Network security principles that your business needs to adopt

In order for enterprises to be fully protected against an ever-growing array of cyber threats, they need to stay ahead of the curve. However, protecting all your digital assets all of the time can be a difficult task. The most important of these assets is probably your business network.

This is the central point through which all online traffic, including employees and customers, will route. A business network includes all endpoint devices, routers, servers, data centres and cloud infrastructure. Network security is an absolute necessity for any modern company. Data breaches, malware, phishing attacks and distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks can cripple entire networks.

The average cost of a data breach in 2021 stood at US$4.24-million (~R63.4-million). This is the highest it has been in 17 years. The massive shift to remote working has only added to this expense as business networks expand and become more vulnerable. Similarly, ransomware attacks doubled in frequency in 2021; 37% of global companies confirmed that they were victims of some form of ransomware attack.

So what network security principles can an enterprise adopt to improve its cyber security? Endpoint protection and firewalls are the most common cyber security tools that are used by most businesses, however, more advanced software to protect the core of the network is needed.

Adopt a zero-trust policy

Enterprises should adopt a zero-trust policy that is enforced by network and IT managers. Not doing so could be construed as negligence nowadays. A zero trust architecture requires network managers to address each digital asset individually and ensure that it operates within the security and compliance parameters of the company.

Network and IT managers will need to continually check all devices instead of just assuming that they are working in an acceptable state. Software patches and updates are released on such a frequent basis nowadays that security configurations need to change all the time. Failure to do so will result in unintended security failures.

Three principles to improve network security

If a zero-trust policy is instated, then a company can begin to focus on three network security principles that will improve their monitoring, defence and mitigation of cyber threats.

1. Device configuration - Network security issues first arise through errors in device configuration. Simply patching and updating software will not fix these problems if the devices are not set up with the network properly. Thorough and precise device configuration is the first step to network protection and all of these configurations should be continually monitored and maintained.
2. Software automation - Threat detection and mitigation software must be automated. The vast number of vulnerabilities that can be present in a large company’s network makes it impossible for employees to monitor and track the system manually. Automated security provides an always-on approach to network integrity and protection.
3. Using multiple cyber security services - Modern companies need to make use of an array of security services to ensure that their networks are completely covered. The easiest way to do this is to partner with a business that offers various security programmes and services, beyond firewalls and anti-virus software.

Seacom Business has a number of cyber security services to offer large enterprises in South Africa and abroad. These include complete endpoint protection, DDoS Protect, hosted servers and enhanced email security. By making use of one or all of these services, enterprises will be able to guarantee complete network security and avoid the ludicrous costs of data breaches, DDoS attacks and ransomware.

Don’t let your company become part of the statistics through negligence or thinking “it won’t happen to us”. A compromised network can cripple a company and affect the livelihoods of thousands of employees and customers. For more information or to get a quote for our various security services, email us at marketing@seacom.com or leave us a message.

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