Is your business handling IT security properly? Despite the increasing activity of hackers and the rise of security leaks and Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks, many companies are still underestimating the costs of the modern security threats.
\r\nAround 63 percent of small to medium businesses still do not have a comprehensive system for controlling, securing, and tracking their company’s sensitive data (PDF).
\r\nThis oversight can lead to a variety of consequences. The leak of crucial information to your competitors is among the most common. It can jeopardize any opportunity to leverage a competitive advantage, thus inhibiting your company’s growth.
\r\nThe leak of sensitive data, particularly company credentials and customer information, may also lead to other serious repercussions, such as identity theft, loss of customer trust and even the collapse of your IT infrastructure.
\r\nWhile most security breaches can be rectified through standard security protocols, the damages that can be incurred are most likely to be irreversible. Remember that the first mistake businesses can make is to have a reactive approach when it comes to IT security threats.
\r\nRelated Article: Prepare for the Worst: How to Create a Cyber Security Incident Response Plan
\r\nMost businesses will already have safeguards, but a common mistake is to rely on these safeguards too much. By being reactive, you are still at the mercy of attackers, who can find the weakest point in your system and use these to their advantage.
\r\nThis is why you need to develop a proactive approach, which will find potential security threats or loopholes and prevent any untoward incidents from happening in the first place. Here are five steps you can take in order to ensure better security through such a proactive approach.
\r\nBusinesses that have an unprotected and accessible network are highly vulnerable to digital threats. As a company grows, it gets harder to monitor and keep track of the people and devices that could be accessing your data.
\r\nOne means of improving the security of your organization is to have an accurate inventory of all assets, including software and devices, and to determine a whitelist of devices that should have access to your network resources.
\r\nIt is also important to define the persons or departments responsible for each item. This includes devices such as smartphones, laptops, tablets, and other gadgets that can access a local network. You must also have a complete record of network addresses, machine names, and the purpose of their connection.
\r\nTo make sure no one gets unauthorized access to your business network, it is crucial to update and monitor your inventory in real-time. Also, enforce network access control protocols and require authentication to prevent unauthorized connections.
\r\nAnother crucial step is to proactively configure the security configurations and policies of your business network. To help you optimize your safety settings, identify the processes, data, and information systems that are most important to your company as well as who could be after them. You can tweak the configurations of operating systems and software toward more secure access, even if it sacrifices ease-of-use. Also, be sure to keep operating systems and any security software patched and updated.
\r\nManagement can specify company policies that focus on safeguarding your data. A common security policy is to completely prohibit new devices from being authenticated by the network, without explicit authorization by the IT department. Since employees are discouraged from bringing additional devices apart from the ones that are already being monitored, it significantly reduces the chances of unauthorized connections and makes network access exclusive to registered devices.
\r\nRelated Article: Finding Comfort in the Cloud: Resolving Security Fears Around Cloud Computing
\r\nEven with the most secure network in the world, having uninformed and uncomplying employees can still compromise the protection of your data. In addition to implementing security policies in the office, you should see to it that everyone is duly trained to keep your critical data safe.
\r\nSome of the key points you should cover include changing their behavior when accessing the Internet through your business network. Employees should avoid shady links from unknown emails, habitually back up their work, stop unnecessarily downloading anything, and use strong passwords. If you are using a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to secure connections, encourage your employees to use it whenever they access the business server in public places or remote offices.
\r\nInstalling new security application, including firewalls, intrusion prevention systems, anti-virus, and anti-malware tools, can result in an adverse impact on the user's end. Simply deploying software may lead to suboptimal device performance, slowdowns, and even crashes.
\r\nHere is where a low-footprint security software would be a good line of defense. Such applications proactively protect against targeted attacks such as ransomware. The low system requirements means that such solutions are also very easy to deploy and will have no impact on the performance of your machines.
\r\nSuch a solution prevents security threats without the need for detection, and it also protects essential applications from being tampered with. This includes browsers, email apps, and other software that handle sensitive data.
\r\nRelated Article: Data Breaches Hurt 43% of Businesses in 2014: Do You Have a Cyber Security Plan?
\r\nFinally, you should prioritize real-time monitoring and assessment of your secure network. Establish a routine inspection of all the vulnerabilities in your network, which will be conducted by a security specialist. In addition to security software, you should also monitor your employees and how they act to preserve the security and integrity of your business data.
