How to Manage Your Business’s Network

Data has recently become a major talking point among businesses, and for good reason. The influence of data over the profitability of a company is tremendous, after all. With the growing importance of data comes the similar growth in the prominence of cyber security. Data has a lot of potential in the right hands, but that makes it a prime target for a variety of bad actors. With a number of potential threats to your company’s data lurking in the shadows, the need for ample cyber security is apparent. Here are some tips to keep your company’s network secure.

Network Management

While many think of network security as the end all be all of securing a network, network security depends on proper network management. Without proper management of a network, security endeavors will be less efficient and less effective. The analogy of the “well oiled machine” people use to describe an efficient business also applies to your business’s network. Without proper maintenance, it’s bound to break down eventually.

Network management is not only crucial, but also labor intensive. It also requires technological and managerial expertise. For these reasons, it’s recommended that you outsource network management for best results.

Cyber Security

Cyber security is a series of steps taken to protect your devices and network from outside attacks. Hackers have an extensive arsenal of tools with which to compromise a network or device, and cyber security professionals have a similar roster of options with which to combat hackers and other threats. At its most basic, cyber security depends heavily on software that can do a lot of the heavy lifting. These include antivirus and antimalware software, as well as selective use of firewalls.

Cyber security also entails a number of best practices, such as basic cyber security training for employees and monitoring of network activity for suspicious activity to and/or from the network. Again, the expertise needed to conduct proper cyber security all but requires trained professionals, so hiring outside help is the preferred option when the budget allows for it.

Cloud Technology

Cloud technology provides an answer to any of several problems facing businesses. For the purposes of cyber security, cloud storage of digital media provides additional security when compared to digital storage on a single device. Cloud storage is the process by which one stores digital files on a remote device on the cloud, and that distance from your device grants additional security, as it hides the file, in a manner of speaking. However, cloud storage can also be used to backup files, having said files on both your device and in the cloud.

A private cloud, however, is even more secure, as it largely sequesters your entire network in much the same way as a traditional network. Private clouds also enable the use of cloud computing, a process in which every device on a cloud, private or public, can share assets like processing power in order to cooperate on tasks and share files alike.

The IT Department

IT stands for Information Technology, and the IT department refers to a department within your business that aims to fix technological problems. This is a criminally oversimplified view, however. The IT department can serve your business in a number of ways, one of which is preventing said technological problems in advance by optimizing your devices to avoid issues that can compromise your devices and, in turn, your network.

Given the increasing focus on technology in modern business, it’s no surprise that IT professionals are in higher demand. While many companies do use in house IT specialists, they often lack a full team of quality professionals. Again, don’t be afraid to outsource IT to a team of highly trained experts.

Data and technology are accounting for a greater part of a business’s budgets and concerns than ever before. The checklist of things to prepare for and avoid may seem daunting at first, but it’s just that: a checklist. By taking things one step at a time, this guide can help you bolster the security of your company’s data easily and effectively.

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