Tag: Network Security

  • How Companies Secure Their Networks in 2017

    How Companies Secure Their Networks in 2017

    Those who work in industries — whether it’s in retail advertising, corporate communications, the financial sector, or a healthcare setting such as a hospital — know how critically important it is to ensure that sensitive information remains secure.

    Whether you are going to be dealing with your company’s confidential client information, or you have been trusted with access to an individual’s banking or healthcare records, it is vital that the network your workplace relies on is effective and secure at all times — your organization’s reputation and customers’ trust in you ultimately depends on it.

    A business’ success can entirely depend on a trusted network as well. For instance, in order to remain one step ahead of competitors in a crowded marketplace, it is essential for retail companies to constantly remain vigilant: they must work to safeguard their information and ensure that sales figures and prices remain secure.

    In a retail context, it is particularly important for companies to keep a tight grip on what their prices will be on big shopping days, so competitors don’t price their goods or services similarly and effectively take away customers.

    So in today’s digital world, what can companies do to ensure their network will remain secure? Retail companies are just one example of the type of organization that would benefit from a securely managed network.

    Prominent, large companies that have more than one office will need to make their data available to all employees in as efficient a manner as possible. You might assume that such a problem would fall into the hands of a large company’s pre-existing IT department.

    However, IT departments at large organizations frequently face competing priorities that make it difficult to find the time to regularly manage IT infrastructure. As a result, many companies choose to seek out a third-party organization to securely manage their network, so that their IT department has time to focus on company growth, and can remain available to handle other challenges at hand.

    Today, more and more companies are turning to secure cloud solutions to enhance the way they do business. Modern businesses rely on virtual data centres to ensure that important private information — which their employees will need to be able to access in whichever location they are working — is stored as efficiently as possible.

    This is becoming particularly important in an age of globalization and digitization, when more and more employees are required to travel for business, and continue to work remotely. Of course, depending on what your business does, you will have different needs than others in respects to what and how much information needs to be stored.

    A virtual data centre offers resources such as memory, storage and bandwidth that are able to accommodate what it is you are specifically looking for.

    If you work in a large company, your IT department will have a better understanding about what those specific needs may be — a virtual data centre solution is often designed with the idea that it will be managed by an IT department.

  • The Most Effective Ways to Increase the Security of Your Home Network

    The Most Effective Ways to Increase the Security of Your Home Network

    If you are like me, then you are always looking for ways to increase the security of your home network. Threats to your network, devices and to your files can come from anywhere online. So it is important to take the necessary steps to ensure your home network is secured.

    This post will outline some of the settings that I use to protect my network, devices, and files from both malicious software and users.

    Router Security Tips

    Router Security Tips

    The first line of defense of my network starts at the access point from the Internet into my network – the router. The router I am using is a Linksys E4200. It is an older router and only supports Wireless-N.

    I have flashed DD-WRT onto the router, so I have many more options than with the stock firmware. The DD-WRT firmware allows me to apply more security onto the router and adjust many more settings than the stock firmware allows.

    Here are the settings I have configured in my router:

    Administrator ID and password changed
    I have changed both the administrator and password for the router.
    Enabled WPA2 with passphrase
    Probably the most important security of wireless. I have configured my wireless network to use WPA2 with a strong passphrase. I always have to look it up when I want to connect a device.
    Using OpenDNS
    To help manage what sites my network can access, I use OpenDNS as my DNS servers in my router. This allows me to block certain domains that are not appropriate for my kids, which also includes malicious sites.
    Configured a guest network
    I have setup a guest network for guests to use. The guest network uses WPA2 with a much easier passphrase to remember so I can easily remember it. It is also prevented with firewall rules from communicating with the main network. This network also uses OpenDNS and the firewall rules enforce he use of OpenDNS.
    Disable WPS
    WPS is a security issue and I don’t use it, so I disable it.
    Disabled remote access
    I can’t access my router from the Internet. I can only access my router from a computer hard-wired into the router.

    Computer Security Tips

    Computer Security Tips

    Even though I have secured my router, I also need to make sure each computer that is connected to my network is also secured.

    For guest computers, I can’t verify what is installed or not installed. This is the reason I have those computers connect to the guest network.

    Here is a rundown of what security settings and software I have configured on my home computers.

