Whether you work for a data-heavy company that manages a wide range of sensitive information or are a gamer looking for a stronger gameplay experience, beefing up your network security will provide you with peace of mind and stronger results.
You could invest in private dedicated servers to manage your data, but there are easier ways to strengthen your network security without breaking the bank. Protecting data is crucial in industries across the board to avoid outside threats and breaches. Private hosting is a solid option for reinforcement, but it comes at a hefty price and requires a high level of knowledge in how to monitor and manage a private server.
Since every aspect of human life is migrating to a digital platform, cybersecurity is more important than ever. As reported by Fobes, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment for information security analysts to grow by 33 percent from 2020 to 2030.
But you don’t have to hire an outside expert; there are ways to strengthen your network security yourself. Below are five options to consider.
1. Utilize frequent risk assessments
Make sure to identify which data points are the most important, such as health care data for patients or money data for banks. Decide who has access to this data and identify how data travels between two points. From there, identify any potential risk factors or leaks in security and strengthen them accordingly. Do this often.
2. Update your network regularly
Just because your network may seem fine and safe doesn’t mean it is. Updates happen all the time and often come with an added layer of security that wasn’t offered in previous versions. Understanding when updates are coming and staying on top of them eliminate the risk of security breaches or ransomware attacks.
3. Secure your network physically and digitally
Just as your wireless network needs to be secure from online attacks and breaches, your physical network must also be secure. Thieves, or unfortunately even employees, can take advantage of an exposed network if it isn’t properly stored away. Securing your home or office space can reduce or eliminate these risks and stall potential attackers. It may seem obvious, but you’d be surprised how often a physical server is exposed.
4. Know what’s running on your hosts
The risks are higher if your host(s) has many applications and services running on it. Understanding what services and applications are running on each host and limiting them to the essentials can provide fewer opportunities for security breaches. Stay current on any operating system security updates to limit risks.
5. Use strong authentication controls
Implement multi-factor authentication for VPN remote access and wireless networks in every possible instance. Use secure passwords that need to be updated often and limit the number of users with access. Strong authentication controls will significantly strengthen security and provide peace of mind for company leaders for their data.
Conclusion
You can hire an outside professional firm to beef up your network security or consider moving all your data to a public cloud or network. But these solutions can be complicated and aren’t always necessary for all businesses or individuals.
Regular maintenance methods can help keep a sharp eye on your data and make regular updates easier to stay on top of.
