How To Secure Your Business Network

Threats to internet security increase every day and unfortunately, we can no longer sit and think that it won’t happen to us, because it can. Threats are ever present, and we need to make sure that our business network is safe and secure. If you aren’t sure where to start when it comes to securing your business network, don’t worry, we can help. Here are the best tips to get you started on making your network more secure.

Get A Security Overview

These are also known as network audits, you can bring in a professional to do these and they are worth the money, especially if you aren’t sure how to secure your network. A network audit will show you where your vulnerabilities lie and give you proactive steps as to how you can manage them. There is little point in shoring up your network if you aren’t sure where its weaknesses are.

Pay For A VPN

When it comes to a stable, secure and responsive VPN you need to outlay money. A VPN is a virtual private network that shields your activities from prying eyes. They are the entry level into making your network more secure and should be taken seriously. If you have workers that work from cafes or other locations with public Wi-Fi, you want to make sure that no one can see what they are doing and for this, you need a VPN.

Anti Virus Software

We’re so used to hearing that if you have a Mac that you don’t need anti virus software. This isn’t the case at all, it just happens that Mac are harder to put viruses onto, but that doesn’t mean that they’re immune. Make sure that all business computers and laptops have a good anti virus package installed. This vastly reduces the risk of any of your computers being infected. If you are using Windows based computers, make sure you also install anti-spy wear. This makes sure that your actions can’t be watched by malicious software as the anti-spy wear will pick it up and block it. There are an array of anti virus packages on the market, but look for recommended options from VSS monitoring, as they provide excellent insight and expertise in this area.

Change Names

We’re going to assume that you have a wireless network in your business, as that is pretty much standard practice now. When it comes to securing your network, one of the easiest and fastest ways to do it is by changing your service set identifier (SSID). This is the name that your wireless router brings up, so you want to make it as bland as possible. This way, if there is anyone attempting to break into your system, or another system that is close by, they won’t be able to work out whose router belongs to who. Chose a common name such as WIFI, network or even router. You don’t want anything such as 1^st floor connection as someone will be able to work out which business occupies that floor.

Password Updates

These will inevitably send your staff mad, but it needs to be done and we are all guilty of not doing it with our own passwords. Make sure all your passwords are updated every quarter at least. Some companies even go as far as changing their Wi-Fi password on a weekly basis. There is a fine line between changing your passwords enough and changing them too much. For employee passwords, once a month is usually enough to limit confusion and the calls to IT asking for a password reset. Remind employees not to use their date of birth or any other obvious passwords, as these can be easily hacked.

Final Thoughts

When it comes to securing your business network, it really isn’t as difficult as it first seems. In order to protect your system, you will need to know where your vulnerabilities lie, so make sure you conduct an audit prior to starting, or you are heading in blind. Small subtle changes really will make the world of difference to how secure your network is. Change network names to common and uninteresting ones, make sure passwords are changed regularly. Once you have this practices in place, look for a good VPN provider that can keep your network safe and secure and a good anti-virus package that will keep your information safe. It doesn’t matter if your office all uses Apple products, they can also be infected, so make sure you don’t skip this step. With just a few small changes, your business network will be more secure than ever before.