\r\nRemember that internal attacks performed by disgruntled employees can be considered as one of the greatest security risks for businesses. As there is no real way to fully prevent this, you should carefully monitor all network activities and be quick to respond. Be sure to track, log and audit all the activities of privileged accounts as a precaution. This will allow you to respond quickly to threats of any real damage.
\n","docType":"article","guid":"articles_10efc900e3b51225d34cd94b46a8c22d","lastModified":"2016-04-18T17:00:00.000Z","published":"2016-04-18T17:00:00.000Z","structuredData":null,"subtitle":null,"template":"legacy","title":"Stay Secure: 5 Key Steps to Taking a Proactive Approach to IT Security","type":"article","author":{"avatar":null,"bio":"Daan is a Cloud Computing, Web Security Expert and Blogger for Hire. His current interests include enterprise automation, cloud-based security and solutions.","name":"Daan Pepijn","image":null,"slug":null,"social":{"facebook":"","linkedin":"","twitter":"daanpepijn","website":""},"status":"enabled","title":null,"type":"Old BDC Member","user":{"imagePath":"https://staging.business.com/images/uploads/user/profile/85b42bd1386abdabb2bdb3520a5826f52f7e2.jpg","profile":{"company":"Freelance","jobTitle":"","website":"http://daanpepijn.com"}}},"breadcrumbs":null,"channels":{"primary":{"name":"Technology","slug":"technology"},"sub":{"name":"Security","slug":"security"}},"meta":{"robots":"index, follow","description":"Despite the increasing activity of hackers and the rise of security leaks, many companies underestimate the cost of security threats.","title":"5 Key Steps Toward a Proactive Approach to IT Security - business.com"},"parsedContent":{"toc":[],"json":[{"component":"p","children":["Is your business handling IT security properly? Despite the increasing activity of hackers and the rise of security leaks and Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks, many companies are still underestimating the costs of the ",{"component":"a","props":{"href":"http://www.lifehack.org/304668/top-threats-digital-era","target":"_blank","rel":"nofollow"},"children":["modern security threats"]},"."]},{"component":"p","children":["Around 63 percent of small to medium businesses still do not have a comprehensive system for controlling, securing, and tracking their company’s sensitive data (",{"component":"a","props":{"href":"http://www.webroot.com/shared/pdf/SMBThreatReport2015.pdf","target":"_blank","rel":"nofollow"},"children":["PDF"]},")."]},{"component":"p","children":["This oversight can lead to a variety of consequences. The leak of crucial information to your competitors is among the most common. It can jeopardize any opportunity to leverage a competitive advantage, thus inhibiting your company’s growth."]},{"component":"p","children":["The leak of sensitive data, particularly company credentials and customer information, may also lead to other serious repercussions, such as identity theft, loss of customer trust and even the collapse of your IT infrastructure."]},{"component":"p","children":["While most security breaches can be rectified through standard security protocols, the damages that can be incurred are most likely to be irreversible. Remember that the first mistake businesses can make is to have a reactive approach when it comes to ",{"component":"a","props":{"href":"http://www.infoworld.com/article/2614957/security/it-s-9-biggest-security-threats.html","target":"_blank","rel":"nofollow"},"children":["IT security threats"]},"."]},{"component":"p","children":[{"component":"em","children":["Related Article:"]}," ",{"component":"Link","props":{"href":"http://www.business.com/internet-security/prepare-cyber-security-incident-response-plan/"},"children":["Prepare for the Worst: How to Create a Cyber Security Incident Response Plan"]}]},{"component":"p","children":["Most businesses will already have safeguards, but a common mistake is to rely on these safeguards too much. By being reactive, you are still at the mercy of attackers, who can find the weakest point in your system and use these to their advantage."]},{"component":"p","children":["This is why you need to develop a proactive approach, which will find potential security threats or loopholes and prevent any untoward incidents from happening in the first place. Here are five steps you can take in order to ensure better security through such a proactive approach."]},{"component":"h3","children":[{"component":"em","children":["Step 1: Inventory of Authorized Software, Devices, and Other Assets"]}]},{"component":"p","children":["Businesses that have an unprotected and accessible network are highly vulnerable to digital threats. As a company grows, it gets harder to monitor and keep track of the people and devices that could be accessing your data."]