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Trends Technology: 10 Keys to Network Security -- Is Your Business Protected?

In 2017, most business leaders are aware that cybercrime is quickly becoming its own industry. Hackers are becoming ever-more insidious and convincing. From ransomware to phishing emails, to data breaches and everything in between, businesses can easily receive an attack on all fronts. Consider these alarming statistics to put it into perspective:

1. There were 4,000 ransomware attacks every day in 2016. (WatchpointData)

2. There was a 250% surge in phishing campaigns from 2015 to 2016. (WatchpointData)

3. More than 950,000 records containing sensitive information were compromised in the first 3 months of 2017 alone. (privacyrights.org)

So, how can you ensure your business doesn’t fall prey to cybercrime? The answer is simple: multi-layered security. It is no secret that the best approach to IT security is a multi-layered one. No one security tactic is a catch-all solution. What gets tricky, however, is deploying the right security solution with the right number of layers, and then continuously updating it as time goes on and new technologies emerge.

No matter your industry or your company size, the following components are essential to your security profile. If you don’t have these layers in place, consider working with a managed services provider to implement a strong security strategy that aligns with your overall technology goals and the vision you have for your organization’s future.

The components of secure and reliable IT:

1. Email anti-spam filtering – protects users from phishing, weaponized macros, ransomware, and more.

2. Antivirus software – protects endpoints and servers and quarantines Malware/Spyware from most sources.

3. Perimeter Security Firewalls – blocks unauthorized inbound and outbound access to and from your network, preventing intruders from accessing your systems and data.

4. Data Backup & Disaster Recovery (BDR) – protects your business’ data and saves time and money should you ever need to restore it or part of your network.

5. Patch management – ensures all aspects of your infrastructure are kept “best practice” for security.

6. Web filtering – blocks access to sites that could contain malicious code or links.

7. Email / file encryption – prevents hackers from being able to read emails or data if they manage to obtain it.

8. Strong password policy – makes sure employees have dynamic passwords that are hard to crack. Requiring updates every 90 days adds more protection. Don’t use the same password for everything and make sure it includes special characters.

9. Two-factor authentication – dramatically reduces the likelihood that a hacker can log into a remote desktop system.

10. Security awareness training – prepares employees to identify and avoid threats, adding the most critical layer to your security profile.

To find out if your business network is secure and reliable, visit apogeeITservices.com for a free Omniscan network assessment.