5 Ways IT Support Can Assist Your Business With Network Security

In today’s world, the possibility of a company’s network getting breached is a realistic scenario. The truth is that all companies are victims of their data and their customer’s private information being stolen. 

One needs to look no further to find companies that have been victims of cybersecurity breaches. Some famous examples of big incidences include Sony, The Home Depot, Target, British Airways, and Equifax. 

These large companies provide a warning that the size of a company does not matter, as virtually every network is vulnerable to a breach of security.

While this might sound horrible, there is a positive side to this. IT support firms, such as House of I.T, are skilled at working with companies of all sizes to ensure their network is as secure as it possibly can be.

There are several ways an IT support firm can assist your company in protecting it against the looming threat of a network breach. Here are five of the most common ways they can help you.

End-user Education

End-user education may very well be the most valuable of all the points listed, despite being the most primitive. While this may seem extremely simple, it is a fact that many companies experience security breaches due to their employees.

Whether it is due to opening an email designed for phishing, providing a password or other information to an unauthorized user, or allowing someone into your building who should not be allowed in, several things can be the spark needed for a breach of security.

Most of these incidences can be prevented by having employees trained to recognize and avoid taking action during these events. 

Working with an IT support firm to assist with end-user training and education can go a long way in mitigating a significant portion of the attacks which could potentially affect your company.

Evaluating and Securing Your Current Network

Many companies are currently operating without having a network security plan in place. In the case of a security breach, most companies do not have a contingency plan to fall back on to mitigate much of the ensuing damage.

An IT support firm can help prevent the damage from getting any worse and assist in preventing much of it from happening in the first place.

By identifying vulnerable aspects of your network, a firm will be able to assist you in eliminating these problematic elements and suggest ways to strengthen your overall security.

Enforcing Password Policies

While this will never be popular among employees, it is a fact that limiting the timespan a password is good for will help reduce the number of security breaches.

Whether it is through a user providing a password via a phishing attempt, making it obvious to guess, or any other method, accessing classified information can lead to a network being breached.

Forcing users to change their passwords at a regular interval, while it may not resolve every possible instance of a network security breach, will still be critical in reducing the overall opportunities for one to occur.

Additionally, verifying that all wireless access points (WAPs) are secured and have complex passwords for both employees and guests can further 

Implementing Biometrics and Other Authorized User Access

Every fingerprint is unique. Because of this, biometric authentication is among the most secure methods of ensuring that only certain users have access to the areas they need.

Beyond just fingerprints, other technologies like swipe cards are a simple method to drastically reducing unauthorized access to certain areas. While swipe cards may not be as overall secure as biometric authentication, they are more portable and can easily be provided to employees.

IT support firms can help to set up biometric authentication and swipe card hardware inside of your company. These will allow for improved security and monitoring of those going in and out of your building.

Ensuring All Systems Are Monitored, Updated, and Secured

Not having an operating system or other hardware working as it needs to can be a threat to your business’s security. Something as simple as a PC not being on the latest version of Windows can be a potential security hole that malicious users can exploit.

An IT support firm can assist in identifying, securing, and monitoring these devices for your company. In doing so, they can reduce the number of potential breaches.

Working With An IT Firm to Address Network Security Concerns

If you do not have a plan in place for protecting your network against security threats, you are doing yourself and your company a significant disservice. If this is the case, we highly encourage you to reach out to us to consult on what can be done for your company’s network.

At House of I.T, we have the experience and tools needed to build and design a secure network infrastructure for your company. Beyond just network security, we can help provide you software licensing, data recovery, cloud solutions, hardware, and more.