How secure is your Network?
Network security for small business is becoming increasingly complex, as new Internet threats appear daily or even hourly.
Small business networks face constant threats from viruses, worms, Trojan horses, spyware, zero-day attacks, and more. Achieving effective network security for small business requires a solution that’s designed to fit your needs today and can adapt to tomorrow’s security threats.
Aside from protecting you against such threats, a secure network also provides many benefits such as:
- A secure e-business foundation
- Enables your business to be in compliance with industry and government regulations
- Gives employees easy, secure access to the tools and applications they need, whether they’re in a home office, a hotel room, or at an airport departure gate
- Lets you easily, securely grow your network
- Reduces the risk of litigation from loss of data or security breaches
- Allows you to hire talented employees, anywhere, as remote teleworkers with full, secure network access
- Provide worker flextime by giving employees options for where and when they work
- Add new locations, branches, and offices quickly, without worrying about having to redesign your security system
Your network’s security is only as strong as its weakest link.
What you must have in place for a Secure Network
1. Firewall: The Essential Protector
The one security item every company needs is a firewall, a security appliance that attaches to your network and acts as the protective shield between the outside world and your wired and/or wireless network. A firewall continuously inspects traffic and matches it against a set of predesigned rules. If the traffic qualifies as safe, it’s allowed onto your network. If the traffic is questionable, the firewall blocks it and stops an attack before it enters your network.
2. Safe E-Mailing and Internet Browsing
If your employees send e-mails and browse the Internet (and what employees don’t?), you should consider a comprehensive security solution that includes e-mail security, Web gateway security, and URL filtering.
3. Connecting partner and branch offices
If you have many locations that will connect to your central network, your partner might recommend a virtual private network (VPN). A VPN securely and inexpensively uses the public Internet, instead of privately owned or leased lines, to provide remote offices and individuals with secure access to your organization’s network.
4. Computing at home and on the road
Are your employees using laptops from home or on the road? VPN makes sure that every computer that connects to your network — from any location – is secure.
5. Protecting customer data
The last thing you want is unauthorized people obtaining sensitive customer information. Data security software enforces policies that dictate how customer information is used, copied, and accessed.
Small and medium-sized businesses are affected by security issues, just like enterprise customers, but they have fewer resources to manage security by themselves – all the more reason to work with a trusted security partner.
Managing risk effectively also entails informing employees about where and how potential security threats originate and teaching them how to respond. And it involves putting mechanisms in place to keep the lines of communication open inside and outside the organization during a potentially disruptive occurrence.
To discuss your Network Security requirements please contact one of our Technology Specialists on 0800 001 5942 or email vip@supremesystems.co.uk
