Are You Protected Against the Security Threats 2016 May Bring?
The year 2016 is going to bring with it new security challenges for many organizations. Not that this is a unique threat for 2016, but the threats usually evolve year to year. Over the last 12 months, we have heard a lot about Cloud Technologies, Managed Services, and Mobility. As these technologies continue to gain popularity, the security threats start to increase within the organizations that adopt them, if they don’t do so properly. For an organization to be protected from outside threats, it is going to require constant vigilance, along with a smart, skilled, and experienced expert. Here are some tips you can implement to help ensure the security of your network and data.
- Don’t implement any new technology without ensuring you have the budget and plan to ensure security is part of the implementation process. There are risks with every technology you implement, but if you choose to compromise on the security deliverables or let your IT Consultant do so, security becomes even more of an issue. Free tip for you: if your IT Consultant is willing to compromise on your security, they are not the best partner for you to be working with. Make sure security is a topic you approach always and often when discussing both current and future technologies.
- Adopt a New Years resolution in regards to your security. Are you 100% sure that all of your devices are protected? With the number of mobile workers on the rise, it becomes more challenging to ensure every device a user is working on is protected. Every device you have connected to your network = increased security threat. Take the time to do a Network Assessment within your organization and have a professional evaluate your networks and devices and make sure everything is up and running properly. Most of us take the time to reflect upon our personal health and changes we want to make in the new year. You should follow this same principle with your organization’s health.
- If you have or are going to adopt IoT (Internet of Things), please make sure you do so under the guidance of an IT Consultant. You may have an IT Manager on staff, but hackers will be focused on IoT devices, as this presents itself as a new challenge for 2016. Multi-platform threats can easily spread and compromise your corporate infrastructure. An IT staff of 1 person, can not stay knowledgeable on all the threats you will be facing, not to mention the solutions you need to implement. Using an IT Consultant guarantees you the knowledge of an entire staff, usually with multiple specialties among them, giving you a larger knowledge pool to pull from.
- Implement a checks and balances system. If you have an IT person on staff, how are you ensuring that they are following the best practices needed to keep your organization and data safe from outside harm. You have to rely on them to not make any mistakes if you aren’t also using a 3rd party IT provider. Putting your organization’s security in the hands of just 1 person is not usually a smart business decision. Everyone makes mistakes. Can you afford a mistake that risks the security of your data?
These may seem like simple rules to follow, but we have a lot of experience going into an organization and performing an initial network assessment and finding countless vulnerabilities. In most instances, these organizations were none the wiser. Just because your organization doesn’t experience immediate symptoms, doesn’t mean there isn’t a security threat. In some cases, by the time your organization realizes there may be a security threat, it is too late and your data is hacked or destroyed. Don’t let your organization become a victim. But, don’t let the idea of a security threat scare you away from adopting new technologies that your business can greatly benefit from. Just take the necessary steps to make sure you are protected. If your organization is in need of a network assessment or if you are unsure if your network is protected, 2W Technologies is a full-service IT Consultant and can help give you peace of mind.
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