},{"component":"p","children":["One means of improving the security of your organization is to have an accurate inventory of all assets, including software and devices, and to determine a whitelist of devices that should have access to your network resources."]},{"component":"p","children":["It is also important to define the persons or departments responsible for each item. This includes devices such as smartphones, laptops, tablets, and other gadgets that can access a local network. You must also have a complete record of network addresses, machine names, and the purpose of their connection."]},{"component":"p","children":["To make sure no one gets unauthorized access to your business network, it is crucial to update and monitor your inventory in real-time. Also, enforce network access control protocols and require authentication to prevent unauthorized connections."]},{"component":"h3","children":[{"component":"em","children":["Step 2: Enforcing Security Configurations and Policies"]}]},{"component":"p","children":["Another crucial step is to proactively configure the security configurations and policies of your business network. To help you optimize your safety settings, identify the processes, data, and information systems that are most important to your company as well as who could be after them. You can tweak the configurations of operating systems and software toward more secure access, even if it sacrifices ease-of-use. Also, be sure to keep operating systems and any security software patched and updated."]},{"component":"p","children":["Management can specify company policies that focus on safeguarding your data. A common security policy is to completely prohibit new devices from being authenticated by the network, without explicit authorization by the IT department. Since employees are discouraged from bringing additional devices apart from the ones that are already being monitored, it significantly reduces the chances of unauthorized connections and makes network access exclusive to registered devices."]},{"component":"p","children":[{"component":"em","children":["Related Article:"]}," ",{"component":"Link","props":{"href":"http://www.business.com/cloud-computing/finding-comfort-in-the-cloud-resolving-security-fears-around-cloud-computing/"},"children":["Finding Comfort in the Cloud: Resolving Security Fears Around Cloud Computing"]}]},{"component":"h3","children":[{"component":"em","children":["Step 3: Training Your Personnel "]}]},{"component":"p","children":["Even with the most secure network in the world, having uninformed and uncomplying employees can still compromise the protection of your data. In addition to implementing security policies in the office, you should see to it that everyone is duly trained to keep your critical data safe."]},{"component":"p","children":["Some of the key points you should cover include changing their behavior when accessing the Internet through your business network. Employees should avoid shady links from unknown emails, habitually back up their work, stop unnecessarily downloading anything, and use strong passwords. If you are using a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to secure connections, encourage your employees to use it whenever they access the business server in public places or remote offices."]},{"component":"h3","children":[{"component":"em","children":["Step 4: Deploying Low-Footprint Defense Systems"]}]},{"component":"p","children":["Installing new security application, including firewalls, intrusion prevention systems, anti-virus, and anti-malware tools, can result in an adverse impact on the user's end. Simply deploying software may lead to suboptimal device performance, slowdowns, and even crashes."]},{"component":"p","children":["Here is where a low-footprint security software would be a good line of defense. Such applications proactively protect against targeted attacks such as ransomware. The low system requirements means that such solutions are also very easy to deploy and will have no impact on the performance of your machines."]},{"component":"p","children":["Such a solution prevents security threats without the need for detection, and it also protects essential applications from being tampered with. This includes browsers, email apps, and other software that handle sensitive data."]},{"component":"p","children":[{"component":"em","children":["Related Article:"]}," ",{"component":"Link","props":{"href":"http://www.business.com/internet-security/data-breaches-hurt-43-percent-of-businesses-in-2014-do-you-have-a-cyber-security-plan/"},"children":["Data Breaches Hurt 43% of Businesses in 2014: Do You Have a Cyber Security Plan?"]