5 of the Most Common Network Security Mistakes

Common network security mistakes you should avoid!

 

Computer networks are a mainstay of modern business. It’s hard to imagine how even routine office tasks would be executed today in the absence of network infrastructure. But like any other tool, how helpful networks are to an organization depends in great part on how well the network is managed and secured.

There are mistakes that could transform networking technology from an asset to an adversary. In particular, security is the one area you wouldn’t want to drop the ball. You could inadvertently make your organization a sitting duck while opening the door to hackers and malware. Here’s a look at some of the more common network security mistakes you should avoid.

 

  • Disabled or Misconfigured Firewalls

 

Firewalls are one of your network’s first layer of defense from external attack. A disabled or misconfigured firewall could give hackers front door access to your organization. Having a firewall is an important step but a firewall is only as effective as the quality of its configuration. 

A firewall should facilitate legitimate traffic while clamping down on rogue or suspicious data packets. Firewalls work best when they are based on a whitelist i.e. the list of applications, ports, IP addresses and devices that have explicit clearance to send traffic into or out of the network.

 

  • Absence of Network Segmentation

 

A company’s network is not just vulnerable from external attack. Internal or external actors could leverage the network to execute malicious actions. In the absence of network topology segmentation, each user would have unfettered access to all data, applications, devices and servers in the organization. This greatly increases the risk of data leaks and malware proliferation. 

Network segmentation is one of the ways organizations can limit users only to resources they need to perform their work. It also helps in the management of network traffic and bandwidth by ensuring data packets don’t have to travel the length of the network when their destination is an adjacent workstation.

 

  • Lack of Employee Education

 

Technical controls are an indispensable component of network security. Nevertheless, without the support of the humans who use the network, technical controls won’t do much to prevent unauthorized intrusion. 

Organizations that fail to educate employees on their role in network security will be in greater danger of data loss, malware infection, phishing and hacking. Employees must understand how to safely handle login credentials, application access, email attachments, file downloads and website URLs in a way that keeps the network secure. 

 

  • Under-investing in Hardware

 

If you demand high performance of your network, you must be ready to invest in professional-grade hardware. 

Such hardware would typically include not just high-quality components but would also have redundancy features such as duplicate network ports, duplicate power supplies, duplicate CPUs, duplicate disk controllers and even duplicate motherboards. That way, even if one hardware component fails, the network continues to run almost as usual. 

Quality network routers and switches typically have management features that allow you to pinpoint network problems, segment the network, monitor employee usage, and this bolster performance. 

While under-investing in hardware may initially seem financially prudent, it always proves expensive in the long run. Professional-grade infrastructure is not just reliable but provides consistent, excellent service over the long term.

 

  • Deleting Important Network Files

 

You should not delete files from network-critical servers unless you are completely certain about what they are and are sure you no longer need them. In any case, even for non-system, non-network files, you should tread cautiously when deleting any files since they probably belong to someone else.

Remember, when you delete a file from a network share, you will not find it in your computer’s Recycle Bin if you ever change your mind. That could complicate any effort to recover the file once you realize your mistake. Your computer’s Recycle Bin only keeps copies of files deleted from the computer itself and not a shared drive on the network. 

 

In your haste to get your network infrastructure up and running, don’t lose sight of these common network security mistakes

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