The best place to start in securing your network and your data is to understand the network. Know your environment, know your workflow, and know your logical points of entry. When keeping these factors in mind, create an overlap between protective measures.
Physical Security
Fences, Locks on doors, alarm systems, cameras, and flood/fire protection belong here. There are many aspects to consider based on your needs and environment.
Digital Security
This is a lofty topic, but the ultimate goal is to protect data in transit and protect data at rest. Basic measures alone, such as a firewall and a password, fail to provide much security in a modern borderless network.
Network Layer: According to the 2024 Verizon Data Breach Investigation Report, network denial of service attacks have shown a pattern increase over the past two years. Use Gateway Antivirus, Gateway IPS, email filters, deep packet inspection firewalls, web filters, and application control as a network protection layer. Do not neglect this, as it is the first line of defense against cyber attacks on your network resources. A Unified Threat Management Appliance (UTM Appliance) should provide many of these features to secure your digital entry points. Don’t forget the website. Harden the code and implement a web application firewall (WAF).
Application Layer: Software firewalls, software antivirus, and passwords are all designed to help protect information and user accountability.
Control Access: Limit departments or user access. An intern doesn’t need access to payroll, nor does a vendor who is using Wi-Fi as they pitch a product. Access rights, VLANS, guest isolation, wireless security, and authentication are all things that should be considered to protect information and the flow of it. In a world with cloud-based applications, controlling access to cloud resources is vital. Don’t forget to keep inventory of these and integrations between resources. Cloud security falls into the gaps for many businesses.
Encryption and Hashing: When data is stationary on a server, sitting on a tape in storage, or traveling over the wire it still needs to be protected. Hashing database entries or encrypting files and systems will help protect this data. When data is moving, it needs to be protected when it leaves your network. VPN, SSL, and TLS are designed to do just that when extending availability outside the local network.
Stay Current: Per the same 2024 Verizon report, research shows that direct installs and web applications were the top two entry points for ransomware. Software updates, hardware updates, paper trails, documentation, and monitoring should all be routine work. As patches or fixes are released from software vendors or hardware vendors, apply them. Retain and review logs of network and host-level safeguards. You will not know if your protection is working or worse when it is not, if you do not review. Having logs will help troubleshoot or aid investigations when an event does occur. Additionally, monitoring will help stop the problem or attack early. Be proactive and pay attention to alerts.
Disaster Preparedness: Backups and redundancy are key in ensuring availability is not compromised. Theft, fire, tornado, flood, accidental deletion, hardware failure, and the list goes on for things to consider. Redundancy is not the same as a backup. Redundancy provides failover in the event of failure, while backups provide archives to retrieve data. Onsite and local solutions are ideal.
People: Train employees on what to do if someone unfamiliar walks into a room. Can they recognize spam? What about safe browsing practices? Do they share passwords with others? Comprehensive employee training is a critical element of any security strategy, dramatically reducing your exposure to threats and ensuring proactive vigilance.
Scalable, Secure Solutions
As anyone can see, security is a very large topic covering many areas. It can be intimidating but when done properly, can be very effective. Treating security in layers provides redundancy when one layer may fail.
We at Upton Technologies are skilled in evaluating your security posture and implementing protective measures. Upton Technologies can assist with scalable solutions that are budget-conscious to help multi-campus or even single-user businesses.
One of our clients, a regional healthcare provider, saw a 70% reduction in phishing attacks after we implemented a multi-layered security approach, including email filtering and regular employee training.
Contact Upton Technologies to schedule a free security audit and see how we can protect your business from today’s growing cyber threats.