Tip of the Week: 2 Easy Ways You Can Minimize Network Security Issues

Security issues can have any number of causes, meaning that every business needs to have a comprehensive security solution. This doesn’t mean, however, that there aren’t additional, small measures to implement that can give your organization’s security an added boost. Here, we’ll talk about two: keeping your software patched, and identifying social engineering attempts.

Applying Software Patches
This method of boosting your security is a bit of a no-brainer, as patches are literally fixes to security vulnerabilities. Yet, despite how simple it seems on the surface, there are a few levels to consider as you go about patching up your software. First of all, are you prioritizing your patches correctly?

It’s simple: while ideally you would be patching up all of your software solutions, you just may not know that there are patches available, or you may not have the time to do so. In reality, there are usually programs on a company’s network that go unpatched. Fortunately, due to the nature of exploits, hackers and other malicious parties tend to reach for the low-hanging fruit instead of putting in the extra work and devise an exploit for each instance of the vulnerability. This could ultimately total up to thousands upon thousands of programs. In a hacker’s mind, it’s much easier to just strike the lowest common denominator and use just one exploit.

Nevertheless, you should still do your best to keep every piece of software on your system up-to-date and patched. Just remember to put the most likely targets first on your list.

It also helps to keep your systems as clear of unused programs as possible. After all, the fewer pieces of software there are to exploit, the fewer opportunities there are for someone to exploit your software. Plus, that’s fewer solutions for you to maintain and patch, saving you time.

Foiling Social Engineering Attempts
Social engineering is a method that nefarious users will employ to get you to play right into their hands. If you have ever received a phone call or email message claiming that your systems have been jeopardized and you “need” to provide them with access to your computer for them to resolve it, you’ve likely been the target of a social engineering attempt.

From those who reach out online with an offered benefit or warning to those who literally follow employees past locked doors, these malicious users can be foiled through some simple vigilance. Remind employees that they shouldn’t accept an unknown face wandering about the office. Your employees should also exercise caution in their inboxes, as well. If they receive an unexpected email from an unfamiliar source, make sure they know to avoid it.

This is just the start of the potential improvements you can make to your security strategy. For more information, be sure to reach out to Directive at 607.433.2200.