Description
How secure is your company’s network? If it doesn’t have robust security settings, you could lose important data. A data loss could impact your business in a very negative way. The best way to ensure that your company’s network is in good shape is to perform a network security audit.
A network security audit goes through all aspects of your information technology systems, measuring how well each piece conforms to the standards you have set. By doing a network security audit, it will be easy for you to see where parts of your system are not as safe as they could be. It’s an ideal way to learn where you should focus to ensure security.
What Should a Network Security Audit Cover?
Your network security audit should look at your physical system set-up, including the hardware itself, and it should examine software, apps, and other programming in place. It should also consider the way users access the system. This check covers any entry points into your system.
There are many specific things you can look at within these categories.
For instance, one aspect you could start with is user accounts. Any business that has given access to users has introduced a potential security risk. Your network security audit should ensure that users understand best practices for accessing the network, including how to protect themselves from threats. This includes making sure that regular users have different permissions than administrators. Other users also need authorization to perform more actions on the system. Remove any users that are no longer with the company, or no longer authorized in a certain role.
Your audit can cover policies such as password requirements, if and how users can use their own devices on the network, privacy rules, and more. Make sure that your systems conform to the policies you have set out, and fix any conflicts that arise.
On the hardware side of things, you will want to ensure that physical hardware is in warranty, that operating systems are current, and that your server is working well. This is a good time to make sure that you have system backups, including backup power options if this is an important part of your security plan.
See that your networks are configured appropriately, that antivirus measures are in place, and that encryption and firewall protection is set up to keep unwanted activity out. Include email systems in your network security audit. Security failures are frequently traced back to emails.
As you can see, a lot goes into a network security audit. The factors mentioned above are only the start. Your audit plan could look very different depending on your business and your needs.
The most important thing is to ensure that you schedule regular audits and take action if you uncover problems. A vulnerable network is a significant risk to your company, your clients, and your reputation. It is worth the time and effort to check in and keep your network security in good shape on a regular basis. We completely understand this here at General-Consult. Contact us today.
