Why You Need a Robust Small Business Network Security

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D O Y O U O W N A S M A L L
B U S I N E S S ?
THE IMPORTANCE OF ROBUST NETWORK SECURITY IN
SMALL BUSINESS With the rapid advance of
computer science in the 21st century, network
security has never been more important for small
business.
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WHY SHOULD YOU CARE?
Because business owners rely on technology to
store and process data, a breach or failure of
small business network security can be costly.
For a business owner, a robust network should
minimize the risk of lost sales, service, or
data without sacrificing an unreasonable amount
of time and resources for security.
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WHY CRIMINALS BREACH NETWORKS

• Its important to understand why computer
  criminals attempt to breach networks. Stealing
  credit card, bank, or payment information is
  common, but what about incidents that dont
  directly concern monetary loss? Customer data,
  trade secrets, proprietary information and
  processes are all valuable to the right buyer,
  and hackers can steal information more easily
  than they can steal bank deposits.

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EVERY BUSINESS HAS A RESPONSIBILITY TO ITS
CUSTOMERS, EMPLOYEES, AND SHAREHOLDERS TO
OPERATE EFFICIENTLY AND ETHICALLY. THIS
INCLUDES INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND NETWORK
SECURITY.
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HOW DO THEY DO IT
How networks are breached and what we can do to
prevent it from happening.
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Hackers will test each link in a network for
weaknesses and exploit openings that can lead to
the information they need. Its important that
every part of a computer network is secured, and
that they are isolated enough from each other
so that one compromised computer does not bring
down the rest. To target a computer on a
network, a hacker may try to trick a user into
downloading and running a program. The program
or virus will usually embed itself deep into the
file system, hiding traces of its activity while
manipulating and sending data.
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Because computer users are becoming savvier,
hackers will try different methods to get users
to download corrupted files. To protect your
business, it is important not to download and
open programs or documents from untrustworthy
sources. Be wary of IT professionals or
individuals who call you and ask you to perform
tasks on your computer. Put in place a process
to educate and inform employees. For questions
or assistance, speak to a consultant.
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WHAT IS SOCIAL ENGINEERING?
A social engineer uses deceit and fraud to
obtain information such as passwords, trade
secrets, or proprietary information.
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They will often use uniforms, jargon, or
interpersonal skills to establish rapport or
authority. An example would be a phone call from
a social engineer pretending to be a Microsoft
customer service agent. They would attempt to
convince you that you need their assistance and
guide you into installing software that actually
harms your computer and network. Social
engineering attempts to take advantage of
personnel, so the best defense is education and
established information handling procedures.
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WONT MY FIREWALL PROTECT ME?
Firewalls can help protect your data if your
network is compromised and it guards your
computers from attacks by hackers.
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A firewall is similar to a border, it allows
entrance and exits only at certain points, at
certain times, following certain rules. Having
a properly configured firewall will stop outside
computers from attempting to access yours and it
will also prevent your computer from sending
data to hackers if you download a virus.
Unfortunately, as viruses become more advanced,
many of them can disable or reconfigure the
firewall. Most devices have a firewall provided
by default, but if a user downloads a virus it
will be of little use.
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SHOULD I BUY ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE?
Anti-virus software can be a great way to
continually monitor your system for new threats
and keep your network secure.
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Good anti-virus software will not be intrusive
or slow down your computer by hogging resources.
It should be kept up to date to scan for the
latest viruses and scans should be performed
regularly. Anti-virus software can also remove
viruses, including harmful programs from your
computer, and there are many to choose from. Not
all anti-virus software costs money, but be wary
of downloading any software that is not from a
reputable source.
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BEST PRACTICES
Although network security is a complex topic
with industry experts, simple maintenance and
common sense can protect you from most threats
to your network.
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Keep your computer up-to-date with all security
patches and updates from the manufacturer. This
is extremely important because software
providers such as Microsoft, Apple, Google,
Mozilla, and others find vulnerabilities within
software and fix them, expecting users to update
their software to minimize risk. Never download
or open files from a suspicious origin. That
includes applications, programs and especially
office documents or PDFs. If someone sends you a
file that you do not trust, you can often scan
it with anti-virus software before you open it.
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Websites that ask you to download and run
strange software can sometimes be untrustworthy.
A quick search, using a search engine like Bing
can help you find out if other users have had a
negative experience. HOW STRONG IS YOUR SMALL
BUSINESS NETWORK SECURITY? Network security is
complex but the best practices are simple.
Educate your employees and work with an expert
to craft safety procedures. Make sure that your
computer, antivirus, and all software is up to
date. Follow these simple tips and you might
save your business from thousands of dollars in
lost productivity, sales, and service.
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RESPONSIVE AND RELIABLE CONSULTING
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