In 2020, data security is a more significant concern than ever before. Data breaches can hinder the trust of your customers, leak your private information to competitors, etc. Data breaches cost companies millions of dollars, and remediating a brand’s public image after such an attack is nearly impossible.

For any company across any industry, officials should implement network security basics to prevent cyber-attacks, detected, or mitigated from the very start.

Network security is a combination of essential security activities and policies designed to assess, monitor, and manage the network promptly in matters of security threats, unauthorized intrusion, etc. Let’s see the best network security practices that you can implement in your business right away.

Opt for penetration testing services

An attacker will not waste time trying to go through your most robust firewalls but will look for the weakest points and vulnerabilities in those information systems where security isn’t a priority. Seemingly minor openings can result in severe consequences and lead to a complete system compromise.

Penetration testing is the way to go for such scenarios. Penetration testing service providers analyze and try to penetrate your system in all forms. Once they access your system, they can know its vulnerabilities and provide you with remediation solutions.

Such testing measures employ a multi-level attack to check everything in your infrastructure, from its local networks to its cloud-based vulnerabilities. Moreover, they have services that regularly analyze and test your systems. Try opting for such penetration testing services if you have just shifted to a new infrastructure or are planning to upgrade from your old network.

Be aware of your infrastructure

The next thing to do is to know your equipment thoroughly. Having visibility into your network infrastructure is essential before you can even begin to secure your network against potential threats. Unless you know which hardware/software device components make your infrastructure, you will have a tough time protecting protocols and planning.

When starting your network security strategy and implementing the best penetration testing services, you should take an inventory of the following things:

Hardware – Hardware includes devices such as routers, switches, printers, etc.

Software – firewalls, IDS/IPS, etc.

Digital security certificates – SSL/TLS certificates, IoT certificates, etc.

Look into network segmentation and segregation strategies

Handling security for a vast unsegmented network with tasks such as defining firewall policies and effectively managing traffic flows can be tedious. To combat this, work on segmenting your network into smaller counterparts and implementing different trust zones.

Such an approach makes management more comfortable and can also keep networks isolated in a security incident, reducing the risks and scale of a network intrusion.

An unsegmented network allows potential hackers to proceed with a larger attack surface to make their way laterally through the network to access confidential information. The biggest issue is that such breaches may not come under your security radar if done quietly through your network. 

Thoroughly analyze your software

Network attacks and hackers are evolving every day. In such times, obsolete solutions may not be enough to counter completely new threats. It is why one of the essential network security practices starts with ensuring your antivirus software is up-to-date.

Effective, latest virus software will comprise tested solutions to some of the most recently known, upcoming exploits. Hence, you should always install software updates as they become available to stay one step ahead of hackers.

Some of the industry-leading antivirus solutions can protect you in over 90 percent of such instances. However, no single solution is impenetrable, and as threats become more advanced, ongoing antivirus audits and supplemental systems are evolving just as important as installing the latest patches.