Network security is equally as important for small businesses, regardless of size, as it is for large corporations. Hackers exist to compromise any security holes in a business network and make use of such security holes for any number of reasons.
Businesses face a constant battle to ensure that their IT infrastructure is as secure as is reasonably possible, and part of that battle includes making sure that employees don’t use their computer for non-work purposes, nor that they download anything onto their systems that they shouldn’t be!
We hear of organised botnets taking over people’s compromised computer systems all the time, so if this is something that concerns you with your business network and all systems connected to that network, then you should check out these top tips to minimise the risk of attack as much as possible.
Secure your wireless connections
Unfortunately, a vast number of businesses don’t have any form of security set on Wi-Fi networks, and many don’t even change the default username and password for router logins which can cause huge implications! Set your wireless encryption to the most secure option available, and change those router logins!
Ensure systems have decent Internet security software installed
There are many antivirus/Internet security software solutions available on the market, ranging from retail options for a few users to enterprise-grade software which is managed and updated from a server console.
It is vitally important that all systems connected to your network have valid and up-to-date Internet security software installed so that the risk of your network and systems attached to it being hacked can be minimised as much as possible.
Educate your employees on the importance of Internet security
Many people are of the opinion that the one piece of antivirus software installed on their computers will protect them from any security attacks. Sadly, this is not the case and even the most locked-down systems in the world can still be compromised by a determined hacker.
But it’s not all bad news! Creating a computer usage policy in your business will ensure that employees know exactly what they should and should not be doing with your systems. Examples of what you could have in this policy could include:
- No installation of third-party software or apps without approval;
- Restricted Internet usage to only certain categories of websites;
- Requirements that operating system software updates are installed automatically on a regular basis;
- Requirements that they choose a strong password that is at least 8 characters long, made up of uppercase and lowercase letters, as well as numbers and symbols.
Consider enforcing policy management on users’ computers
In addition to giving employees rules on what they should/shouldn’t be doing, you can also use some enterprise-grade policy manager software to ensure that these rules are complied with.
Windows Server for example allows you the ability to control exactly what a user can do on their system, and it can disable certain operating system tasks that only administrators of the network are allowed to do.