    Never run as an administrator
    For seven years I haven’t found real need to run as an administrator. In fact, I can give you many reasons not to run as an administrator. I don’t run as an administrator on any of my computers.
    Google’s Chrome as my Web browser
    I use Chrome for its sandboxing and extensions features. One of the benefits of Chrome is tat each tab is a separate process so one tab doesn’t crash another tab. Firefox is my secondary choice for a Web browser.
    Use uBlock Origin in Web browsers
    When it comes to websites, I don’t trust many sites online, especially the JavaScript. uBlock Origin is always running in Chrome so I can choose what sites run JavaScript.
    I don’t use Flash
    Flash is disabled in my main browser. I find I don’t need to use Flash as much but if I do, I have another browser with Flash enabled that I will use to display Flash content when needed.
    Use a software firewall
    A hardware firewall can block access into my network, a software firewall can block application from connecting to the Internet. If I do get infected with malware, I don’t want it to connect outside my network, so my software firewall blocks the attempt. The built-in Windows firewall works for me.
    Anti-malware software installed
    I have Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Premium installed on my main desktop, with scheduled scans each week. On other computers I have the free version and run scans periodically.
    Anti-virus software installed
    I am not a big believe in anti-virus applications these days as they are basically reactive software. To avoid too many applications from being loaded, I just stay with the anti-virus built into Windows. Anti-virus scans are scheduled on a weekly basis.
    Windows and installed software is kept updated
    I always try to install the latest updates for both the operating system and installed software. Microsoft releases patches on the second Tuesday of every month. Adobe follows the same schedule, but other applications will provide a notification.
    Always keep in mind that all software has security flaws
    When it comes to software, I try to remain vigilant. I believe that all operating systems and applications have security flaws.

    Data File Security Tips

    Data File Security Tips

    I also look at security down to my data file-level. This means how can I best protect my files, both from an operating system and restorative perspective.

    Here are some tips that I currently have implemented, and you may do the same as well.

    Multiple backups
    I always keep multiple backups. Two copies of my files are stored locally, and two copies are stored offsite.
    Automated backups
    I have automated my file backup process. When a file is placed in a folder, it is automatically mirrored onto a second, local hard drive and also uploaded to my online backup cloud.
    I don’t have write-access to my data files outside my server
    I go to great lengths to protect my data files. Any new files or changes are written to a staging folder, and a service on the server copies the changes to the master folder. The folders that contain the master copies of my data are always mapped with a read-only account.

    That is my list of security settings and tips that I have applied within my home. Security involves multiple layers to properly protect your home network and all devices that connect to that network. While you may not implement as many features, it is important to recognize that you must apply some security on your network to protect our computer and data files.

  • BYOD Rules, Network Security & Your Business

    BYOD Rules, Network Security & Your Business

    The integration of sophisticated interfaces in modern devices has made it difficult to draw a line between personal and business usage. Nearly a decade back, it was fairly easy to differentiate between data/software/applications targeted or being used at an enterprise level and those at a personal scale.

    The data that is being circulated around can be classified as business and non-business. Each has its own specific attributes with respect to sharing and security management. For instance, under no circumstance would you want enterprise data (account information, client detail, etc.) to be circulated freely.

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  • How Small Businesses Should Secure Their Networks

    How Small Businesses Should Secure Their Networks

    Computing systems are an integral part of any volume of business. Most of the day to day activities are dependent on computers. Hence, these systems should be protected from both offline and online attacks. Your business requires a comprehensive policy on security.

    You should know what kind of technologies should be deployed to boost productivity. You should not compromise on security while being lured by productivity. Let us find more about how small businesses can protect their systems and networks from various threats.

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  • Why You Need to Monitor Your Network

    Why You Need to Monitor Your Network

    How many businesses do you think have a website? 75, 80 percent? It’s 2011, everything’s online, so of course most businesses are going to be online too, right? Wrong.

    Only 45 percent of small business owners have a website, according to a recent study by Discover. And while that was a significant increase from the 37 percent in 2009, there are still a significant portion of the driving force of our economy that aren’t cashing in on all the potential the Web can offer.

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  • How Network Security Policy Works for Everyone

    How Network Security Policy Works for Everyone

    A good network security policy is not a topic commonly spoke about around water coolers at work. This topic is more commonly handled by extensively-trained experts. Where this fact proves true, this does not mean that you have to be a well-trained professional to desire the knowledge of how a network security policy works. More than ever before, every day computer users are becoming well-versed in the basics of how important network security is with the internet. This article is intended to broaden the perspective of every-day network users in accomplishing an effective network security policy.

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