5 Network Security Pitfalls Putting You at Risk

August 6, 2018

Security is rightfully at the forefront of most business owners’ minds. There are new breaches reported on every day and no size business, from major enterprise to SMB, is safe from being targeted. There are many options for hardware and software that provide protection, but a network security policy is just as critical. Many times, though, we find that these policies are a bit lax and could be putting your investments at risk. Here are five pitfalls you may have in your network security policy.

  1. Ignoring the forest for the trees. The larger the operation, the larger the network. The larger the network, the more factors you need to consider when establishing a policy and when making changes to a policy. By incorporating a centralized solution that looks across the whole technology architecture, staff can manage all corporate policies through a single console and see the potential implications of policy changes before they are made.
  2. Creating roadblocks that create back alley traffic. Let’s say you decide to protect your network by preventing the use of 3rd party apps like DropBox or YouTube. But, your employees prefer to use these for file share and find ways to circumvent the policy to do so because they are more productive when using those apps. Now, you’ve not only hindered productivity, but you’ve created backdoors into your data that you have no control over. Be realistic in what your team needs to succeed while balancing your security needs.
  3. Locking doors but leaving windows open. You may have all the newest systems, but do you keep them up to date with upgrades and security patches? IT companies aren’t producing these updates to sell you on more product, they’re ensuring their customers stay protected by identifying and repairing weaknesses in their armor. The older a piece of hardware or software, the more likely it is that someone has figured out how to hack it.
  4. Failing to practice what you preach. If your policies are so strict that as a C-suite you find yourself occasionally circumventing them, then you need to either adjust the policy to real-world usage or adjust your behavior to align with your policy. There have been plenty of cases where we’ve found the execs as the source of the breach because they were downloading vacation pics or streaming the Final Four on their office machine.
  5. Being all bark and no bite. The Human element is often ignored here. People will act in their own self-interest if given the leeway to. Policies are half of the solution, enforcement is the other. You need to be clearly communicating policies as well as repercussions for compliance failure.

Corporate Technologies Group understands the demands of today’s communication environment and the pitfalls that security weaknesses can create. We have the expertise to examine your current infrastructure, assess your future goals, and develop a communications technology strategy that will ensure you have the strongest security foundation possible. Contact us today to see how we can help you.

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