What Network Security Solutions Protect
Against
Your computer network is the basic parts of
your computer, such as Internet and wires that allow you to connect with
others, either online or via another type of connection. In terms of businesses,
the network is what lets you share information with coworkers without having to
physically transfer the data via a USB drive or email it.
The problem is that sometimes outside threats
will find a way to get into your network when it isn’t secured. They can then
get information about your accounts, team members, clients, inventory, or
future plans. Some of the most popular threats to your network’s security
include identify theft, data theft and interception, hacker attacks, zero-hour
attacks, adware, spyware, Trojan horses, and viruses.
No matter how large or small your network is,
you will need to have some network security solutions in place. Although even
personal computers are at risk, those who need to be the most concerned about
network security are those that store crucial information, such as banks, stock
traders, and government agencies. Realistically, however, any company that
stores clients’ personal information (especially account numbers or other
deeply personal information) should take advantage of these solutions.
Building Layers of Security
Each of these threats will create a different
type of attack, and therefore whatever network security solution you develop
will need to work on multiple levels. Each layer of security within your
solution will protect against a different threat. A simple anti-virus program,
for example, may protect your network from viruses or Trojan horses, but you
will need a more complicated system, including passwords and encryption, to
provide security against hackers or data interception.
The key to creating your network security
solutions is to understand what type of software or coding is needed to protect
against each individual threat. You can then combine all of these features to
ensure that your network is completely secure.
The Most Common Solutions
In the
realm of security solutions for your network, there are simple options that
anyone can easily understand as well as more complicated ones. Some of the
simplest include anti-spyware and anti-virus programs. Almost everyone with a
personal computer will have these programs installed on their device, and they
are fairly straightforward. You will also need a firewall, which will block
those without authorization from accessing your network. This is the first step
in preventing them from gathering information, as they cannot do so without
accessing the network.
While
those two solutions can usually be enough for most personal computers with a
small network and little sharing of information, businesses need more.
Intrusion Prevention Systems (IPS) are designed to detect and then block
attacks before they do any damage. Virtual
Private Networks (VPNs) are essential for businesses where team
members need remote access. These VPNs ensure that the remote access is secure,
greatly limiting the number of threats and making VPNs an important part of
network security solutions.
Selecting Passwords
At
their most basic level, passwords are one of the simplest measures of
protection against hackers and other security threats. The ideal is to create a
password that is impossible (or near impossible) to guess. Any company looking
to upgrade its network security solutions should begin by making sure that all
passwords are hard to guess. They should ideally include a combination of
capital and lower case letters, numbers, and non-alphanumeric symbols. To make
passwords better, they should be longer and use random or made-up words instead
of easy to guess words, such as the company’s or individual’s name. As the
person in charge of security for a company, you should also have the passwords
set to expire within a short period of time to increase security.