Drastically Improve Security By Testing Your Network and Team

If your business doesn’t have an internal IT department, chances are that this deficit is a major pain point. Even if you do have internal IT, relying on them to handle the implementation of new solutions, as well as the maintenance of existing systems, is troublesome and difficult. When your team is overloaded, their work performance may suffer, and issues can slip through the cracks.

Of course, the best way to know how threats can slip through is by using a process known as “penetration testing.” This is where we test your network for any potential outlets that can be used by hackers to infiltrate and attack your network. This includes testing your workstations and servers to check if they’re up-to-date, as well as mobile device activity on your network. If you don’t take advantage of penetration testing, you need to, as it’s a major part of keeping your network safe from external and internal threats.

Penetration Testing Means More than You Think
Network security might be great for keeping out external threats, but it often ignores the potential of internal problems, like end-users. If users accidentally hand over credentials, or download a malicious file off the Internet, they could unknowingly infect the network with dangerous viruses or malware, and if phishing attacks are involved, ransomware could become an issue. A particularly nasty strain called CryptoWall is capable of encrypting your entire infrastructure if left unchecked. Therefore, you need to prevent infections in the first place, and keep data backups handy.

The fact remains that these situations can, and should, be prevented through proactive security measures and employee education of best practices. For example, you can make many security best-practices second nature by asking common-sense questions with regular quizzing about potential threats. Be sure to emphasize the importance of data security and make it a part of your company’s culture.

Prepare for Potential Issues
One of the best ways to preserve your business’s future is to look at potential scenarios, and how your business can react to them. You should put together emergency management plans to assist with the handling of specific scenarios. Here are just a few examples of some situations you’ll need to prepare for:

• Hacking attacks
• Insider threats
• Data loss
• Natural disasters
• Hardware failure
• Other downtime-causing situations

Can your business deal with the most dangerous threats online and within your network? You need to take steps today to mitigate disasters. To learn more, give us a call at (703) 821-8200.