The main goals of most small businesses are to get more clients and expand on existing revenues. How can you do that if your organization is at risk from a cyber security perspective? In order to safely grow your business, you must enact a list of best practices that will help your organization thrive as your business begins to attract more end users into the environment. Here are 4 tips that can help ensure the safety of your small business.
#1.) Enact Strict Password Policies
The best defense against a brute force password crack is enforce password measures that require your users to update their passwords frequently. You should also mandate a standard complexity scheme in your passwords, requiring them to be lengthy and contain special characters. The first defense against hackers is to create passwords that aren’t easily guessed. Always prohibit the sharing of passwords and monitor service accounts for unauthorized use.
#2.) Setup Two Factor Authentication for Remote Access
When your users connect to your network remotely, they should do so using a two factor authentication methods. These methods are becoming popular because services such as Office 365 have introduced this as a way to further authenticate users when they login to certain portals.
Two factor authentication can be setup to require an RSA token. Other services will send authentication codes directly to the end user’s smartphone via text message or phone call. If a user gets a phone call or a text when they didn’t login to the portal, they’ll know that someone is trying to illegitimately access their account.
#3.) Force Overnight Updating and Virus Scanning of Your Desktop PCs
When you provide desktop PCs or laptops to your end users, you are giving them the ability to introduce malicious code into your environment. Without proper safeguards such as antimalware and antivirus software, your network could be at risk. When you deploy a new workstation to a user, ensure that they have an antivirus client that is able to be remotely updated and that the device is setup scan late at night, when the user is likely away from the machine. Daily virus scanning helps you keep your network operating at optimal levels.
#4.) Software and Hardware Firewalls
Firewalls are a staple of network security. When you configure the software firewalls found on your desktop computers, you can block unwanted traffic from within and outside the network.
In order to block traffic from the internet from penetrating your network, a hardware firewall is setup between your internet connection and the switches that provide network connectivity to your end users.
Always keep the firmware updated and subscribe to any content filter subscription services that may be available to you (if your firewall can support it). Having a firewall between your organization and the outside world is imperative to building a secure network that securely transmits information both internally and externally.
Putting It All Together
When you implement these basic security measures, you can be certain that your organization will have covered the top security threats impacting small businesses today. While each network has its own set of nuances, businesses that have firewalls, proper authentication techniques, and up-to-date antispyware, antimalware, and antivirus programs are several steps ahead of other businesses who may not have implemented these same security measures.
If you have any worries about your network security, please call us at (833) 482-64356, or click the banner below to schedule an IT security audit so we can find the best security solutions for your business. Preparation for threats like this is a small cost compared to repairing the damage of an actual infection.
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