Many entrepreneurs believe that having a home-based network is enough to fulfill their business needs. They have their basic internet package from their wireless package, a smartphone with data for emergencies, and their laptop. However, entrepreneurs and anyone who operates out of a home-based network should familiarize themselves with network security.
Network security is important, especially if you are handling sensitive data like financial data and credit card details from your customers and clients. One of your technological priorities as an entrepreneur should be to beef up your network as much as possible.
5 Ways to Improve the Network Security
Third Party Applications
Third-party applications like desktop work applications and mobile apps can access your information if you let them. When downloading and using any application that did not come with your computer’s embedded operating system, be very careful about the permissions you give out to these applications. You may be allowing them to access things they should not.
This is a very simple way to improve the security of your network that, unfortunately, not a lot of people do this. However, such a tip is great for preventing a potential issue with your network.
Access Control
You should sparingly hand out privileges on your business network and only hand them out to people who need them. This means that you should not share your network password with friends, that you should not provide administrative accounts to all employees and that you should regularly inspect accounts and connections to make sure you were the one who initialized them.
Access control is one of the simplest, and most effective, ways to protect your business data from prying eyes.
Malware Software and Antivirus Software
Running regular scans of your network and ensuring that no malicious programs or files are running on them is essential. Any computer that can access the internet, or be accessed physically, can potentially be hacked. You should run scans to ensure that no one else can access or control your computer or data. Run a scan at least weekly with a few different software’s to provide a multi-faceted approach to malware and virus detection on your computer.
Firewalls
While you do not need to invest in a physical firewall to block unauthorized or unwarranted access to your devices, you should at least install a virtual firewall, which is a software program. After you set the firewall’s rules when it comes to access control, the firewall will monitor incoming connections and ensure that your set rules are followed.
Some computers, like Apple Macbooks, have built-in firewall protection, which you can access via the Systems Preferences program located on your Dock. However, for non-Apple computers, accessing the software firewall may be a bit more difficult since Apple computers are created to be super user-friendly. Be sure to consult with your user manual to learn how to turn on your firewall and set your desired settings.
Lock up Important Devices
Physical security is important to preventing people from accessing your data physically. Creating physical protections can mean locking the door to your office, turning off the Wi-Fi when you close up your shop for the night, or stashing your server in a locked cabinet or locker. There are many ways that you can lock up your important devices so that only people authorized to access them can.
All you need to do after locking up these devices is providing authorized people with their own tagged keys. It is even better if authorized people need to sign out and sign in their keys so you know who accessed your devices.
Network security is just one of the services offered by Cisco as part of their Cisco Network Consulting and Support Services. Other services include routing and switching LAN/WAN, wireless, and IP telephony and VoIP. For more information to secure your network, contact Netcon Solutions in Toronto and the GTA today. The quickest way to contact us is through our website, but for a more personalized experience, we recommend that you visit us in-store.