A strong network keeps a business ticking along like a well-oiled machine; a solid network ensures that your IT does what you need it to do, keeps unauthorized parties barricaded from your data, and ensures that compliance requirements are met and that promises to customers are kept.
In this blog, you’ll get to know why your network’s security matters, what makes a network secure, and the value of taking the time to ensure it is secure from cyber threats.
Your Network is the Digital Door to Your Business
Imagine your business as a physical building. Your network acts as the front door, back door, and every window—each is a potential entry point for cyber threats. Without proper security, these doors can be left wide open and expose sensitive information and critical systems to breaches, theft, and disruption.
For enterprises, the stakes are especially high; cyber risks will scale with your business, so it’s important to keep a keen eye on the cybersecurity of the foundation of your IT environment: your network.
Why Do Small and Medium Enterprises Need Strong Network Security?
Small and medium enterprises often have sprawling and complicated networks to manage. In your business, you likely have an internal IT function that manages your network, and you feel they’re doing a good job (and they probably are!). The main issue SMEs have at their maturity is that their IT team is too small compared to the business’s IT ecosystem and its broader, lofty goals. At the same time, the business can’t afford to internally hire and retain a handful of IT specialists to thoroughly manage it all. Does this sound familiar?
Because of this, it’s all too possible to believe that your network is secured and taken care of; it’s not that anyone’s doing a bad job; it’s just that on top of everything else your IT team has to do, developing and strengthening your network can be an overlooked or blocked priority. As a result, critical gaps in your network’s security may go unnoticed until they cause serious problems.
A lack of resources amplifies the other reasons why an enterprise needs a strong network:
- The damages from a malfunctioning or disrupted network can be anything from thousands to millions of dollars in damages, whether it’s in the form of day-to-day IT hiccups or a cyberattack.
- You have promises to hundreds or thousands of customers and a formula for solving their problems; a broken network breaks those promises and hurts your reputation. Being a bigger business, the risks of getting into the headlines are also higher.
- The compliance stakes are higher; regulators will tend to have a less sympathetic light on larger businesses that fall out of compliance.
- Your business is more complicated and interconnected; if one cog in the machine fails, the spillover effects can run across your business and also take more time and cost to address them.
How to Secure Your Enterprise’s Network in Four Steps
Securing your network doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Here are four practical steps to build a robust defense:
- Assess Your Current Network
Begin with a comprehensive evaluation of your existing network infrastructure. Identify vulnerabilities, outdated systems, and areas where your security measures may be lacking. Partnering with an experienced IT support provider can help uncover hidden weaknesses and opportunities for improvement.
- Implement Advanced Security Measures
Your network defenses will need to match the maturity of your enterprise. You’ll need firewalls and intrusion prevention systems, encryption of your data across your IT environment, and MFA and user access and identity management controls to ensure that your people, devices, and systems are secured. Advanced security measures today can work together as an integrated whole in real time, ensuring that your IT environment is constantly being monitored and actively defended.
- Implement Regular Monitoring and Updates
Cyber threats are constantly evolving, which means your defenses must keep pace in terms of detecting and neutralizing threats. Continuous monitoring, regular updates to software and systems, as well as regular security reviews will all help to seal off vulnerabilities before they can turn into disruption and damages.
- Educate Your Team
Your employees are your first line of defense. Even if your network is technically secure, it’s possible for users to give up the keys to the kingdom. Implementing regular training sessions on recognizing phishing attempts, using secure and enforceable password practices, and following general best practices for data protection can all significantly reduce human error—the most common cause of cyberattacks.
Final Thoughts
Every sword needs a shield; for your business to keep growing and delivering, it can’t afford to be disrupted by cyber threats to your network. By giving attention and time to your network security and partnering up with an experienced IT partner who can supplement the expertise of your team, you can ensure the foundation of your IT is secure and able to keep your business on track towards its strategic goals. If you’d like some guidance and a second pair of eyes for your network and an IT team for your IT team, ASC Group is here to help.
Schedule A Conversation With Us Today
Whether you’re looking to solve problems with technology or ensure your data and operations are safe from compromise, our team is here to help. Why not schedule a conversation with our president, Alan? He’ll listen, give you impartial guidance and advice, and help you get in the right direction. Make headway on your goals today and discover what’s possible for your business.
