Is your small business IT secure? Lock down your networkIs Your Small Business IT Secure? Almost every small business uses a computer in one form or another; they have become an integral part of our business life and very often cannot function without them. Very often, we begin our business with one or two computers. As we grow we add printers, servers and more computers. We need to connect them together to share files and printers and a so we create a local area network (LAN). It is inevitable that we want to connect to the Internet for one reason or another with modems and routers. Unfortunately improved computer technology comes with the serious threats of viruses, worms and hackers. Serious threats have equally serious consequences if the right safeguards are not in place. In many cases, small business owners have not taken measures to protect their assets or safeguard the security of their clients. This may be due to limited resources on the part of the small business owner but it is more likely to be because the small business owner does not know what steps they should take or even where they should begin. As small business owners, we tend to put all of our efforts into producing and marketing our products and services which leaves very little time to learn new skills or keep abreast of current technology. That means that our ‘technology solutions’ fall by the wayside leaving us vulnerable. Lock it down
Do your desktop computers have antivirus software installed, is Windows Firewall turned on and are you running automatic updates? Virus and malware protection should be running by default. Perimeter firewalls on your router and local firewalls on your computer should be active at all times. It your router fully optimized and locked down or are you using default settings? A router is your first line of defense and has many ways that you can keep it secure and even invisible to the outside world. Unnecessary ports must be disabled for added security. Virtual ports are the access for data traffic. Different traffic protocols use different ports. Unscrupulous hackers are constantly looking for open ports with constantly running programs that are always searching for a way in. Open ports are an easy entry for worms and Trojans. Lock them down. You do not have time to keep up to date with virus, malware and spam protection so let your system do it for you with automatic updates. How often do you perform incremental backups? Backups should be performed at least on a daily basis. Incremental backups include all data that has changed since the last backup. It is as secure, faster and uses less storage than performing a full backup. Incremental backups should be stored offsite and be part of your disaster recovery and business continuity solutions. If you have a server to store your applications and data files it is also possible that it is in the same room as your office and any backups that have been performed are sitting right next to it. Servers and their data need to be safe guarded. Keeping them all housed together is a great security risk. Fire, water damage or theft can wipe out your business in an instant. Servers should be in a separate, locked but well ventilated room and should never be used as a workstation. Backups should be stored offsite and be quickly and easily accessible if you have to move location. Security privileges
Practice least privilege throughout your company particularly with servers and network access. Give permissions to those who need them to do their job and only to the level necessary to do the job and no more. All too often, everyone has administrator access whether they know how to use it or not. If you do not have administrative procedures in place or if they are not stringent enough, any measures you may have taken to safeguard your business will be jeopardized by users, albeit unintentionally. If you started a process of updating your software and virus protection and installing a firewall, you’ve already made a significant investment of time, effort, and money. Unfortunately, users downloading unauthorized software or not staying current on patches and updates will unwittingly reverse the changes you’ve implemented by introducing new risks. Manage Computers from a Server
Probably the best solution is to manage desktop computers and laptops from your server. This approach will reduce the risk of your security violations can also represent a significant savings in time and money because of the efficiencies you gain, such as: • Regular and timely updates
• Specific configurations
• Higher security
• Monitoring of service and access
• Scheduling of services and backups Without the luxury of a dedicated technology staff, small businesses are turning to consultants to determine the necessary security solutions for our individual needs. Using a consultancy such as Netpros is an option that many companies will use. No matter how large or how small your business, contact Netpros to discuss your data security needs.
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