An Essential Network Security Checklist for Businesses

56% of organizations in the UK, including businesses and charities, experienced data breaches in the last 12 months. As data gets compromised, companies incur losses and face reputational damage. Technology will only continue to improve, and with those advancements come more risks.

That’s why it’s essential to implement an inclusive network security strategy. Network security protects accessibility, confidentiality, and integrity. It ensures the safety of data by using layers of defences.

Not sure where to start? Here’s a network security checklist to set you up for success.

Antivirus and Anti-Malware

Installing antivirus and anti-malware software on all network devices is non-negotiable. These protect you, your business, and your data from malware or unauthorized programs.

Cyber attackers can plant malicious software in your system. From viruses to worms, these can corrupt data and damage systems. They may do this for financial gain, disrupt operations, or political discord.

To avoid these problems, install antivirus and anti-malware software. Your business data can get an extra layer of protection from malicious software. An antivirus deletes suspicious code, and anti-malware scans files to find issues.

With this, find reputable, effective antivirus and anti-malware software to protect your business.

Install and Configure Firewalls

Is there a significant amount of data moving across your business network?

Dependent on activities and behaviour, network traffic drives the performance of a system. It provides insights to help improve network performance or security problems.

However, fluctuating traffic can affect service quality. High network traffic slows down the connection speed, leading to poor network performance. In some cases, this incident indicates a sign of a cyberattack.

To establish a strong defence against cyber threats, install and configure firewalls. A network firewall is a barrier between the internal and external networks.

It monitors and filters incoming and outgoing traffic, limiting passage to authorized data. For businesses, this is essential in preventing cyberattacks, data breaches, and unauthorized access. Moreover, it allows businesses to create network policies and secure computing environments.

Data Loss Prevention

In bring-your-own-device environments, applying data loss prevention (DLP) policies is crucial. Despite the convenience, these increase the risks of data breaches. As a business, how can you protect business data and maintain its integrity?

With DLP systems, you can make real-time monitoring and control over data transfers. They prevent accidental or intentional data leaks. Aside from breaches, DLP software can reduce the risk of reputational damage and regulatory penalties.

It allows you to enforce policies and classify data. It protects intellectual property, customer data, and proprietary information. This helps you secure your competitive advantage and reputation in the marketplace.

Data Protection and Encryption

In network security, data protection strategies consist of policies, access controls, and security measures. Their implementation prevents illegal access, data breaches, and leaks. On the other end, encryption is encoding data to ciphertext.

To gain data access, using an encryption key is necessary.

Applying these helps you follow regulations, maintain customer trust, and protect assets. It also reduces the risk of legal and financial consequences resulting from breaches. With this, how do you put data protection and encryption in place?

First, classify data based on its sensitivity level. Ensure enforcement of apt security controls on each classification. Next, encrypt sensitive data using robust algorithms and secure management practices.

Always back up critical data and create a comprehensive disaster recovery plan.

Software Patches

Although necessary, many businesses fail to install software patches in their network. They play a vital role in improving network security by updating operating systems. Failing to apply patches can result in vulnerabilities or bugs.

It exposes organizations to a wide range of threats. For threat actors, vulnerable software is an easy target.

How does patching enhance business network security? It reduces the risk of cyber threats and maintains system integrity. Further, it improves the performance and stability of software and systems.

Regular patch management is vital to your protection. Doing so ensures the network’s resilience against cyber threats.

Secure Wireless Networks

Like other underlying threats, an unsecured wireless network puts your security at risk. It exposes your business data to different dangers. Although convenient, an unsecured wireless network is an entrance for threat actors.

To prevent cyber problems, enhance and strengthen wireless network security.
Start by changing the connection default settings, as they are often insecure.

Next, use WPA2 or WPA3 encryption to ensure the security of data moving across the network. Then, use strong passwords to guarantee authorized access.

Conduct Regular Security Audits

Developing a solid network security plan isn’t a one-and-done process. Your organization must also conduct regular security audits.

Conducting regular security audits on networks is necessary to help you identify vulnerabilities and weaknesses. Moreover, you can assess the effectiveness of existing security measures. You can check if they are up-to-date and apt for evolving threats and regulations.

Apart from protection, it prevents expensive costs resulting from such incidents. You can test weaknesses and breaches and act before they take place. Security audits also help you maintain customer trust and business reputation.

Conduct regular security audits to fine-tune your defences. Doing so allows you to act on surfacing threats on time.

Train Workforce in Protecting Data

Among all cybersecurity mistakes, failing to train your workforce is one of the worst. Applying strong network security is useless if the people using it lack knowledge. With this, develop a training program about data protection and network security.

Ensure your end-users are aware of the impact of security breaches. Let them know their roles and responsibilities in protecting business and client data. It would also be best to educate them on defending themselves against cyber threats and threat actors.

Protect Your Business: A Network Security Checklist

Prioritizing security to protect your data, operations, and reputation is crucial for businesses. With a network security checklist, you can establish strong security. In the digital age, preparedness against incidents is key to maintaining business continuity.

Are you interested in enhancing your data security yet do not know where to start? Servicad can help you bridge the gaps in your defence through various network solutions. Contact us here to find out how we can help you improve your security system.