge your network defenses to ensure that you are working with effective tools. No part of your IT infrastructure should be ignored. That means servers, DNS, you name it. Start with the security tools closest to the Internet and work back from there. Our technicians can be a great resource for this type of work.

As you test, you will be confronted with some stark realities: Your network isn’t secure. If you patch your software and continuously test your security systems, however, you should be able to ward off direct attacks to your network. 

We want you to be focusing on your business, not your IT security. Call Washington Works today at 301-571-5040 to learn more about how we can help you secure your network and infrastructure.