Security Measures Every Company Should Employ
Here’s a list of security technologies every organization should consider to protect their valuable resources
Chances are that you and your team are already or on the verge of subscribing to the many cloud-based services available today. Regardless of the technological leverage this approach offers, it is imperative your company not ignore the dangers that digital transformation exposes your business to.
In 2018 alone, 845.37 million malware found their way to the internet. As such, rather than wait to get burned, companies should employ security measures that counter the vast array of threats that could cripple their productivity.
Here are 12 state-of-the-art security practices every business must adopt in 2019.
Firewall
Securing your organization from malicious attacks is a never-ending process, and it would do your organization much good to adopt the most sophisticated of tools.
A firewall is one of these tools, and the security functionalities that it brings to the table are immense. For one, it filters your network traffic and avails you a way of selectively blocking IP addresses. And, since one or more of your processes are based on the cloud, it is ideal to use a firewall as an identity authorization tool. The same is true for your company’s back-end database, which is integral to the running of your websites and apps.
Secure Browsers
Browsers remain the de facto gateway to the internet. Obviously, it is almost impossible to avoid them, even if hackers and third parties occasionally capitalize on their security weaknesses to track internet users.
Organizations, therefore, should enforce the use of secure browsers, which do not save or log employees’ online activities and restrict cookies and third-party sites or service providers from trying to track your business.
If your company is more comfortable with popular and more efficient browsers, however, you should ensure that employees use the safe mode feature.
Install And Keep Antivirus Up-to-date
Every computer authorized to access your server or database is a potential access point for nefarious infiltrations. As such, a device with outdated antivirus or security tools is a weak link that could be detrimental to the safety of your business. In light of this, comparing different service providers and choosing the right antivirus software is also highly important.
In as much as you have adopted various cloaking and network protection tools, do not underestimate today’s hacking ingenuity, which rightly has directors worried, by forgoing the need for a formidable and up-to-date antivirus.
Virtual Private Network (VPN)
A VPN offers you control of your company’s data as it comes with encryption features for all your internet data transfer. For companies that make their online resources remotely accessible to employees, a VPN could ensure that the security status of their connection does not risk the integrity of their network or cloud database.
Irrespective of reports that have called the security of VPNs into question, such as the 2017 Ars Technica report that stated a majority of VPNs couldn’t be trusted, VPNs remain important tools. Browsing through unbiased VPN reviews and in-depth comparisons between different VPN service providers can help your IT team make an informed decision.
VPN is especially important for companies that require constant access to their servers or for those that embrace cloud solutions.
Proxy Servers
There are many benefits of deploying a proxy server for an added layer of protection for your business’ online activities. Like a VPN, utilizing proxy ensures the privacy of your employees’ activities online. Also, you can filter and monitor the network traffic of your employees with a proxy network to ensure they are adhering to your organization’s online policy.
Apart from the security benefits of using a proxy network, it can also improve your business productivity by balancing your website’s traffic and preventing downtime.
Educate Your Employees
Even if you have all these tools available on the ground, they are useless if they’re not used. Therefore, you must have well-defined security policies and frequently educate your employees on the importance of being security-conscious by providing guidelines on how to use security tools.
Subscribe to AI-Enabled Security Solutions
AI is a big topic, and we regularly hear reports that hackers are using AI to create more sophisticated attacks. Organizations, therefore, should adopt AI-enabled security solutions that can counter them.
One survey showed that 86% of professionals are exploring AI in ways to improve cybersecurity. For example, utilizing an AI-enabled Identity and access management tool can automate the process of flagging and blocking suspected connection attempts.
Embrace Cloud Solutions
Staying up-to-date with the many protective tools and technologies for in-house servers or databases can be a daunting task. The easiest way around this is to transfer these resources to secure cloud platforms. These providers have robust security systems and, as they are commercial platforms, they tend to invest in the latest sophisticated solutions.
Secure Your IoT Infrastructure
IoT is a trending technology, particularly in the business world. On the downside, employing this technology multiplies your security vulnerabilities. Nevertheless, you can change the narrative by ensuring that each IoT-enabled device is secure and that the IoT network comes with high-end encryptions.
Segregate Your Network
You might want to provide your visitors and affiliate workforce with access to your WiFi network. But, as benign as this may sound, it comes with great security implications. Indiscriminately allowing anyone unlimited access to the network to which your IoT connections or critical resources are connected could backfire. Instead, create separate WiFi networks for your guests and your data.
Two-Factor Authentication
If your company offers solutions that require users to own accounts, consider deploying two-factor authentication (2FA) as a viable identification and authentication tool. 2FA also provides an added layer of authorization for employees with access to sensitive data.
Password Manager
The more your company expands, the more it becomes difficult to store passwords of affiliated accounts. To circumvent this limitation, utilize password managers that would ensure that they are beyond the reach of prying eyes.
