One major issue every company, especially its IT department is concerned about is how secure the company network is. Not only does a secure network mean that your company information and assets don’t get breached, it also means stability and a chance for longevity for your company.
As a company that’s particular about these important things, there’s a need to go the extra mile to ensure that you’re protected from hackers and other security threats.
The big question then is, how can I keep my company network secure? We’ve put together four steps that you can take to ensure that your company’s network and information is secure.
Network firewall
Network firewall is the oldest trick in the books of network security. A high-quality firewall defends your company’s network from breach and filters data packets.
One of the most popular and authentic firewall networking types is the DMZ (demilitarized zones). The DMZ is set up to allow internet-facing servers within the DMZ to work in a way that they’re encumbered by lesser restrictions and monitoring. The DMZ is protected by another security gateway that filters traffic coming in from external networks.
At the very least, network firewalls offer packet filter technology that informs your IT department of unusual traffic, and allows or denies data packets based on the rules that have been set regarding each data packet.
Network firewall is the first step in detecting potential hacks, malware, and other intrusions as soon as they come.
Malware detection
After putting up firewall protection for your network, the next thing to do is to be on the lookout for malwares. Detecting malware is an important step that should be carried out periodically. As a company, you should have a solid malware protection program in place – one that can scan all internal and external devices that come in contact with the company network –and it should be within the central management of the IT department.
Malware-associated malicious attacks don't happen on their own, so it's understandable that anti-malware packages are user action-oriented and are comprehensive enough to include several actions.
Your anti-malware package should be able to scrutinize URL links before launching and check browser attachments before exposing the system to them.
Use a Virtual Private Network (VPN) for access
VPNs come into play when company employees need to access company data, but aren’t on the company’s direct network (most likely because of remote work) or any secure connection. With VPN, they can protect company information because of the built-in kill switch feature of the VPN that’ll disconnect hardware from the network whenever a protected connection is lost, and keeping your data safe from any form of leak. So, even if all your workers work remotely, you still have control over the security of company data.
VPNs have encrypted tunnels that’s safe enough for corporations to use. High-quality and secured VPNs come at a price because they require a good level of overhead processing and bandwidth.
Use IPS or IDS
Using IDS and IPS to detect and protect threats is a great way of securing your company’s network. This is usually the last straw to provide heightened security for systems - either through intrusion detection, or intrusion prevention. While the IPS is more about preventing intrusions as soon as they are detected through their IP addresses, IDS is more about monitoring the activities of the network and detecting suspicious activities when they occur. IDS and IPS are efficient ways to detect and prevent threats. IDS is used to detect any attackers such as malware or worms; IPS actively prevents the negative impact of the detected attackers.
Final Thoughts
Securing your company’s network is always going to be an important issue to deal with. While it’s something that can be handled in-house, it’s always a great idea to have trusted hands assist your network security, and every other business IT solution you may need.
At Pegasus, we go over and beyond with our standard monitoring tools to help improve your company’s overall security posture, protect you from Ransomware and cyberattacks, and take immediate action whenever any breach occurs. Contact us today to begin your consultation process!
