Computer networks are a critical part of any business. They’re the main way employees communicate with each other and share information, so it’s important to ensure they’re secure. If you have an IT team that is responsible for managing your company’s computer network security, this guide will help you implement some very effective security measures to protect against potential vulnerabilities in your system. Computer network security is everyone's responsibility today, not just businesses and management, but each user needs to be aware of safety measures. Table of content Computer networks play an important role in your company’s everyday operations. A well-secured network can prevent business failure and even lawsuits. There are many ways to assure computer network security, including a layered and holistic approach Limit user access to the network only to what is necessary for them to do their job. Ensure that data is encrypted. Secure all devices connected to the network. Hardware and software firewall protection and VPNs are reliable security options that should be implemented. Enable two-factor authentication when possible. Keep all software up-to-date with the latest security patches. Blocking spam emails can help prevent malware from entering your system. Email encryption is an important security layer that can protect against unauthorized access by hackers. Password Protect Firewall Block Network Pings Scan your Network for identifying Vulnerabilities Set up different VLANs for each department Secure personal devices Train everyone in the computer network Always be vigilant Guruface present’s ‘Computer Networks Security from Beginner Level to Advanced’ Course Takeaway Computer networks play an important role in your company’s everyday operations. A computer network is the communication infrastructure that connects all of your computers, devices, and other resources. It allows you to share files, printers, and other resources within your company. The network can also be used for sending emails and accessing the Internet. Computer networks play an important role in your business operations by allowing employees to work together on projects across locations or departments. A properly configured network helps improve productivity by allowing people who don’t usually use each other’s equipment to access their machines. For best networking security this should be enabled with minimal delay or interference from outside sources such as viruses or malware downloads that could potentially damage data stored on them. According to Verizon’s 2022 Data Breach Investigations Report, around 82% of the total data breaches involved a human element. This includes social attacks, misuse, lack of awareness, etc. IBM’s ‘Cost of a Data Breach 2022’ report shows that the United State’s average cost of data breaches is more than double the global average. All of these factors point to the relevance and demand for computer network security experts in the industry today. A well-secured network can prevent business failure and even lawsuits. Encrypting data is a great way to ensure that your company’s information remains safe. It can prevent data loss and identity theft, as well as prevent lawsuits from occurring in the first place. A well-secured network will also help you avoid going out of business by preventing costly lawsuits from happening on your end. A secure network will keep sensitive information safe from prying eyes, including: Customer and employee transaction records Employee or contract detail records There are many ways to assure computer network security, including a layered and holistic approach. A layered approach is one where you have multiple layers of security that work together. For example, the first layer might be firewalls (a form of intrusion prevention), which protect against unauthorized users from entering your network. The second layer would be an IDS (intrusion detection system), which identifies suspicious traffic and alerts you when something malicious has been detected on your network. The third layer could consist of an antivirus solution. These programs monitor viruses as well as malware on all devices within the company’s perimeter. This could provide you the best networking security setup. A holistic approach is one where all aspects of an organization’s security infrastructure are considered in tandem with each other rather than separately and this includes not just physical assets but also people who work there too! Providing Networking Security Training to your employees and everyone in your computer network is an essential step today. Let’s learn the 15 proven ways to assure computer network security. 1. Limit user access to the network only to what is necessary for them to do their job. One of the most important things you can do when securing a computer network is limit user access to your network. This means that instead of giving every employee unrestricted access, you should only give them what they need in order to perform their job function effectively. The same goes for sensitive data like financial information or personal information. Don’t give it out unless absolutely necessary, for ensuring the best networking security. Once you’ve decided which users will have access and how much, make sure those permissions are clearly labeled on all systems so that anyone who needs them knows why they’re getting certain privileges. 