The corporate network has changed from being an on-site environment of systems and data with a clear perimeter to one that has almost no distinguishable perimeter. Geographically dispersed users and devices, as well as interactions with cloud solutions, make network security a far different and more complex task.
First, a definition: network security encapsulates broad concepts including users, technologies, devices, and processes and how they are protected. It is a set of tools, policies, and configurations that protect the confidentiality, accessibility, and integrity of systems and data.
A solid network security plan begins with a clear understanding of the most common and dangerous threats to your systems and data. Here are the areas you need to consider:
Devices: Devices accessing your network can be a threat because they are unauthorized or because they are compromised. For instance, it could be as innocent as one of your employees accessing your network via a personal computer over an ethernet line.
It could also be that the device is authorized, but it is not up to date on security patches. Or you could have an employee that is using a laptop to access the network that has been infected with a virus.
There are also malicious attacks via a device, such as man-in-the-middle attacks using phishing scams or using fake IP addresses to redirect employees to a hacker-controlled site.
Users: Security breaches come in a wide variety of forms, including a disgruntled former employee, someone accessing a stolen device, or a malicious actor intentionally invading your systems. These kinds of cyber security risks include both intentional and unintentional user activities that lead to a breach.
Maintenance: Network security can also be compromised simply by not prioritizing security patches or a clear inventory of the devices that are accessing your network. Simple daily monitoring, updates, and patching help protect your network from threats.
Resources: Sometimes a network security threat looks deceptively close to legitimate activity. For instance, a sales representative regularly uses the customer relationship management (CRM) solution, but they shouldn’t be downloading comprehensive lists of customers. Or an employee that is about to leave the company that is suddenly working late into the night in areas of the resources that they were only supposed to have had one-time access to when they were working on a special project.
Traffic: There are types of network traffic that represent a significant cyber security threat. With cloud resources like Software as a Service, virtual networks, and other cloud-based technology, the volume of traffic can make it easier for a hacker to slip into the flow without being detected.
Disruption: Many of the threats will target devices, but some cyber security threats are against the processes of the network and servers. A Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack is used in this way. Sometimes a simple misconfiguration can serve to impact performance and interrupt the flow of traffic.
Your network security is at risk from a variety of threats, but there are policies and tools to help you monitor, identify and mitigate a situation before it interrupts your business processes. Contact us at Cloud Source to begin a conversation about your main security concerns and how to best address them.