Starting the year with a goal such as reducing business risks or improving your organization’s safety and performance can be one of the most effective strategies to increase your company’s productivity. Business security is an aspect that cannot be compromised at any cost, as if neglected at any point in time, it can lead a company to bear heavy losses that can be really hard to cope with.
So here we are sharing some of the best practices and strategies that have helped many companies stay on top of risk prevention, and we hope it works well for all businesses that haven’t implemented these tips yet.
#1 Restrict Internal Services by IP addresses
Protecting your network and internal services is one of the most important security strategies for the success of your company. It is important that you keep connections to infrastructure and private digital assets restricted to safeguard the integrity of your business.
You don’t want an unknown to get access to your business assets, do you? To achieve this, implement bounce hosts such as VPCs or VPNs. In this way, access to your management interfaces, databases, or even hosted CIs is secure.
#2 Network Segmentation
Make your network structure opaque and that which is invisible to hackers or cybercriminals. For that, there are actions that should be taken as prevention in case of an attack. To reduce the risk of being hacked, limit the visibility of your network. Divide it into subnets to create different segments. By managing the network in segments, you will have better control of what happens in each and every one of them.
Thus, in the event of being the victim of an attack, the segment with the problem can be quarantined to prevent the entire network from being damaged.
Remember, the goal is to make life miserable for all those web hackers and malicious actors who want to have fun with your systems. To make it even more difficult for them, we suggest you implement VLANs so that the structure of your network is only visible locally.
This will get attackers in trouble, as they will have to struggle to crack a non-visible network infrastructure, thus forcing them to do rework and allowing you to get relaxed with business network security.
#3 Implement a Firewall
It’s time to talk about firewalls. Surely this is not the first time you have heard this term, but what exactly is a firewall?
Well, they are the beautiful programs that make the difference between a server that works properly and one that is down. They are designed to protect internal networks from unauthorized external access and attack attempts.
Moreover, they prove their worth when they are customized as per the business requirements; otherwise, they can be less useful and lead to wastage of resources. That is why it is highly recommended for IT professionals to take the time to configure them carefully as needed.
#4 Protect your Critical Services
Whicheversoftware systems or applications you use, you must check for their security features that can help and support the business at the time of an unforeseen situation.
Although these platforms have their own security filters, it is important not to trust them 100%. A single loophole in the app or software can tend to become an easier target for attackers. Someone can find your location with your IP address, which can reveal your address.
Ensure that the access to the software systems is highly restricted and their authentication is highly ensured with hefty password management. Also, make sure to update everything regularly. In most cases, they also release vulnerability fixes and add new features that might include updated security measures.
If you have default passwords and logins, update them. And, if you have any software, service, or platform with a pending update, don’t delay doing the needful.
#5 Do a Risk Analysis
Knowing exactly what hazards are in each work area is the first step in developing a security action plan for your business.
Where are the risks present?
What are the main undertakings employees need to pay attention to from a security point of view?
How can mitigation techniques be used in diverse vulnerable situations?
These questions can be a starting point for strengthening the wall of business security, which will not only have to identify possible threats but also calculate their impact and determine a corrective action within a favorable time range.
Carrying out a risk analysis in the hands of a security specialist will allow you to establish the necessary prevention, containment, and protection measures.
#6 Offer Adequate Training
Allocating time during the day to give workshops or conferences focused on safety/security issues that employees or the company may face allows employees to learn about the threats to their work.
“Employee protection and business security are both accomplished from a joint effort based on good practices and always advocating a culture of prevention.”
Whether its is related to physical safety or work security, dedicated training seminars must be conducted with the organizations periodically to keep a business security-proof.
Good training would be made up of the knowledge of the signage to be used, the protocols to be applied, and the maintenance of the business security plan, and of course, the addition of new techniques to keep business and employee security intact.