2. Ensure that data is encrypted. Encryption is a process of encoding data so that only authorized parties can read it. It can be done at the device, application, or network level and helps secure your sensitive information against hackers. The key to encryption is encryption keys, a unique set of characters that are used to encode the data in such a way that only those who know them will be able to access its contents. Encryption is an important security layer because it protects data in transit between two computers or devices without having to send it over an open network connection like Wi-Fi or Ethernet cable. It also prevents unauthorized users from gaining access to sensitive information online by encrypting any files being sent from one computer system over another network connection like an internet connection between computers at home or work. 3. Secure all devices connected to the network. Make sure you have strong passwords for each device on your network and make sure those passwords are changed regularly. Protect all devices with antivirus software and malware protection. Also, keep an eye out for suspicious activity on your computer or phone by regularly running scans for viruses or malware. You can also use a firewall on any device that connects directly to your home network. This will help protect against malicious programs from outside intruders trying to get in through this route. Update all software regularly so it stays up-to-date with security patches from Microsoft/Apple/Google, or whichever platform you’re using. This prevents known vulnerabilities from being exploited by hackers who might be able to hijack accounts based on various networking security flaws. Password protects every device connected via a USB port so only authorized people can log in at once without having multiple passwords handy. 4. Hardware and software firewall protection and VPNs are reliable security options that should be implemented. Hardware and software firewall protection and VPNs are reliable security options that should be implemented. In addition to the above, you can also consider installing a hardware firewall, which will protect your network from attacks by external devices such as malware or hackers. A good hardware firewall will have at least two levels of protection. An intrusion detection system (IDS) that identifies suspicious activity on the network, and an application control list (ACL) that allows only authorized users’ access to specific applications. It will also prevent unauthorized ones from gaining access as well. The IDS monitors both incoming packets and outgoing data connections for malicious activity. If it detects any suspicious behavior, it sends alerts immediately so administrators can take necessary networking security actions before things get out of control. 5. Enable two-factor authentication when possible. Two-factor authentication is a security feature that requires a user to enter two different types of authentications before gaining access to a network. This can be accomplished by using something you have, such as your password or fingerprint, or something you know, like the answers to a question on a form. Two-factor authentication can be implemented with a password alone. However, this may not be enough in some situations where people who may want access to your system might already know it. In these instances, two-factor authentication should always be used instead of just one-off passwords. Here’s how it works: first you’ll need an app installed on either a phone or computer that provides two-factor authorization options. When attempting logins through these apps during setup for new accounts, users will be prompted with additional questions. Access will be given after verifying whether their answers match up with what was entered previously. 6. Keep all software up-to-date with the latest security patches. Keeping your software up-to-date is one of the most important things you can do to keep your computer secure. Make sure that all operating systems, applications, and plug-ins have the latest security patches installed. This includes antivirus software, firewalls, and other programs that access the internet or connect to other networks. If a new version of an application or plug-in has been released since yours was installed, download it from its official website rather than using third-party sources because they may not be as reliable or updated with important fixes/upgrades as what’s available on official sites. Never share passwords with anyone else in your household, even family members. Even if they’re just helping out with minor tasks like downloading music files. We still recommend changing all login information immediately after completing each task so no one else knows about them except those who need access to certain areas within your network such as administrative accounts where sensitive data would be stored such as passwords, etc. 7. Blocking spam emails can help prevent malware from entering your system. The next step is to block spam emails. Spam is the most common way that hackers try to enter your system, and it’s often used as a weapon in phishing attacks. If you receive an email from someone you don’t know, it should raise red flags. Spam emails can also contain malicious links that lead users to websites where they download malware onto their systems. Malware can infect computers in many different ways, including clicking on malicious links within an email or opening attachments sent in phishing emails. One of the common ways is by simply clicking on a hyperlink within an email message without knowing what it leads them into. Even though it is a common safety measure to double-check computer network security, many businesses miss this point. Anyone can be a victim of an online security breach today. Networking security measures can save