More businesses than ever are depending on their network for their most important business operations. With that in mind, it’s vital that there are enough measures of security and protection taken by companies to ensure prevention of any unauthorized access to their network. A company’s network security is comprised of hardware, software, policies and procedures that are designed to defend against both internal and external threats to your company’s computer systems. Employing security measures are necessary to protect company files, online accounts and user privacy.

Below are four tips for improving network security within your small business: 

Keep your programs up-to-date. Be sure to update your third-party programs when prompted, and if programs don’t offer a reminder, routinely check for updates. These updates often deliver critical security patches behind the scenes as well.

 

 

 

Use strong(er) passwords. All network devices, from routers to NAS drives to printers, etc., should be configured with strong (or stronger) passwords. A strong password should contain at least eight characters, with mixed-case letters, numbers and, and no proper names or dictionary-based words. Companies should also enforce a change password policy, requiring users to change their password on a monthly basis.

Inbound and outbound filtering. Deploy an email filtering solution that can filter both inbound and outbound messages to protect your users and your customers.

Install an anti-virus program and use a firewall. Your first line of defense against viruses, malware, spyware and adware, as well as hackers, is installing and continually updating a good anti-virus software program. The key is installing the anti-virus software on every computer to properly block attacks from outsiders.

The need to secure your network is more imperative than ever.  Contact ThrottleNet to learn more about our bulletproof network security solutions and other IT-related services that can improve company efficiency.