Computer and Network Support Services

There are a number of people or departments in the organization, such as legal, IT, human resources, who have security responsibilities. Get together with them and see where areas may overlap and work on how to partner with them.

Security technology can be expensive and may require expertise that business does not have or may need to hire. Rather than spending on that plan just now, consider putting off for a budget cycle and try outsourcing the need to one of the many reputable companies that have come online to offer such specialized services and focus on what the company can do at this time.

Any security vendor will need to be investigated to make sure it brings true value to the company. In addition, they should have enough technical depth in case the needs change as the company grows, since changing security partnerships can bring added costs in re-training and re-tooling.

Consider the advantages of cross-training existing personnel as a way of boosting the value of the network security budget. Also, given staff turnover, make sure to have a defined training agenda, perhaps with regular “lunch and learn” sessions or attendance at meetings of local Information Systems Security Association chapter meetings.

Meet the legal adviser and security team to come up with an easily understandable, thorough security policy that matches the culture of the business. Make sure all staff members are up to speed on it and enforce it.

Teach staff the security basics by making sure they know what constitutes a strong password, for example, or to be sure they shut down their computer when they are away from their desk. Threats of firing if security measures are not complied with may seem drastic, but they will improve compliance.

Check the firewall logs and update the virus protection regularly. If any computers owned by the employees are to be added to the network, be sure they have up-to-date virus software already installed prior to making the connection. Also, if the anti-virus software is obtained via a subscription, many have handy, built-in update features that will reduce administrative time and effort.

Always change the manufacturer’s default settings on the systems when they are installed. Cheaters trying to access the system are altogether familiar with the holes they can exploit in the default settings.

Un-install and get rid of all unnecessary applications and services that might still be lurking on the system. These can be an easy backdoor for hackers in the event of a new hole in security, because they might have been forgotten and not patched.