you from potential data lose and reputation loss. 8. Email encryption is an important security layer that can protect against unauthorized access by hackers. Email encryption is an important security layer that can protect against unauthorized access by hackers. Encryption is the process of converting data into a form that cannot be read by anyone except those possessing special knowledge, usually referred to as a key. We have mentioned data encryption in detail in the first part of this blog post. As email marketing is done by most companies today and all of them are trying to achieve high email open rates using different attractive offers, deals, etc. it is important to handle all kinds of emails carefully. Encryption has many uses and applications including: Securing email messages from prying eyes. Protecting files stored on your computer from theft or tampering. Protecting sensitive data like credit card numbers when traveling abroad. 9. Password Protect Firewall Enabling a firewall for your computer network is not enough to guarantee computer network security. You should password-protect your firewall and maintain it properly. Here are some basic steps to get it right. Use a password for your firewall. Change the password regularly, and make it strong. Make sure that you are the only one who knows the password. 10. Block Network Pings Ping requests are sent from one computer to another, and they can be used to determine if a computer is online. Ping requests can also be used for malicious purposes. For example, hackers may use ping requests as part of their attack vectors. They might target your network and try to compromise your computer network security by sending repeated pings in order to determine whether you’ve turned off your firewall or other security measures. You can block these kinds of requests on your network by creating an exception rule in Windows Firewall or equivalent tools that allows access only to trusted users. 11. Scan your Network for identifying Vulnerabilities A vulnerability scanner is a software tool that scans your network and identifies security issues that need to be fixed. It works by scanning the entire network and reporting back any vulnerabilities it finds, including: Insecure passwords Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in web applications and databases Shellshock attacks SQL injection attacks Directory traversal vulnerabilities in web applications 12. Set up different VLANs for each department VLANs are a way to separate different departments. Each VLAN has its own network, security, and policies. VLANs can be used to separate departments by function or location. When setting up networks in this way, you’ll want to ensure that the same security protocols are being used across all devices on the network so that they can communicate securely with each other regardless of where they are located within your organization. 13. Secure personal devices You’ll definitely use your personal devices to access official accounts and data at some point. To ensure your computer network security you need to consider this possibility too. Here are some tips to secure your personal devices. Install the latest software updates. Use a password manager to generate strong passwords and keep them safe. Install anti-virus software. Install anti-malware software. Having a firewall set up properly can help you in securing your personal devices as well. A good firewall will help prevent hackers from gaining access to your network or personal devices by filtering out unwanted traffic before it reaches its destination. 14. Train everyone in the computer network Training is important for ensuring employees understand how to use their computers and networks so that when problems arise, they can fix them immediately. It’s also crucial for maintaining a healthy environment of open communication throughout your organization. The best way to ensure this is by making sure all employees receive regular training on how to use all aspects of their computer network security and that any updates are implemented quickly and effectively. If you’re not sure where or how often you should deliver these sessions, consider partnering with a corporate training provider. This way you’ll get top-notch instruction from experts who knows what they’re appointed to do. Guruface is one such platform you can utilize to set up a training management system for your organization. You can create online courses for your employees to get trained on different topics easily. Track all training details and make employee training easy. 15. Always be vigilant Always be vigilant. If you’re not aware of the latest threats and vulnerabilities, your company could be at risk of a major security breach. Be aware of security updates. Be wary of data breaches that occurred in different parts of the world in recent times. Such events will show you just how vulnerable companies are when it comes to protecting their sensitive information from hackers who want access to personal data stored on laptops or desktops owned by employees working in organizations around the world. Guruface present’s ‘Computer Networks Security from Beginner Level to Advanced’ Course If you are keen to learn more advanced techniques to nurture computer network security for your organization we recommend you to take our course ‘Computer Networks Security from Beginner Level to Advanced’. The self-paced course is presented by Mohammed Adly. He is a Prof. Dr. of Computer Networks and Cyber Security, a professional Instructor since 1999 in Computer Networks, Security, etc.
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