How can small businesses balance network security and accessibility?
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Network security and accessibility are two essential aspects of any small business's IT infrastructure. However, finding the right balance between them can be challenging, especially with limited resources and expertise. In this article, we will explore some tips and best practices to help you achieve a secure and accessible network for your small business.
Before you design or upgrade your network, you need to assess your network needs and goals. What are the main functions and services that your network supports? How many users and devices do you have, and how do they access the network? What are the security risks and threats that you face, and how can you mitigate them? By answering these questions, you can determine the optimal network architecture, topology, and configuration for your small business.
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Jonathan McGlade
Network Engineer @ PeopleTec | Certified Ethical Hacker, Network Security
One thing that I've found helpful is to keep good documentation all around. In the past, this has made it so that when plans for a network upgrade were announced, I wasn't playing catchup to hunt down all of the information I needed. I like to keep a digital "living" copy of my network diagrams and include a table of inventory items like the number of clients, what operating system they're running, and other details that could be relevant for any maintenance or upgrade. Making a habit of keeping this updated throughout any more minor changes, additions, or upgrades is far easier than scrambling at the last moment.
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Rob Snijders
Manager Solutions and Security at Connectworks it professionals
For small business's it is essential to find a good balance between network security and accessibility. Start by assessing your business's security risks. Once you have a clear picture, define who needs access to your data and systems. Follow the principle of least privilege, granting only the necessary access to prevent unauthorized entry. Implement strong authentication methods, like MFA. Regularly update your software, OS, and security applications. Educate your employees about cybersecurity, teach them to recognize threats like phishing and social engineering. Regularly back up your data. Remember, security is an ongoing process, and finding the right balance is achievable and crucial for your business's long-term success.
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Abdulmujeeb Umar
Network Administrator| Information Technology Manager | IT Systems and Support Manager | Network Engineering | Firewall Management | VPN Deployment and Management | IT Infrastructure Management |
In the ever-evolving landscape of small business operations, finding the equilibrium between network security and accessibility is crucial. Drawing from my experiences, I recommend implementing secure VPNs and cloud-based solutions like Zscaler to facilitate remote access without compromising security. Employee training on cybersecurity best practices, efficient endpoint management tools such as Desktop Central, and the application of multi-factor authentication (MFA) are essential components. Regular security audits are also important to ensure a proactive and consistent approach to network accessibility. Achieving balance requires tech solutions, education, and vigilance. #CyberSecurityBalance #TechAndTraining #VigilantNetworks
One of the most important steps to balance network security and accessibility is to implement network security policies and controls. These are the rules and measures that define how your network operates, who can access it, and what they can do with it. For example, you can use firewalls, VPNs, encryption, authentication, authorization, and auditing to protect your network from unauthorized access, data breaches, and cyberattacks. You can also use network segmentation, isolation, and access control lists to limit the scope and impact of potential incidents.
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Jonathan McGlade
Network Engineer @ PeopleTec | Certified Ethical Hacker, Network Security
Implementing network security policies and controls is a multi-layered strategy that safeguards our network against unauthorized access, data breaches, and cyberattacks. Through the meticulous configuration of firewalls, the deployment of VPNs, the embrace of encryption, robust user authentication and authorization, regular audits, network segmentation, and the use of access control lists. I have created a network security framework that balances security and accessibility, which is crucial in today's digital landscape where threats are omnipresent, and data protection is paramount.
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ALABA TAIWO
FIELD SUPPORT ENGINEER at DANGOTE GROUP
Implementing network security is sacrosanct to any organization. There should be control and policy in place. There should be an implementations of restricted access to users.
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Umar Farooq
Head of IT Department at Nuchem (pvt.) Ltd.
Implement network security policies and controls Implement a robust firewall and intrusion detection/prevention system. These tools can help protect your network from external threats and alert you to any suspicious activities.
Another key factor to balance network security and accessibility is to train and educate your staff. Your staff are the first line of defense and the weakest link in your network security. Therefore, you need to make sure that they are aware of the network policies and controls, the best practices and standards, and the common threats and vulnerabilities. You can conduct regular training sessions, workshops, and simulations to teach your staff how to use the network securely and responsibly, and how to respond to incidents and emergencies.
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Jonathan McGlade
Network Engineer @ PeopleTec | Certified Ethical Hacker, Network Security
I couldn't agree more with the importance of training and educating our staff when it comes to balancing network security and accessibility. Our role plays a crucial role in safeguarding our network, but can also be the weakest link if we're not properly informed. In my experience, investing in staff training and education pays off in many ways. It not only enhances network security but also boosts the team's confidence in using the network securely. They become proactive contributors to our network's safety, making it a win-win for our business.
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ALABA TAIWO
FIELD SUPPORT ENGINEER at DANGOTE GROUP
In my experience, security of your organization start from the staffs. You need to give them a first level of training in order to avoid the story that touches.
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David Donya
IT Professional
One thing I have found helpful is for sure the need to train and educate the staff about the use of the network. If users know what to do in the network and how to do it, then there is likely an improved productivity simply because the users know how to get access to a service and securely. this will help cut down cost on addition of more security control mechanism. It can also be a risk (Operational risk), when we harden our systems, but the users can't use them correctly simply because they don't have the capacity.
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Finally, you need to monitor and update your network regularly to maintain its security and accessibility. You can use network monitoring tools and software to track the performance, availability, and activity of your network, and to detect and resolve any issues or anomalies. You can also use network update tools and software to apply the latest patches, fixes, and upgrades to your network devices and software, and to ensure that they are compatible and compliant with the network policies and controls.
Balancing network security and accessibility is not a one-time task, but an ongoing process that requires planning, implementation, evaluation, and improvement. By following these tips and best practices, you can create a secure and accessible network for your small business that supports your operations, goals, and growth.
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Jonathan McGlade
Network Engineer @ PeopleTec | Certified Ethical Hacker, Network Security
Regular monitoring and updates for network security and accessibility are essential for our small business. It's a continuous effort that ensures our network remains robust and reliable. By regularly monitoring and updating our network, we maintain a secure and accessible environment for our small business. This ongoing process is an investment in the reliability of our network, supporting our day-to-day operations, long-term goals, and future growth. It's not just a one-and-done effort; it's a commitment to keeping our network resilient and up to date in the ever-changing digital world.
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ALABA TAIWO
FIELD SUPPORT ENGINEER at DANGOTE GROUP
One of the very important and crucial aspect of networking is monitoring and updating your network, this prevent you against internal or external attack or downtime of the network.
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Ken Arender
CompTIA A+ Network + I Project and Program Management I Agile I Incident Management I Service Delivery I Army Veteran
Backup and recovery system must be in place to guard against loss of organizational data and information. Establish recovery check points.
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SIMEON NSABIYUMVA
MSc ICT, University of Rwanda || I research, design, code, and teach. I Connect things (Networks).
A well planned backup and recovery system should be in place to mitigate against loss of important organisational data and information.
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Moses Mnawe MSc (ITM), BSc (CIS), ITIL ,PMP, Prince2
DIRECTOR OF INFORMATION COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY AT BUSINESS REGISTRATION SERVICE KE
Always ensure your next gen firewall or Layer 3 infra as well as intrusion preventive system are always updated from the global threat repository. Equally all data back ups both onprem and off prem are regularly tested as per your ICT guidelines and policy.During the test establish the data restoration turn around time as this will work as your baseline ICT service charter.
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ALABA TAIWO
FIELD SUPPORT ENGINEER at DANGOTE GROUP
When you leave the security of the network to a group of network guys alone can absolutely have a negative effect on the organization.