The last thing a business owner needs is a breach in their office network. One small problem can multiply into costly downtime for your business, along with the cost of reparations to customers who may be harmed by a data leak. If you’ve just realized that your office network may be far behind the curve where security is concerned, take these three quick steps to secure it. Then, call an expert for more help with your internet security concerns.
1. Secure all devices on the network. Your average worker might carry a smart phone or tablet in addition to using their work computer. If you allow all of these devices to sign onto your network, then you should view each of them as a potential entry point for problems. How you deal with this is up to you. You can gain better control of matters by not allowing employees to connect additional devices to your network. Or, you can choose to educate your employees on the importance of installing operating system and anti-virus updates regularly. Setting a schedule for these updates is a good idea as well – something you should already be doing with your office computers.
2. Monitor network traffic. When hackers communicate with your network, traces of activity are left behind. This information should be captured by your router’s log. Depending upon your level of expertise, you may need professional help to read these logs and identify potential problems. Either way, it’s always a good idea to check up on which websites your employees are visiting from their computers.
3. Set up a firewall. You probably already know that a firewall can protect you from potential threats coming into your network. But a firewall can also prevent applications from sending potentially important information over the internet. Get a firewall device like Fortigate that will monitor all of your traffic without placing an additional burden on your PCs.
Remember, the best defense is a layered defense. While there is no guarantee of a perfectly safe network, the three steps outlined above are an easy way to quickly secure your internet connection.
