Tips to Improve IT Security
SECURITY
- Securing your devices can be challenging, especially when your employees are working remotely.
- All endpoints, both on- and off-network, must be patched and secured on an ongoing basis.
Perform a security assessment
Assessing your company’s security threats is the first step towards keeping your IT environment secure. Security assessments should include checks for vulnerabilities in your IT systems and business processes, as well as recommending steps to lower the risk of future attacks.
Identify:
Your critical assets
External vulnerabilities that could be potential security gaps that would allow hackers access to your network and information
System protocol leakage – outbound protocols that shouldn’t be allowed
Lack of web browser controls
Wireless network security issues
Network share permissions
Set up a secure VPN for remote workers to access applications that require it
VPNs encrypt internet traffic making it unreadable to anyone intercepting it. It’s important to have an easy and automated process to set up VPN on your remote endpoints.
Here are a few guidelines:
Use a strong encryption method for VPN
Consider Layer Two Tunneling Protocol (L2TP) over Internet Protocol security (IPsec) Consider OpenVPN over Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP)
Use an endpoint management tool to deploy, configure and monitor VPN clients on remote endpoints Automate the process of redeploying the VPN client if it goes down
Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policy that specifies security requirements
Outline essential elements for your BYOD policy to ensure maximum endpoint security:
Chart out the minimum required security controls for devices
Provide components such as SSL certificates for device authentication
Enforce strong password policies
Control and monitor the installation of apps
Define policies to be followed in case an employee leaves the company and data needs to be wiped Your BYOD policy should require an agent to be installed on the endpoint for managing the device
Automate software patch management & vulnerability management
Install, deploy and update software on each endpoint automatically using an endpoint management solution.
Have real-time visibility into the patch status of your on-and-off network devices.
Have visibility into the software vulnerabilities that impact your IT environment
Set up auto-remediation of vulnerabilities through proactive scanning and automated patching
Back up Systems and SaaS application data with integrated backup and disaster recovery.
Implement a robust backup solution that:
Integrates with your endpoint management solution for seamless backup management
Automates testing for guaranteed recovery
Ensures clean instant recoveries
Back up your SaaS data for speedy restoration in case of malware, phishing or user errors.
Implement Multi Factor Authentication and Single Sign-on
SSO and MFA increase authentication security by:
Reducing the need to remember user credentials
Requiring additional information, beyond passwords, to log into the user’s account.
For example, with two-factor authentication, you would get a one-time passcode
Letting users log in securely to multiple applications with one set of credentials
Educate your Employees.
Monitor the dark web to take proactive steps to prevent a security breach
Scan the dark web for stolen credentials
Set up alerts if any company data or employee personal data is found on the dark web
Change the passwords as needed and implement strong password policies
Educate employees with simulated phishing emails and security awareness training videos
Detect and Respond to Insider Threats
Insider threats occur when employees within the organization expose confidential information, either through negligence or malicious intent.
In 2019, about 57 percent of data breaches globally involved insiders, with 15 percent
of data breaches occurring due to misuse of privileges.1
Enhance your organization’s security by taking these steps to respond to these threats:
Monitor unauthorized logins and restrict privileged user access
Track unusual or odd-hour login behavior
Set alerts when wireless connections are added to the network
Deploy an antivirus/anti-malware & endpoint detection and response (EDR) combined solution.
Go beyond traditional antivirus and anti-malware and implement an EDR solution to combat cyberattacks. EDR solutions record system activities and events taking place on endpoints and provide security teams with the visibility they need to uncover and remediate incidents.
A sophisticated EDR solution identifies and removes cyber threats from your environment by
Constantly monitoring your environment for security incidents and anomalies
Providing real-time threat detection and automated remediation
Delivering fast incident triage, investigation and response
Offering pre- and post-compromise attack visibility (Root Cause Analysis)
Implement and practice your incident response plan.
All organizations need to be prepared for major security incidents that could drastically affect their business. Plan and practice a step-by-step incident response strategy that incorporates the following:
Define the roles and responsibilities of each member of your incident response team Have a business continuity plan
Identify the tools, technologies and resources that must be in place.
Define all critical network and data recovery processes
Identify and remediate the root cause of the incident – apply patches, update systems, remove malware, etc.
Have a communications plan for both internal and external stakeholders.
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