}]},{"component":"h3","children":[{"component":"em","children":["Step 5: Continuous Assessment and Quick Response Before Incidents"]}]},{"component":"p","children":["Finally, you should prioritize real-time monitoring and assessment of your secure network. Establish a routine inspection of all the vulnerabilities in your network, which will be conducted by a security specialist. In addition to security software, you should also monitor your employees and how they act to preserve the security and integrity of your business data."]},{"component":"p","children":["Remember that internal attacks performed by disgruntled employees can be considered as one of the greatest security risks for businesses. As there is no real way to fully prevent this, you should carefully monitor all network activities and be quick to respond. Be sure to track, log and audit all the activities of privileged accounts as a precaution. This will allow you to respond quickly to threats of any real damage."]}]},"resource":null,"sponsorship":null,"thumbnail":{"path":null,"caption":"Monkeybusinessimages / Getty Images","isBlurred":true},"bestPicks":null},"related":{"relatedArticles":[{"title":"Stay Secure: 5 Key Steps to Taking a Proactive Approach to IT Security","canonical":"https://www.business.com/articles/5-key-steps-toward-a-proactive-approach-to-it-security/","slug":"5-key-steps-toward-a-proactive-approach-to-it-security","thumbnail":"https://www.business.com/images/channel/technology.jpg","dek":"Despite the increasing activity of hackers and the rise of security leaks, many companies underestimate the cost of security threats.","lastModified":"2016-04-18T17:00:00Z","published":"2016-04-18T17:00:00Z","sponsored":false},{"title":"10 Common Social Engineering Tactics Used by Attackers","canonical":"https://staging.business.com/articles/10-common-social-engineering-tactics-used-by-attackers/","slug":"10-common-social-engineering-tactics-used-by-attackers","thumbnail":"https://staging.business.com/images/content/579/468c33287b1b2392b32ea/1500-0-","dek":"Learn What Social Engineering Is and How to Protect Your Business From Predators","lastModified":"2019-07-31T20:54:46Z","published":"2016-07-25T18:00:00Z","sponsored":null},{"title":"10 Common Social Engineering Tactics Used by Attackers","canonical":"https://www.business.com/articles/10-common-social-engineering-tactics-used-by-attackers/","slug":"10-common-social-engineering-tactics-used-by-attackers","thumbnail":"https://www.business.com/images/channel/technology.jpg","dek":"Learn What Social Engineering Is and How to Protect Your Business From Predators","lastModified":"2016-07-25T18:00:00Z","published":"2016-07-25T18:00:00Z","sponsored":false},{"title":"Security First: How to Keep Your Clients' Data Safe on the Cloud","canonical":"https://staging.business.com/articles/how-to-keep-clients-data-safe-on-the-cloud/","slug":"how-to-keep-clients-data-safe-on-the-cloud","thumbnail":"https://staging.business.com/images/content/573/203ba3287b11a38721979/1500-0-","dek":"The advantages of cloud computing also come with their share of high risks. Keeping client data safe has become top priority businesses.","lastModified":"2016-05-11T13:00:00Z","published":"2016-05-11T13:00:00Z","sponsored":null},{"title":"Cyber Liability Insurance: Do Businesses Really Need It?","canonical":"https://staging.business.com/articles/cyber-liability-insurance-do-businesses-really-need-it/","slug":"cyber-liability-insurance-do-businesses-really-need-it","thumbnail":"https://staging.business.com/images/content/56f/a18982f87b12a66ea3558/1500-0-","dek":"Cyber liability insurance isn't just for large corporations anymore. Small businesses can also benefit from cyber liability coverage.","lastModified":"2016-03-29T22:00:00Z","published":"2016-03-29T22:00:00Z","sponsored":null},{"title":"Information Wars: Privacy vs. National Security","canonical":"https://staging.business.com/articles/information-wars-privacy-vs-national-security-the-impacts-to-you-and-your-business/","slug":"information-wars-privacy-vs-national-security-the-impacts-to-you-and-your-business","thumbnail":"https://staging.business.com/images/content/570/670293287b1795ecd870f/1500-0-","dek":"A world where info is used for sinister ends, whether government over reach or criminal activity, is a place we just don’t want to be.","lastModified":"2017-02-22T23:59:56Z","published":"2016-04-07T16:00:00Z","sponsored":null},{"title":"Information Wars: Privacy vs. National Security","canonical":"https://www.business.com/articles/information-wars-privacy-vs-national-security-the-impacts-to-you-and-your-business/","slug":"information-wars-privacy-vs-national-security-the-impacts-to-you-and-your-business","thumbnail":"https://www.business.com/images/channel/technology.jpg","dek":"The Impact of Apple vs. the FBI to You and Your Business","lastModified":"2016-04-07T16:00:00Z","published":"2016-04-07T16:00:00Z","sponsored":false},{"title":"International Cyber Attacks Are About to Get Worse & Hollywood is Cast in a Leading