Cyber security services have become popular with a wide range of organizations. Even folks who see themselves as especially tech-savvy often invest in network security services for their systems. If you're trying to figure out where a third-party services provider might fit into the scheme of things at your business, here are three problems a team of professionals can help you handle.
Monitoring Traffic
The first signs of trouble often show up in the traffic on a network. Not only does inbound traffic tell you that an attack might be underway, but unusual outbound traffic may warn you that a system is already compromised.
Cyber security services professionals often monitor the full range of ports on a network to see what is coming and going. They can then identify packets of traffic to study and see what might be happening. If there's a problem, they can then adjust filters and definitions to shut problem traffic down. Likewise, they can identify where the issues are and deal with them at the software and hardware levels.
Updates, Upgrades, and Patches
Out-of-date software is one of the most worrisome things that can reside on a network. An unpatched operating system, for example, is a very tempting target for a hacker. The same goes for commonly used forms of software, especially databases and web servers.
Rolling out patches, upgrades, and updates across a whole system tend to take some skill. Many companies use command-line driven systems that allow them to automate much of the process. Even with the best processes, though, it's important to coordinate the work with customers to prevent disruptions.
Setting Network-Wide Standards
Basic security protocols on a network are critical. If a company employs a bring-your-own-device policy toward phones, for example, you need to establish which phones can connect to the network and which ones will get the ban hammer. All permissions have to be affirmative, meaning you can only clear a system to join the network rather than letting the system promiscuously permit connections.
With servers, desktops, and laptops, it's also important to set permissions to the least necessary for every team member to do their job. If you have a non-administrator with administrative privileges, for example, there's a risk that they could connect with a compromised website or piece of software. The malicious code they encounter could then piggyback on the user's unnecessarily escalated privileges to roam the network and cause trouble.
When it comes down to it, you are responsible for teaching your kids all about the world. However, it can be really hard to continue to educate them in a world filled with so much technology, which is why I started focusing more and more on working with my kids and teaching them computer skills. I wanted my kids to be able to know what they could and couldn't trust online, and I wanted them to be able to protect themselves. As I began working with my kids, it was immediately clear that they were at some risk, so I made this blog to teach other people about technology, kids, and safety.