Solutions to improve information security

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According to a cybersecurity study published by CISCO, only 38% of organizations worldwide say they are prepared to deal with a sophisticated cyber attack. Of the companies, 64% went through a web-based attack, 62% were subjected to phishing and social engineering attacks, 59% of companies were targeted by malware and botnets, and 51% suffered DDOS attacks.
In this context, the question of implementing adequate protection measures against these attacks is increasingly being raised.

You can apply the following solutions to protect your business from unauthorized access, negligent incidents, lack of knowledge, or lack of time to update technical security measures. Depending on the complexity of the information systems and networks you use, most of the time these solutions will only be a first part of improving your data protection. Remember that the phenomenon of cybercrime is constantly changing.

#1. The first solution is a security audit of the systems and the IT environment in which they operate, in order to ascertain the reference level of the existing security measures and the degree of resistance to attacks.
This analysis is essential and may include security risk assessment, penetration testing and vulnerability scanning. In the absence of such verification, any measures will be applied "blindly", their effectiveness being drastically limited.

#2. The second solution is to update all software solutions installed and used on computer systems, using the latest packages made available to users by authorized vendors. At the same time, it is necessary to remove all programs that are unstable or that come from unverified sources. It is necessary to check how these applications communicate with each other, what information they access and transfer, especially to external systems.

#3. The third solution is to update the policies for the use of information systems and the installation of protocols and access controls, monitoring the activities of the systems, their communications and changes that deviate from the accepted rules.
Determining a safe working environment depends essentially on the behavior of users of these systems.

#4. Given the importance of user behavior in a safe environment, regardless of the technical measures applied, regular training of staff is vital to reduce the risk of security incidents.
The required training sessions are aimed at at least how to use email communication platforms, accessing unknown links, opening files from unidentified sources or using computer systems in a secure way.

#5. Ongoing monitoring of IT activities is essential, as it allows for a reduction in response time to potential security threats.
Any unusual behavior pattern, any suspicious activity, any attack can be detected and annihilated much more easily, when there are successive alerts and automated monitoring for current processes.

#6. Properly configuring security settings can ensure that activities are conducted in a secure environment.
The time invested in customizing settings, from the complexity of usernames and the uniqueness of passwords to the activation of only the services and executable files that are strictly necessary, will help protect the servers, databases, applications used, and individual systems in function.

#7. Creating backups for the necessary information allows the recovery to be done efficiently and completely, in a reasonable time, limiting any damage.
In addition, these copies need to be better protected and isolated from the main internal and external data traffic flows, making it difficult or even impossible to access and compromise them.

#8. It is also important to identify the needs and implement security information systems to protect your organization. These systems include, but are not limited to, firewalls, IDS / IPS intrusion detection and prevention systems, and leakage prevention systems. Data Loss Prevention, antivirus systems, data encryption and pseudonymization systems, security incident management systems (SIEM), etc.
These systems should not be bought and implemented blindly but only after conducting an analysis of the IT environment to identify the optimal option for the organization both in terms of security and cost.

#9. Because it's about costs and because a cyber attack occurs every 39 seconds, 52% of these attacks affect small businesses and because interconnectivity is on the rise, data protection is vital and requires a change of approach, starting with the right information. and complete on the risks.
The cost of an incident will always be much higher than the cost of preventing it. Protective measures are at hand. Call on professionals!

#10. Last but not least, it is recommended to implement an information security management system, which defines an appropriate framework for organizing all the technical and operational measures implemented and which ensures their adaptation to the new security threats as well as their continuous improvement.

How can you protect yourself? Choose now Network-Consulting & Development services that offer both advanced IT infrastructure protection equipment such as Cisco or Palo Alto, and IT consulting. You can contact us at our email address.

Founded in 2011, the company provides telecommunications services in the field of IT infrastructure technology. With dynamism and flexibility, we carry out customized infrastructure projects and implement the most sophisticated networks, while maintaining efficient communications and security at the highest level.

We provide you with complete IT infrastructure implementation solutions and services provided by our licensed CISCO and PALO ALTO licensed experts.