Role","canonical":"https://staging.business.com/articles/international-cyber-attacks-are-about-to-get-worse-and-hollywood-is-cast-in-a-leading-role/","slug":"international-cyber-attacks-are-about-to-get-worse-and-hollywood-is-cast-in-a-leading-role","thumbnail":"https://staging.business.com/images/content/570/2ab993287b187400af5ee/1500-0-","dek":"Entertainment and tech companies are increasingly being targeted by international adversaries. Here's why, and what we can do about it.","lastModified":"2016-04-05T17:00:00Z","published":"2016-04-05T17:00:00Z","sponsored":null},{"title":"A New Way to Combat Malware: How This Startup is Revolutionizing Endpoint Protection","canonical":"https://staging.business.com/articles/a-new-way-to-combat-malware-how-this-startup-is-revolutionizing-endpoint-protection/","slug":"a-new-way-to-combat-malware-how-this-startup-is-revolutionizing-endpoint-protection","thumbnail":"https://staging.business.com/images/content/56f/ee88e2f87b14d670af58a/1500-0-","dek":"If you regularly email, browse the web or get online for any purpose, you might want to reconsider your Internet usage practices.","lastModified":"2016-04-04T19:00:00Z","published":"2016-04-04T19:00:00Z","sponsored":null},{"title":"Dutiful Data: Protecting Your Assets Requires a Balanced “Portfolio”","canonical":"https://staging.business.com/articles/protecting-your-information-assets-requires-a-balanced-portfolio/","slug":"protecting-your-information-assets-requires-a-balanced-portfolio","thumbnail":"https://staging.business.com/images/content/56d/dcdeb3087b1b40ed1cc37/1500-0-","dek":"Businesses can face these challenges with a well-planned portfolio of administrative, technical and physical safeguards to protect info.","lastModified":"2016-03-08T14:00:00Z","published":"2016-03-08T14:00:00Z","sponsored":null},{"title":"More Info, More Problems: Privacy and Security Issues in the Age of Big Data","canonical":"https://www.business.com/articles/privacy-and-security-issues-in-the-age-of-big-data/","slug":"privacy-and-security-issues-in-the-age-of-big-data","thumbnail":"https://www.business.com/images/content/5d0/edf129c658ab0228b458e/1500-0-","dek":"Organizations are predicting key solutions for big data privacy and security in the cloud.","lastModified":"2015-12-16T18:00:00Z","published":"2015-12-16T18:00:00Z","sponsored":false},{"title":"Security Breach: 4 Disturbing Stories About Getting Hacked","canonical":"https://staging.business.com/articles/security-breach-4-disturbing-stories-about-getting-hacked/","slug":"security-breach-4-disturbing-stories-about-getting-hacked","thumbnail":"https://staging.business.com/images/content/571/fb3522f87b1424ceb8fdc/1500-0-","dek":"If you aren't taking the security of your online assets seriously, then reading this article just might change your mind.","lastModified":"2017-02-22T23:59:33Z","published":"2016-04-27T18:00:00Z","sponsored":null}],"relatedReviews":[{"doc_type":"category","thumbnail":"https://staging.business.com/images/rz/5df908cc5a215e8c4a8b4568/conferencecall_Antonio_Diaz_Getty.jpg","canonical":"https://staging.business.com/categories/best-conference-call-services/","title":"The Best Conference Call Services of 2021","dek":"Which conference call service is right for your business in 2021? We review the top-rated services.","slug":"best-conference-call-services","lastModified":"2021-03-17T18:17:00Z"},{"doc_type":"category","thumbnail":"https://staging.business.com/images/rz/5e00d4787b43745d6a8b456e/Laptop_undrey_getty.jpg","canonical":"https://staging.business.com/categories/employee-monitoring-software/","title":"The Best Employee Monitoring Software of 2021","dek":"We've narrowed down the best employee monitoring software for businesses. Check out our best picks and reviews.","slug":"employee-monitoring-software","lastModified":"2021-03-05T15:40:00Z"},{"doc_type":"category","thumbnail":"https://staging.business.com/images/rz/5df905909c658a7e538b4567/Faxing_junce_Getty.jpg","canonical":"https://staging.business.com/categories/online-fax-services/","title":"The Best Online Fax Services of 2021","dek":"Online fax services are growing as more companies divest from conventional fax machines in favor of an automated, scalable and cost-effective option. Here's a look at some of the best online fax services on the market. ","slug":"online-fax-services","lastModified":"2021-03-02T16:07:00Z"}],"relatedSponsoredArticles":null}},"pageContext":{"displayModified":"2016-04-18T17:00:00.000Z","template":"legacy","title":"Stay Secure: 5 Key Steps to Taking a Proactive Approach to IT Security","meta":{"robots":"index, follow"},"docType":"articles","slug":"5-key-steps-toward-a-proactive-approach-to-it-security","canonical":"https://staging.business.com/articles/5-key-steps-toward-a-proactive-approach-to-it-security/","skipTOC":false}},"staticQueryHashes":[]}