Michael Curry
Almost every business today has an online presence. As more businesses embrace remote work models and cloud computing, we cannot stress enough the importance of keeping your data/network secure and protected at all times. According to studies, more than 2.5quantillion bytes of data is shared every day. This has made the online environment ripe for cybercriminals to thrive, especially where individuals and companies aren’t particularly careful when online.
Although there might be tools to help keep you safe online, these aren’t 100% effective – hackers continually find new ways to exploit and breach your networks and data. Staying safe online basically boils down to simple day-to-day habits. Outlined below are a few tips on how to keep your network secure.
- Steer Clear of Public Connections
Public internet is the very last thing you should use if concerned about your data security. Public internet connectivity leaves your data and devices vulnerable to a cyberattack. With data relayed on a public portal, a good hacker can eavesdrop on all your connections and actively steal data without your knowledge. That said, it would be advisable to stick to private connections, and especially when handling sensitive data or devices.
A private but secure internet connection keeps your data protected especially while in transit. This is because it takes the shortest path possible to reach its destination. Nevertheless, a public network increases Autonomous System paths, making it vulnerable. End-to-end traffic encryption however assures secure data transport and delivery, and it is harder to hack too. Consider using a VPN if unsure of the connection you are on.
- Integrate Your Cloud Stack
Cloud stack integration is one of the easiest and most cost-effective ways to protect your network from cyberattacks while offering multi-cloud architecture. Serviced by a single private provider, it will be easier to detect possible data breaches and risks. This also means you can work with the provider to ensure your data is not only safe but also have access to critical network properties that would ensure optimized data security. Although you might know this, cloud stacking also enables a holistic overview of all cloud applications.
Mobile devices have completely changed our daily lives, both workday and personal time. Although mobile phone Operating System (OS) updates are intended to improve user experience, this often goes beyond performance and can involve security too. As the remote work culture continues to flourish, IT security teams worldwide continue to combat the associated security challenges mobile devices impose upon enterprise networks in the form of mobile security threats.
- Consider Supercharging Your SD-WAN
Time is everything in the cyber and network world. The more agile your network is, the easier it will be to identify and respond to potential/active security threats. Software Defined WAN (SD-WAN) is more than just a network for your company, it is an ecosystem. Many reputable providers offer a wide array of integration options that would optimize network operations and everything else linked to it. This is especially important for cloud-native network security, multi-cloud, network branches, and other applications. Integrating NFV (Network Function Virtualization) hosting will also help extend the SD-WAN connection even further. With this, you can make all connections private to your company, reducing data exposure when in transit. Such integrations also make it possible to reduce data internet hops from one branch or device to another. The faster your data can travel, the less likely it is to be tapped or copied.
- Integrate System-Wide Protection
A cyberattack can make your systems and especially applications inaccessible even after full recovery. This can deal a major blow to the company, making it almost impossible to run core services and applications. In addition to protecting your network, you want to protect your applications as well. What better way to do this than to switch to dedicated connections instead of relying on ISPs? A dedicated connection is less likely to be intercepted or infiltrated, hence providing an extra layer of security for your data. Private connectivity across all cloud stacks will elevate network security beyond the minimum, giving you the utmost protection for enterprise data.
