Cybersecurity is one of the main concerns for most businesses, and for a good reason. Companies of all sizes, from small mom-and-pop businesses to large corporations like eBay, are facing cyber attacks. Each year, cybercriminals become more and more innovative when it comes to the types of cyber attacks they launch against organizations. Here are three types of cyber security solutions your business must have to protect against cyber attacks.
Perimeter Security
The first type of cyber security solution your business should have is perimeter security. This type of solution serves as a barrier between the Internet and your network. Mobile devices, cloud technologies, and web services provide a significant number of new opportunities for organizations. However, these technologies also add to the number of solutions and services that need to be kept secure. If there is a vast web of connections, it can be easy for just one malware to invade and spread throughout the entire network. To deal with such threats, you need to establish a perimeter security framework that will guard access to vital data, applications, and services.
Some examples of perimeter security solutions include the following:
- Firewalls
- Intrusion preventions system
- Spam protection
Firewalls refer to a set of protocols that dictate what can and cannot enter your network. A firewall works by monitoring outgoing and incoming traffic. Firewalls scan where payloads are coming from and determine whether these sources are trusted. Firewalls are typically used to prevent Trojans and other malware from entering a network. However, firewalls can also be used to prevent employees from sending sensitive data outside your network.
The main disadvantage of firewalls is that they can be circumvented if hackers send payloads that are trusted to avoid detection. Therefore, you should use an Intrusion Prevention System (IPS) along with your firewall. An IPS is a solution that is intended to identify malicious network activity. IPSs use “anomaly-based detection” to look for patterns in data, applications, IP addresses, and network packets that may suggest an intrusion. An IPS are able to identify intrusions even if they come from a trusted source. The IPS is a useful solution for identifying hackers who make changes to already existing malware to avoid detection. IPS kill, or quarantine identified malicious payloads to prevent the spread of malware through your system.
Some research studies indicate that as much as 91 percent of cyberattacks begin with a phishing attack, which is often sent through email. The hacker sends an offer or requests to encourage users to click on the links, which are full of malware. Spam solutions work by flagging emails and blocking ads to make sure employees don’t have to see threatening or annoying emails. Some spam solutions come with a “safe browsing” feature that checks the destination of an URL to ensure that it is safe.
Intranet Security
Another type of cyber security solution is an Intranet security solution. An important of cybersecurity is protecting individuals devices and computers from malware that has managed to infiltrate your local network. The most common strategies for Intranet security include the following:
- Updating and patching software
- Anti-malware software
Human Security
Many computer users mistakenly believe that the only treats they need to consider are innovative hackers and malware attacks. A side effect of this is that many companies pour all their resources into intranet security and perimeter security, only to ignore human security. IBM conducted a study in 2016 and found that 23 percent of all security breaches are caused by human mistakes, such as having weak passwords, connecting to networks that are unsecured, and answering spam emails. If trusted individuals in your organization perform these actions, spam blockers, firewalls, and anti-malware software become useless.
Here are a few tips that will help you ramp up human security within your organization.
Employee Training
You should offer comprehensive security awareness training to your employees so that they are equipped with the skills to protect themselves and your organization from a variety of threats. You can hold training seminars in-house, or you can get support from a third-party to train your employees.
Your employees should learn about the different types of malware, such as worms, ransomware, and Trojan horses. Teach your employees about the capabilities of each form of malware so that they know the warning signs if their device becomes infected.
Establish a strong password policy. Teach your employees about the importance of a strong password and inform them of proper techniques for setting good passwords. Not only is it right to use complicated passwords with symbols, numbers, and uppercase and lowercase letters, but it’s also important that the password is lengthy. You should also have your employees use different passwords for different applications. That way, if a hacker is able to get a hold of a password, they are still not able to access all of the applications within your network.
Security Testing
Not only do you want to train your employee, but you also want to conduct security testing to ensure your employees have learned all the information you want them to know. Security testing is excellent for reinforcing the security practices you want your employees to adopt. According to some studies, security testing has helped some companies reduce susceptibility to threats by up to 20 percent. There are many different software solutions out there that you can use to test your employees. For example, some solutions send fake spam emails to employees. If employees fall for the spam emails, the solution corrects the actions of the employee and tells them what they should do in the future.
For more information about the types of cybersecurity solutions that your business should have, don’t hesitate to contact us.