How to Apply a Security Policy that Works

The modern business is faced with countless challenges that threaten its existence, many of which stem from the problems associated with network security. If a business doesn’t have policies, procedures, and solutions in place that protect its data and network, it is making a fatal mistake. Here are five suggestions we have for how you can ensure your network is best protected from security threats.

Handle Internal Access

It was long thought that productivity could flourish if everyone within the organization had access to every application used on the infrastructure. This is not the case any longer, as there are more problems than ever to consider for data access. It’s important that you partition your network according to job role and responsibilities to ensure that your employees can do their jobs without putting your business at risk unnecessarily.

Handle Vendor Access

You rely on third-party vendors for much of your operations, but it’s important to remember that your vendors don’t need access to every little piece of your infrastructure. Data privacy laws might even prohibit them from this type of access, and your business could face compliance fines and reputational harm if it doesn’t take this into account. It’s important that your vendors remain transparent about what they do and don’t need access to, and if they are not, consider looking elsewhere for your needs.

Train Your Staff

Make sure your organization has a strong cybersecurity training program in place to keep your employees apprised of today’s best practices. It’s critical that they know how to create secure passwords, how to keep their accounts safe, how to spot a phishing attempt, and how to take a more active role in protecting your business’s assets. If external threats are able to use your employees as a path into your infrastructure, they can effectively bypass your security efforts, so don’t overlook this important aspect of keeping your network safe.

Patch Management

Vulnerabilities in outdated software solutions are one way hackers and cyberthreats make their way onto your network. Be sure to apply patches and updates in a timely manner so that your efforts aren’t undermined by overlooking such vulnerabilities. This goes for servers, workstations, networking devices, applications, and so on.

Develop a Security Plan

If you have a plan in place to address potential threats to your infrastructure, you’re better off than most companies. Use this plan to perform regular penetration tests to ensure that your company’s network is holding up the way it should. Furthermore, if you do experience a data breach, have a plan in place for how you should respond to it. Evaluate where the threat came from, what data was stolen or damaged, and how to resolve it in a quick and efficient way. Doing so will prevent untold damage to your business’ continuity.

Horne & Benik can help your business keep its data and network safe. To learn more about what we can do to mitigate threats and eliminate weak points in your infrastructure, reach out to us at (603) 499-4400.