4 Ways to Increase Network Security for Your Business

4 Ways to Increase Network Security for Your Business

Your business is an investment you just can’t afford to lose. And considering the various threats to network security today, it’s only proper to work towards improving your business’ security online.

Even if you are starting off with minimal resources, network security is something you just can’t call an easily negligible thing. After all, security ensures your business’ continued existence. Not doing enough to improve it with each new threat that comes along will only hasten a catastrophe.

That being said, network security doesn’t have to be a tedious and complex thing to handle. One thing’s for sure, it provides a way forward for your business. It’s only a matter of applying the right approaches that can help in strengthening your business’ security against data breaches and other threats. 

  1. Set up a network admin team

A network security team can work towards overseeing your entry points and ensuring access to your network is properly facilitated. Think of its members as “bouncers” who protect your establishment from individuals with shady dealings.

When setting up your network security team, it’s important to have an internal security policy beforehand as this will guide the team in oversight and enforcement. You will also need to hire the right individuals for such a team. For good measure, opt for IT professionals with a background in cybersecurity. A network administrator and an information security officer with these credentials will be your best assets. 

  1. Draft a contingency plan

You should be ready for anything that might disrupt your business operations. From cyber threats to natural disasters, it’s always important to have a contingency plan at the ready to keep your business running smoothly.

A contingency plan will provide guidelines on what you and your staff should do to secure continuity. It should also outline the need for backup storage, whether digital and physical. This will allow you to recover the data you need to start rebuilding what you have lost. 

  1. Beef up your network

Your network may be prone to cyber attacks without you knowing. What’s more, your competitors, individuals, and even other organizations can take advantage of your network’s weakness to gain valuable information about your company, its people, and the resources it handles. To strengthen your network against these actors, you will need to implement VPN or virtual private network.

But what is VPN? It sure isn’t a specialized word IT professionals use to confuse other people. VPN is actually a shield that prevents external threats from obtaining sensitive data across your network. With VPN, you are able to browse anonymously and protect your files as they are being transferred from one location to another, among other benefits. 

  1. Promote security among your employees

Security is never the responsibility of a few. Rather, it must involve everyone within an organization. That being said, you will need to set security standards that should guide your employees and penalize actions that are in breach of your security policies.

For this, you can update your company’s employee handbook and contracts to include provisions on data security. You can also have your staff undergo regular training and seminars on understanding new security threats, trends, and innovations.