4 Network Security Mistakes & How to Fix Them
Your business’s IT and digital networks are more connected than ever, and sometimes that is a bad thing. We’ve previously talked about common workplace cybersecurity mistakes, which include things like password sharing, inadequate access monitoring, and clicking on unsafe links – all the things you and your IT partners or employees are reminding everyone about in monthly email updates. But there are other ways your network security may be compromised.
Several of these network security mistakes are rooted in miseducation and misunderstanding. Let’s go through some of the top network security mistakes your business and employees are probably making, and some great ways to fix them.
Using Free Hotspots & Public Wi-Fi
Free Wi-Fi is a great way to entice a new, larger crowd of work-from-home professionals into doing their business at a local coffee shop or restaurant. But it’s not a great way to protect your network integrity.
Public networks are often used by your remote employees who either don’t have great internet access at home or who just want to switch up their office scenery for a day or an afternoon. But these networks are often unsecured and can therefore be very easy to hack.
If you have employees who love embracing the Work from Anywhere lifestyle, encourage them to only use Wi-Fi networks that are password protected.
And don’t forget to use a VPN when you need to have access to a network but are using unsecured wireless networks.
Clicking “Agree”
On average, people in the United States are visiting more than 130 web pages per day. And while you and your coworkers and employees may need to visit many of these websites often to complete work tasks and other job-related inquiries, the network mistake comes when you first load that page and click “agree.”
Every web page is different, and the information you are agreeing to share may be personal or sensitive in nature. And let’s be honest, almost no one reads the terms and conditions they are agreeing to.
By agreeing without investigating what you’re agreeing to, you could be giving these websites permission to collect and use your personal or professional data and information. This can severely impact your network integrity.
Many of these web pages include a “manage settings” or “disagree” option. If possible, it’s always best to disagree – this means you don’t give permission for the web page to use any information you give. If you only have the option to “manage” those permissions, it’s important to take the time to investigate. Is there an option in the “manage settings” area that you can opt-out of the information collection? If there is, do that first, then browse. If there isn’t, it may be worth finding another site to use.
Not Updating and Patching
We get it – sometimes that little pop-up telling you it’s time to update the applications or other software on your work device could not come at a worse time. It seems to always happen when you’re in the middle of a meeting or right before you hit that “save” button.
While it’s often annoying, regular updates on all your devices are crucial to maintaining your network security. Your virus scanners and other anti-malware products are updating as often as they can so they are able to combat the latest threats to your network and your business.
Ignoring security patches is another one of the most popular network security mistakes. No matter how good your cybersecurity system is, there are always holes in your operating system. Once that hole is found by a hacker or other bad actor, they’ll exploit it. Similar to holes in a boat, you don’t want to wait until you are overwhelmed with what’s coming through those holes.
Trying to Do It All Yourself
DIY is a great solution for easy home projects and quick device troubleshooting, but it’s not a viable solution for your business. Your business has employees and third-party vendors that help you carry out your day-to-day operations, why should your network security be any different?
Your network integrity is facing bigger threats at higher volumes, there’s no room for you to let things slip through the cracks while you are trying to juggle all the management, IT, and operations activities your business needs to maintain to be successful.
That’s what Verve IT is for. We have managed IT services that are scalable and targeted to create a unique and comprehensive protection plan that ensures your network integrity, even as it grows and changes.
We can help you with backups, infrastructure, data protection, managed cloud solutions, Operations-as-a-Service, project management, and more. Verve works in IT, but we are a service firm first. Our goal is to help people manage and protect their businesses effectively.
Our specialists are ready to help. Give us a call or send an email today to learn more about our services.
