10 Solutions to Improve Your Business Network Security & Prevent Hacking
Hackers are becoming increasingly sophisticated at their craft. The frequency and severity of ransomware has skyrocketed throughout 2020 and 2021, with more and more businesses being targeted. There are many ways a hacker can gain access to your business’ confidential information: it could be through a phishing email, it could be through a network weakness, or many other ways. What these attacks have in common though is the use of malware to steal data and infect computers. In the case of ransomware attacks, businesses are faced with the decision of paying out hefty sums of money to get confidential data back, or risk losing it.
Part of the reason these attacks are becoming more common is the increasing reliance on cloud-based infrastructure and IoT devices within business operations. While these pieces of technology streamline processes and have the potential to make businesses far more efficient and profitable, they also leave a new set of security weaknesses out in the open.
Luckily, these weak spots can be easily secured as long as you or your IT administrator pay attention to them and install the required hacking prevention and network security tools. If you’re looking for how to improve your network security, here’s our top 10 solutions:
#1: Get a trusted firewall for your network
A network firewall is a piece of software or hardware that controls access to a private network. It may be used to protect computers on an internal network from unauthorized access from external networks, as well as protect sensitive information from leaving your internal system.
Ultimately, a network firewall protects your computer from hackers who want to steal information or damage your system. It also helps prevent viruses from further spreading through your network.
Sangfor NGAF is one solution that acts as a comprehensive and integrated filter for threats entering your network. It provides a simplified and holistic view that is easily operated and maintained, making it perfect for businesses who want a no-fuss and effective network firewall.
#2: Keep your passwords secure
Hackers often use software called keyloggers to record all your passwords, or viruses to steal your personal information such as credit card numbers, bank account numbers, and Social Security numbers. For a business, this poses serious security risks and can potentially cost your company millions of dollars in damages.
One way to keep your passwords secure is to use a password manager. A password manager stores all your passwords for you and generates strong random passwords for each website, meaning you only need to remember one master password. This password itself is stored safely inside the password manager and kept secure through two-factor authentication.
#3: Have a web filter to filter malicious content
Cloud Security Web Filters (CSWF) are software products that provide an additional layer of protection for your organization’s network infrastructure. They can be deployed on endpoints, servers, or both. CSWFs are designed to protect against threats such as malware, phishing, spam, and malicious websites.
Sangfor IAG is a web filter that offers a complete internet behavior management solution for businesses of all sizes. Having been listed in the SWG Gartner Magic Quadrant for 10 consecutive years, Sangfor IAG offers businesses the chance to control bandwidth usage, minimize access to non-business-related sites, and more.
#4: Secure Access Service Edge (SASE)
A SASE is a hacking prevention and network security tool that helps provide secure access to network resources. A secure access service edge provides an extra layer of security for business networks. Branch offices or employees working remotely can securely connect to a range of business applications. Sangfor SASE, for example, focuses on the three main pillars of networking: identity, access, and security. It will grant access only to authorized personnel, provide further protection against unknown hacking threats, and audit your business for any potential data leaks and more.
#5: Automated threat response software
Threat Response Software combines tools used to detect and respond to threats such as viruses, malware, spam, phishing emails, and more. The goal of these tools is to protect your network from malicious attacks. They do this by scanning all incoming traffic looking for suspicious activity, and then blocking or quarantining any threats they find.
This type of hacking prevention software can be used to detect and respond to cyber-attacks in real time. Sangfor Cyber Command, for example, integrates with other cyber security and hacking prevention solutions to provide a holistic and systematic approach whereby businesses can be fully prepared to identify and attack any malware that poses a threat.
#6: Keep your computer systems up to date
Updating your operating system and software helps keep your computer safe from viruses and malware. This is especially important for businesses that use computers for critical business processes. If you do not update your computer regularly, then you may be putting your business at risk of having your data stolen.
Ensure that your web administrator regularly updates computer systems, in particular those applications which play a role in your cyber security system. Each new iteration of software gets better and better at blocking malware, and providers are constantly updating their software to be able to fight new types of computer malware.
#7: Get regular and professional security assessments
A professional cyber security assessment helps businesses identify weaknesses in their network security and provides recommendations for improving their security posture. The best way to protect your company from cyber-attacks is to prevent them from happening in the first place.
Sangfor Security Assessment offers personalised advice for each business. Sangfor experts will take the time to understand your current security measures and weaknesses before assisting in taking the appropriate steps to improve your network security and meet compliance requirements.
#8: Encrypt your files and data
Encryption is the process of encoding information into a form that cannot be read by anyone else. This includes text, images, audio, video, and other types of digital data. The goal of encryption is to protect sensitive information from unauthorized access.
In the event there is a cyber security breach in your company, encrypted data can be entirely inaccessible and therefore worthless to ransomware attackers or stall them long enough for an incident response team to rectify the situation.
#9: Use a dedicated and cloud-based security management platform
A dedicated and cloud-based Security Management Platform helps with cyber security by allowing users to monitor and control all aspects of their network from one central location. This allows for better visibility into what’s happening across the entire network and provides a single point of contact for IT staff to resolve issues quickly.
Check out Sangfor Platform-X for a comprehensive network security platform.
#10: Have an incident response team & plan
Incident response teams are a key component of network security and can be what you need to prevent an attacker hacking into your network entirely.
But many network administrators and business owners make the mistake of thinking incident response teams are only useful after the fact. In fact, incident response teams, like that offered by Sangfor, are useful at all stages of a potential network security incident: pre-incident, mid-incident, and post-incident.
Have any questions?
Got any questions regarding how to improve your business’ network security? Don’t hesitate to get in touch with our experts today.
