Three Keys to Protecting Your Computer Network
from Security Threats

Your computer network can never be completely secure.

That’s right. The technology you depend upon to keep your business running can be compromised, no matter how much you might spend to protect it. Of course, if you don’t use the computers to connect to each other or to the Internet, they are fairly safe…but then you don’t have a network, do you?

Your small business makes the easiest target for security threats, despite the fact that your data doesn't have the same overall value as a large business. Why? Larger businesses have been spending regularly on security measures such as firewalls, intrusion detection or prevention, event logging systems, anti-virus, spam blockers, proxy servers, spyware blockers, data encryption and disaster recovery. On the flip side, most small business owners can’t even remember the last time they purchased one of these devices. Of those who do, the expenditure was in response to a particular inconvenience or attack, such as a large amount of spam.

In addition, larger businesses have a staff dedicated to managing their computer systems, and most have an additional staff dedicated to the security of those systems. Without monitoring, review and maintenance, even the most expensive and proactive security measures are a complete waste of money.

The threat is real.

Unfortunately, there are some very smart people in the world who also have very low moral and ethical values that are looking for the fastest way to make money. They don’t want to follow the model you did: Hard Work and Perseverance (HW&P). They prefer ‘Take What I Need’ (Take-WIN) to get ahead fast.

Take-WIN people will hit the easiest target they can find. It’s in their very nature. HW&P people usually don’t think in the same way as Take-WIN people do, and the Take-WIN people know it. HW&P people often don’t recognize that anyone would be interested in their data or their business. But they are. Take-WIN people know that most of the HW&P people just don’t expect to be their target, and they take advantage of that fact.

You hear about attacks against large business all the time. Why don’t you ever hear of attacks on small business networks or loss of data from small businesses? There are two reasons for this difference. First, small businesses simply don’t have any idea that they have been attacked or that data was stolen and, second, small businesses are not forced to report breaches they do know about like the large businesses are.

What Should You Do To Protect Your Business?

1. Review your systems regularly. Know where your important business information is. Understand what technology and data is critical to the success of your business. Review the risks to your systems and to your critical data regularly. The risks usually change much faster than your systems and information do. Keeping on top of both will help you to understand how to allocate limited resources most effectively.

2. Perform a test of security measures on a regular basis. This is the only way to ensure your systems are functioning as expected, and the only way you can know what areas need improvement. Monitor and regularly maintain any security measures you have in place. Without monitoring and maintenance, you may as well save your money instead of purchasing network security in the first place. It’s that important.

3. Be aware of the threats and be prepared for the inevitable. Sooner or later, everyone will be a target, your business is no exception.

If you take these three critical steps, you will be in a better position to not only defend yourself from potential threats but to restore your critical data and systems should the inevitable occur on your watch.