Minimum Security, Maximum Effect
Taking care of critical business information doesn't have to be complicated. Here are some simple steps your business can take to keep your network protected.
By: LeeAnn Kriegh, Technology Reporter
Given the increasing threat posed by everything from hackers and packet sniffers to worms and viruses, advanced security protection is a business necessity, not a luxury. But the question for budget-conscious small and medium business owners is how to identify and implement simple, cost-effective security measures that provide maximum protection.
The first step is to examine your current infrastructure, making sure to anticipate upcoming changes and additions. What data do you need to protect? What are the entry points to your network? Are there government or corporate regulations you need to follow? As with any investment your business makes, it pays to do your research and set priorities, so you purchase only the security measures your business needs.
Most business owners will find this basic assessment leads them to several important pieces of their technology infrastructure: servers, software, and firewalls.
Protect Your Data on a Server
Consolidating data on one or more servers is one of the simplest steps small and medium businesses can take to improve data security. Information scattered across individual desktops is at increased risk for data loss and attack. Centralize that information in a server-based database, and you limit your vulnerability to data loss and downtime due to individual computer failure.
Servers also offer security features not found on desktop computers. With servers, you can more effectively control which individuals and devices have access to your information and systems. Plus, the data backup and security software available on today’s servers can stop attacks by worms and other online threats, reducing the risk of large-scale system infection. Whether you fear hackers, viruses, or system failure, servers can quickly and cost-effectively enhance your data security.
Update Your Software
Viruses and worms are malicious programs that can delete or change files, give outsiders access to your files, and force costly repairs and downtime. Despite the dangers, Rob Enderle, president and principal analyst at the Enderle Group, notes that small businesses often overlook the importance of investing in virus protection.
"By their very nature, small businesses don't employ the same level of virus protection that large businesses do,” he said. “In fact it's not uncommon for small business to leave their gates wide open, meaning they don't have any type of virus protection."
Closing the gates requires vigilance, but it is not particularly difficult or costly. All of your company’s desktop and laptop computers should already have anti-virus protection, which--to prevent attack by the many new viruses unleashed each month--needs to be updated regularly with the latest signature definitions. The simplest way to ensure you have the latest updates is to purchase virus software that can be configured to automatically download the latest definitions and programs from the Internet.
Install Firewall Protection
Your company’s Internet connection gives you and your employees easy access to a wealth of online information. Unfortunately, anytime you can look out, there’s a chance others can look in--meaning your system may be vulnerable to hackers and other unwelcome visitors. Left undeterred, these outside intruders can gain access to your network and, eventually, to the information stored on individual computers.
To protect your network, you can install hardware firewalls, devices designed to block all unauthorized traffic between the Internet and your network. Firewalls can be configured to accept certain kinds of e-mail and Web traffic, while rejecting others. You can also hide the addresses of the office computers located behind your firewall, making individual computers on your network invisible from the outside.
These hardware firewalls protect computers located inside the office, but what about your mobile employees? Virtual private networks (VPNs) provide one safe way for employees to connect from remote locations, like home and field offices. If your mobile employees aren’t connecting via a VPN, then they need to have software firewalls installed on their computers to protect against packet sniffers that are trying to capture and analyze network traffic.
Investing In Security
Modern business security has an otherworldly ring to it, with talk of malicious hackers, packet sniffers, and worms. Remember, though, that security begins with the basics, like safely and routinely backing up your data onto a server or other safe device. Such steps may not get the media coverage of the latest killer virus, but the dangers are evident. In fact, SBTI found 65% of all businesses that suffer a major data loss go out of business within a year.
Protecting your business takes more of an investment in time than money, which is undoubtedly why many time-strapped small and medium businesses don’t protect themselves like they should. Remember, though, that implementing adequate security measures doesn’t have to bust your budget--and it may prevent accidents and attacks that could damage or even destroy your business.
