What every business needs to know about network security in Bristol
EC computers provide IT support and network security in Bristol and the surrounding areas. Security is an important part of our role and all businesses need to be wary of the implications in not having a secure network. Read on to find more information.
Links: Smarter Cybersecurity with Webroot Securing Endpoints and Networks
Many of the biggest companies in the world have become victims of a compromised Network. Microsoft, Emulex and even the American Government have fallen short in the past and although these are high profile cases Network security hacks are a daily occurrence in the UK, which can cost any sized business thousands.
Back when networks first came about it was only the large companies that had to really worry about having a secure network but with worms, viruses, hackers and spyware on the loose these days and everybody relying on technology to run a business it is just as important for small businesses to secure their network.
Your Employees are obviously the biggest asset to your business but they can also pose the biggest risk to security. Contact EC Computers today for a free IT Audit to see how we can help secure your network.
Network security in Bristol – What you should know!
Awareness
Based on data captured by Essence it is known that 80% of security breaches occur from within a business itself, things like an email innocently opened by an employee that launches a company wide virus or an employee looking at websites that they shouldn’t be, potentially putting unwanted malware onto a work computer. The easiest way is for somebody to be working on a home computer with a virus doing some work completely unaware they are doing anything wrong. When saving the work on a memory stick and transporting it to work the virus follows and when they load the work on their business computer the virus is transferred.
Educate your employees on the dangers of opening emails that look strange or are from an unknown sources. Implement an “acceptable use policy” for internet use at work and enforce them.
Change passwords on a regular basis
You should be changing passwords at least every 90 days and they should be at least 8 characters long with a mix of characters. Password123 is not a good password. phSE29%$ is a lot better but changed to something completely different 90 days later.
Up-to-date anti-virus software on all workstations and servers.
New viruses are born every day so it’s important to use anti-virus software that is updated regularly. It’s always best practice for them to update automatically from your main server. We provide solutions that include Webroots and Sophos Labs dependent on your company requirements
Good firewalls to keep out harmful data
The job of a fire wall is to protect your computer from the rest of the world, it distinguishes what is friendly data and lets that in and what is potentially harmful and keeps that out. Best practise will be to use software firewalls on all individual computers and then hardware firewalls to protect a number of computers at a time. The size and needs of your business will determine if you use both software and hardware Firewalls or just one.
Email anti-virus and spam filters.
It is important to protect your network from spam & viruses. There are two types that you need to be aware of, those that are enabled when you open the attachment on the email and those that are enabled as soon as you receive the email regardless of any attachment. Anti Virus filters will ensure that these emails don’t get through to anybodies email inbox’s and you will be informed that the virus was detected.
For more information about anti-spam and email antivirus, see our Page on EC Computers Virus removal
Anti-Spyware Technology
Spyware will gather information about a business or individual person. It works by putting a programe on a computer and gathering information secretly without the users knowledge. The gathered information can then be given to advertisers or other parties. Anti-spyware software will disable spyware to ensure you have full privacy on your personal and business networks
EC Computers provide a range of services to help with network security in Bristol and the surrounding areas. Contact us today for more information.
