INTRODUCTION
What is IT security?
In today’s digital world it is important to keep your digital assets and network devices protected, that is where the need for IT solutions comes into play.
IT security is a set of cybersecurity strategies that prevent unauthorized access to organizational assets such as computers, data, and networks. It maintains the integrity of information technologies used by businesses, groups, and enterprises.
Need of IT security
Whenever a company communicates online, by email or similar, and stores or transfers data and information, it must ensure its IT security. The scale of a cyber attack is devastating and the risk of becoming a victim of a cyber attack is growing every day.
IT security prevents malicious threats and potential security breaches from happening in your company’s internal network.
Types of IT security and threats to it
Some of the common types of IT securities are:
- Network security - used to prevent malicious users from entering your network.
- Internet security - involves protection for the data transferred in browsers.
- Cloud security - it helps in securing the usage of software-as-a-service (SaaS)
- Application security -it helps in identifying a threat that your application could be vulnerable to.
- Endpoint security - it helps in securing devices like laptops, computers, and cell phones from malicious threats.
Threats can occur in various forms, which may come in different variations to infect your network devices and system. Some very common threats are:
- Malicious malware
- Ransomware
- Spyware
- Viruses
Some big mistakes that companies make in their IT security
Most companies, businesses, or enterprises are using online technologies to expand their organization to reach a greater number of clients. But it's breached by hackers or malware threats online which is a caveat to this process. Moreover, IT security plays an essential role in maintaining the integrity of the whole network. To ensure that your data is safe and your security remains untouched by the lurking threats in the online world. Here are 5 ways that tell the biggest mistake your company might make in their IT security.
1. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it (budgeting).
Most companies try this break-fix approach, which means that you only pay your IT security company when a problem arises. This method saves some amount of money for the company, but it carries severe consequences with it. The threat of your business being hacked increases at a higher rate.
How to avoid this mistake - Rather than taking short-term coverage, you might want full insurance for your sensitive data. Give your IT solution provider a monthly fee for the daily management of your network.
2. You might be carrying some flaws in your network.
Since your company is following a break-fix approach, it’s likely that you don’t detect flaws in your network until they are exploited to the worst-case scenario.
How to avoid this mistake - There is a sure shot chance that these data breaches can cause a huge amount of loss and your company might shut down due to this reason. So it’s always better to have a managed service provider (MSP) by your side.
3. Not changing passwords regularly for important online accounts.
This mistake is mostly overlooked by major companies which cause them to lose essential data. Changing passwords might look like a tedious job, but it makes a big difference. Many companies forget to change the password for an important online account even when the employee moves on. It could be a disaster if an unsatisfied or disgruntled employee decides to do some damage to your old business using old passwords.
How to avoid this mistake - it’s simple, change your password. Most browsers even provide you automated generated passwords that are harder to guess.
4. Relying on a single solution as a “save all”
There is no “one concept” for everything, if companies want to prevent their internal private information from being jeopardized; security needs to be renewed every now and then.
Imagine if your employee is remotely working, especially in these times of covid crisis. He/she might be traveling by air, and they might use the public Wi-Fi to log on to the company website. What if the person sitting next to him/her, watching each keystroke and memorizing the password they enter. Think about the consequences if the person has some poor intentions.
How to avoid this mistake - This is a moment in time where technologies like SaaS and cloud come in handy. These technologies add an extra layer of security to your HTTPS protocol channel.
5. Not controlling their critical data
Most companies do not have control over the place that tracks the sensitive data location. Even fewer companies have the necessary controls to prevent the data from being copied. The reason why companies don’t have control over the sensitive data is because it's like herding cats and it’s difficult to balance the needs of employees who need access to the data to do their jobs.
How to avoid this mistake - Using cloud applications is a good solution because they allow the employees to access the data while also keeping it “corralled” on secure corporate servers.
CONCLUSION
For today’s data-driven world, it is important for a business or a company to focus on their IT security as a must for running the operations in an uninterrupted environment.
IT solution providers are very common these days among online companies and bigger firms. They provide the best technical help to keep your company’s data safe and secure from hackers lurking on the internet. It’s better to be safe than sorry.