Network Security Audit with ACT360
Network Security Auditing for Businesses in Barrie, Ontario
Key Points:
- Network security audits should be performed regularly
- Auditing can help to identify weaknesses, threats, and other system issues
- Businesses of all sizes should conduct audits
- Network security audits are more beneficial when performed by expert IT professionals
Network security should be a top priority for businesses of all sizes in Barrie, Ontario. It can result in unauthorized access, misuse, and theft without sufficient security. Data breaches can easily occur when there are issues with the network infrastructure. Through network security auditing, it is possible to learn where weaknesses exist so that you can make the necessary improvements.
What is Network Security Auditing?
Network security auditing is an audit that helps examine an IT infrastructure's entirety concerning IT controls, security, risk mitigation, and access policies and procedures.
A good audit is performed independently – and the IT professional conducting the audit should not only have a background in security and network management but also not be responsible for managing the networks/systems currently being audited.
An audit is capable of identifying a significant amount, including:
- Threats
- Weaknesses
- Compromises
Additionally, an audit will help determine if you're meeting the necessary regulatory requirements based on your business and industry details. Various regulatory bodies you may need to comply with include the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards and the North American Electric Reliability Corporation Critical Infrastructure.
The Benefits of Network Security Auditing in Barrie, ON
Network security auditing for your business in Barrie, ON can be extremely beneficial.
One of the biggest benefits is that you'll identify your weaknesses. This will make it easier for you to know where to spend most of your time. It may be to train employees on organizational policies and procedures, establish a device user guide, or even invest in more network security software.
You'll have the ability to learn about network inefficiencies along with hardware and firmware issues that may exist. This can help you spend more money on upgrades, if necessary.
You'll discover any security weaknesses within the network. These can be vulnerabilities caused by insufficient security, configuration errors, and more. Learning about the weaknesses through an audit can save you the hassle of experiencing an actual data breach.
Depending on the extensiveness of the audit and its findings, you may also discover:
- Unauthorized users
- Rogue devices
- Security incidents
- Issues with network infrastructure
Especially if you feel as though you have no idea whether your network security is where it needs to be, or you have no plan in place to strengthen your security, an audit can be an eye-opening experience.
The results of the audits will show you where you need to concentrate your time and money. You can establish a plan to progress to see drastic improvements on your next audit.
Best Practices for Network Security Auditing
Audits for network security should be performed with some regularity. While they should be performed at least annually, there may be other instances where they should be performed, too – a recent data breach, changing out your IT manager, or suspicious activity has been occurring.
There are plenty of other best practices for you to engage in for conducting audits, too.
Ultimately, your goal is to ensure that your business runs smoothly. If you encounter issues that disrupt your operation or downtime to your network, you face stress.
With these best practices, you can run more smoothly, even BEFORE an audit has a chance to flag any issues that have to be addressed.
Check out these five best practices:
- Leverage tools. You can use tools that will help you analyze your network performance, explore device configurations, and even complete a network inventory.
- Flag devices. Determine what devices can be supported by the software or hardware you utilize. If any are obsolete, be sure that they are flagged to be either replaced or upgraded.
- Perform scans. Run scans on your network to learn of any vulnerabilities. If there are weaknesses, you know that security issues have to be addressed quickly.
- Look for security patches. There may be operating systems and applications that have security patches that have to be downloaded. Verify that all patches are up-to-date.
- Evaluate policies. Take the time to review your policies and procedures to ensure that employees know what is needed to keep the network safe, including knowing how to identify phishing scams and how to create safe and secure passwords.
Once you've gone through an audit, you can also learn about other best practices that should be implemented within your business.
Ask Questions to Protect Your Business's Network Security
Whether you have an on-site server or are on the cloud, there should be plenty of emphasis on the importance of network security.
If you have a cloud service provider (CSP), some network security is out of your hands. As such, you must find out what's being done to protect your assets.
Ask questions of CSPs, IT managers, and more – whether they work for you or work with you.
Some questions to ask:
- How frequently are audits performed?
- Who is responsible for performing the audits?
- What are the data retention and destruction policy?
- Are audit reports readily available?
- What issues are being flagged as problematic within the audits?
Never feel as though you don't have the right to ask questions, even if you're dealing with a CSP instead of a network security manager within your own company.
Ultimately, your business in Barrie, ON, is responsible for compliance with regulatory protocols and maintaining network security. If you don't feel everything is being handled properly, start with an audit to make important discoveries. Only then can you improve and enjoy better peace of mind regarding your network's security.
