Top 5 Network Security Tips for Small and Mid-Sized Businesses
Network security is critical for any sized business, but for small and mid-sized businesses, it is vital. As a small enterprise, your network is your greatest asset. Plus, one small breach could comprise your financial systems and client information, which can result in lost relationships with partners and decreased revenue. Not only is it important to strengthen and encrypt your network, it is also important to assess your network’s weak points and seal up any glaring vulnerabilities. In this day and age, you never can be too careful, especially when it comes to your network.
Here are the top five network security tips for small and mid-sized businesses.
Upgrade all of your systems
If your software is outdated, you want to update right away, because an older operating platform could be susceptible to a breach. If you have a dedicated IT department, you want to task them for the job, because depending on your network, there could be a few things you need to do before you upgrade. So, make sure to get all your ducks in a row and then download the newest version of whatever software your business needs.
Only task a select amount of people to administer your systems
If your network has too many administrators, there could be a big security lapse. So, the only task designated IT personnel and managers to monitor and maintain your network. The last thing you want is for the password to get into the wrong hands. If it does, your entire system could be compromised. Not only that but only having one or two administrators will make your system much more efficient and streamlined.
Hire an IT service management team
Having an IT management team on your business’ side can be incredibly ideal, especially when it comes to network security. If you want to keep your network safe from hackers and other security breaches, having the proper management can be incredibly beneficial. So, you may want to look into management services, because it could make your business’ network so much more streamlined and protected.
Assess security breaches
If you are concerned about security lapses, you want to do your best to spot them before they become a serious problem. This takes proper preventative maintenance to update your systems, but you also want to look at other flaws too. For instance, is your network encrypted? Do you have your network on a separate channel? The list goes on, so you want to do everything you can to spot vulnerabilities that could impact security.
Employ protocols
If you don’t have a protocol for network safety, you certainly should. For instance, you want to make sure that your employees don’t download risky files that could harm your system. Also, you want to make sure employees don’t open suspicious emails. All of these things will be crucial in preventing data breaches, so you may want to make these protocols a part of the training process.
