A guide to protecting your business network from cyber threats

It does not matter whether you own a small business or a large multi-national company, protecting your IT infrastructure should be at the top of your list of priorities. Unfortunately far too many business owners out there think that the worst will not happen to their business and end up getting caught out by malicious viruses and canny hackers. Whilst security software can be expensive for small businesses, there are various different types of packages available to meet their needs and requirements. In this article we will provide a guide to protecting your business network from cyber threats and criminals.

Keep your business network safe by educating your employees and using security software.

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Web filtering

Today many businesses set strict policies regarding employees’ internet usage. There are some websites that are simply inappropriate for viewing in the workplace. This includes social media websites (unless using business accounts) and websites containing distasteful or ‘adult’ content. Whilst internet usage policies in the work place often do the trick, some businesses have to take it a step further by implementing web filtering tools.

Web filtering allows business owners to block inappropriate websites, preventing their employees from being able to access them on their work computers. Viewing ‘adult’ websites and those that display distasteful content often results in viruses and malware being downloaded. This is something you need to protect your business network from. By implementing web filtering software in the work place, you can have the peace of mind knowing that your employees are using their time productively and are not accidentally downloading harmful content to your network.

Stop viruses and malware from destroying your business network with the help of firewalls.

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Firewalls

As a business owner it is understandable that you want to keep the files and data on your network safe and protected at all times. If you get a virus on one of the computers on your network, you could easily end up losing many of your important files. The same goes for if a hacker accesses your business network without authorisation. They could easily remove files from your network and steal confidential business data. The best way to prevent this from happening is by installing a firewall.

Firewalls provide a layer of protection between your business network and the outside world. They prevent viruses and unauthorised users from being able to access your network. Today many firewalls are able to automatically detect and block unauthorised users trying to access your system and automatically destroy any viruses you accidentally download, before they cause harm to your computer system.

Anti-virus scanners

The best way to keep your business network safe is to have security precautions actively working in the first place, however if you believe that viruses and malware may have infiltrated your system, it is important that you make use of anti-virus scanners. These are tools which are designed to look through your system files, identify suspicious content and destroy it. Whilst installing anti-virus software does not one hundred per cent guarantee that your system will be free from viruses, it goes a long way in helping you to combat the issue.

Email filters

Viruses and malware use various points of access when trying to latch themselves to your IT system. One way in which they do this is via emails. It is important that you have an email filter in place that sorts spam emails from important emails. Instead of having spam email go into your employees’ inboxes, it will instead filter into the junk box. It is advised that you inform your employees to avoid opening spam email as it can contain harmful attachments, which if downloaded can place viruses and malware on your network.

Use web and email filters to stop viruses and malware from being downloaded onto your business network.

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Phishing scams

Cyber criminals are constantly trying to find new ways to target vulnerable IT systems, particularly those owned by businesses. One of the latest scams involves sending out emails from what appear to be legitimate addresses. These emails usually look like they are coming from your bank or a service provider like PayPal, asking you to follow the link in order to unlock your account, as they are claiming too many invalid attempts have been made. Unfortunately this is all false information and if you click on the link and enter your information, it is likely to be stolen by the cyber criminals. This is something you must warn your staff about.

Setting policies

One of the best ways to protect your business network from cyber threats and criminals is to educate your employees. It is important that they understand the problems that viruses, malware and hackers can cause and know how they can prevent them from accessing their computers. If you do not feel you are qualified to educate your employees on IT security, it is highly recommended that you get in touch with a company that will be able to come into your work place and provide the necessary guidance.

As well as educating your employees, it is advised that you set strict policies regarding internet usage and data protection. Make sure that employees know that if they do not abide to your policies they will be punished. Whilst it is important that they do not visit suspicious websites or download unidentified content, it is also essential that they understand the need to keep their passwords safe and back up important business data.

IT security management

As we mentioned before, security software can be extremely expensive, especially for small businesses. The problem is that you cannot compromise on the safety of your business network by not managing its security. If you are looking for a way to lower the cost of IT security management, whilst benefiting from gaining access to the latest software, we highly recommend outsourcing your IT security management to an external provider.

There are many IT support companies out there who offer excellent outsourcing packages. You can either choose to outsource part of your IT processes, such as security management, or opt for fully outsourced solutions which take care of everything from protecting your network to backing up your files.

Benefits of outsourcing IT security management

One of the great things about outsourcing IT security management is that it is relatively low cost. You will gain access to experts with experience and knowledge, as well as the latest security software, for a small monthly fee. If you opt for a fully outsourced solution you can also benefit from the IT support company taking care of your business’s data back-up and recovery processes on your behalf. They will keep copies off your business files and data secure in their data centres or on their cloud, so if for some reason something happens to your business network, you will be able to get your company back up and running in no time at all.

Outsource your IT security management to an external provider and benefit from cloud security.

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Today many IT support companies offer around the clock monitoring services. The benefit of this service is that it means they can monitor your system remotely, spotting issues and finding solutions before they cause any real problem for your business. The fact that most IT security management vendors now work remotely means that if there is a problem with your business network, they can fix it from their end, rather than having to disturb you and your staff in your place of work.

Image credits:noii’s, Steve A Johnson, perspec_photo88&perspect_photo88

[SALE] Google Play Store having an Autumn Games Sale for people in the Southern Hemisphere

Image courtesy of Valve + Steam, because they know how to do an Autumn Sale

While those of you in the Northern Hemisphere are currently enjoying the joys of Spring, the Southern Hemisphere is starting to hunker down for the colder months of the year. And what better way to prepare than to stock up on cheap Android games. Google Play is currently having a Autumn Games Sale which is feature some really great deals on some really great games. Check out the list of games on special below:

• Modern Combat 4 – $0.99
• Contre Jour – $0.99
• Doc McStuffins – $1.99
• Monopoly – $0.99
• Rabbids Big Bang – $0.49
• Assassin’s Creed Pirates – $2.49
• Where’s My Water? – $0.99
• Need for Speed Most Wanted – $0.99
• Where’s My Perry? – $0.99
• The Dark Knight Rises – $0.99
• Draw Race 2 – $0.99
• He-Man: The Most Powerful Game – $0.99
• Rayman Fiesta Run – $1.29
• Toy Story: Smash It – $0.99
• Lost Light – $0.99
• Order & Chaos Online – $0.99
• Temple Run: Oz – $0.99
• Where’s My Mickey? – $0.99
• The Sims 3 – $2.99
• Temple Run: Brave – $0.99
• NBA JAM by EA SPORTS – $0.99

As you can see, there is a load of fantastic games there mostly for only a dollar. A personal recommendation of mine would be Rayman Fiesta Run which is the sequel to Rayman Jungle Run, one of my favourite mobile games of all time; a clever and gorgeous platformer is just what the doctor ordered.

I’m seeing these prices in surprisingly exact amounts of Australian dollars (see the promotion page here) which suggests to me that these prices might only be available in Australia and the nearby regions, but if you see similar deals in your area, please let us know in the comments!

Source: Google Play