Common Network Security Problems and Solutions
Building a network that is functional as well as secure requires skill and attention to detail. This is usually a task that is far beyond the comfort and skill level of basic IT support, meaning you will need to be sure that you think of all of the necessary risks and cover all of your bases when you are developing your network security strategies.
There are many problems that happen which will threaten your business network’s security if you do not have the proper protections in place to keep your company safe. If you have been worried about the increase in recent cyberattacks and malware sophistication, you are not alone. These are very real factors that all businesses should be aware of and strive to respond to.
If you are ready to learn more about common network security problems and solutions, read on for more information!
Table of Contents
Common Network Security Problems and Solutions
While it is possible that an attack can slip through your defenses at any time, it would only be a very sophisticated attack if you have the right basic protocols in place to protect your network on a day-to-day basis. A good network security strategy will prevent these issues and keep your company safe despite the many threats that are part of daily life these days.
Problem #1: Unknown Assets Attached to the Network
This is all too common, especially as people have been moved to a remote work environment and are not aware of the ways that they are unintentionally exposing your network to risk. Things like iPads, computers that were not configured by your IT team, and even mice can cause issues for the safety of your network.
Solution #1
If you are concerned that there might be unknown assets with inadequate safety protections on your network, you should make sure that you conduct a survey of every device that is used daily to access your network. Hold your employees who are working from home accountable and make them give you a list of every item that they are using on your network each day. Make sure not to allow items or devices that are not secured to access your network.
Problem #2: Security Vulnerabilities
Attacks that pass under the radar of your protections are more common than you think. Hackers and other bad actors are smart and they know that anomalies will automatically be flagged and stopped in their tracks. This is why the most successful hacking is usually modeled after threats that have already been recognized by most products that might be used to protect your network. These are the kinds of threats that make it past protections because the applications you have protecting your network believe that they are mundane and do not take the right actions to stop them.
Solution #2
Never let any devices on your network fall behind on their security patches. This is one of the most important parts of maintaining a secure network. Security patches offer up the latest information about ongoing hacking and other kinds of cyber threats. This ensures that your protective network knows how to identify and attend to these attempts, in order to stop attackers before they gain access to your network.
The best way to prevent devices from impacting your network security is to run a security audit. These processes should be done frequently to make sure that there are no questionable processes or instances of access that should not be going on. Your network health will rely on these kinds of maintenance activities and you need to make them a part of your security prevention protocols right away if you are not already running these reports.
Problem #3: Abuse of Account Privileges
Insiders are often your biggest problem when you are trying to secure your network. Employees who are not aware that they are abusing their access rights or those who are not educated in proper network security can cause the most damage to your organization. 74% of data breaches begin with credential and account abuse. Between password sharing and abuse of access to sensitive data, there are unlimited ways that employees can threaten the security of your network every day.
Solution #3
Do not allow any employee to have unlimited access to your network. Every employee should be granted the amount of access that they must have to complete their daily work functions, and nothing more than that. This means creating user profiles that are managed at the time that people are on boarded or when they switch jobs, but it is well worth the effort in the case of a breach or a detected threat.
Problem #4: A Weak IT Department
Hiring a qualified IT team is expensive and takes leg work, but it is worth it. A very common issue for network security is the lack of a security team. You might have some IT specialists in place who are attempting to handle this need as well as other duties, but this is a poor policy if you want to actually maintain a secure network. Security alerts and updates are time-consuming and require that a team of people is maintaining these necessary defenses daily.
Solution #4
Always have a qualified security team as part of your IT support system. You may have to work with a third party to secure the kind of support that you need, but it is well worth doing so. You cannot attend to security risks or threats that no one is paying attention to, and you cannot hope to respond to a true data breach effectively without the right employees on hand to navigate this kind of situation.
Problem #5 : Employees Working Over Public WIFI
This can be one of the biggest threats to the security of your business and it can expose your network to all kinds of risk related to bad actors as well as viruses and malware. This is a daily reality now that people are working remotely more and more of the time, and not all employees are aware of the risks that are associated with using public WIFI to connect to their work network.
Solution #5
THe easiest way to solve this dilemma is to provide a VPN for your employees to use. A VPN will keep you network safe and secure and you will not have to worry about employees who are working remotely causing a security breach or data theft when they are working at a coffee shop or in an airport in between flights.
Network Security is of the Utmost Importance for Your Business
There is no reality where network security is not essential to maintaining your business. You cannot pretend that these threats do not exist, or skip employee training about these topics. Your network protects your ability to do business and is the entire basis for your validity as a company. Without a solid network that customers can trust, you cannot hope to run a successful business.
Always make sure to prioritize your network security and look for solutions that will provide you with the best support possible for your network needs. Maintaining a secure network takes effort, but it is necessary for your business to be a success.
Investing in the right solutions for common network security problems can make the difference between a business that stands the test of time and one that does not.
