Is it time to secure your networks?

How secure are your networks?

Consider an organization without any form of communication. Hundreds of employees, dozens of departments, a handful of offices dotted around the country. Yet there is no means of communication – no phones, no email, no interpersonal relationships. If it sounds impossible, that’s because it is. Communication – and therefore networks – are the lifeblood of every organization. IT infrastructure is the base upon which everything else grows.

But even if you have the most expensive and complex networking tools installed in your workplace, they are under extreme threat of breach if not secured appropriately. And more remarkably, it’s internal security breaches that are the greatest threat to organizational networks.

Thankfully, turning an ‘unsecure’ network into a secure system is simple when armed with the right implementation strategies.

A network can be unsecure for several reasons: if there’s no encryption on the data that is being transmitted, if there’s no firewall acting as a gatekeeper, and also if no access control like a password is in place in order to restrict access to the network and assets connected to it.

Securing that network requires a wide practice that covers both inside and outside connectivity, and in both cases passive, active and unintentional threats must be addressed.

What are the best internal processes?

A complete network-security strategy should incorporate a range of complex security policies relative to your business, and can also address anticipated threats – both internal and external – to the network. However, it’s important to start with a foundation of best practices.

Network security policy: You’ll need a universal network security policy that covers all the essential facets related to your company’s network – one that defines the organization’s regulations and policies, and is accessible to all employees so they can stay abreast of regulations and changes.

Solid network infrastructure: Ensure that the network infrastructure is properly built with all critical components of malware detection, firewalls, access list control, correct network and packet routing and, if allowed, a self-running algorithm for packet sniffing in order to detect any leak of confidential data due to a gap or misuse of network protocols or ports (Data Leak Protection).

Conduct due diligence: It’s important to create a security ‘calendar’ that outlines when, where and how often the networks should be reviewed for security issues. By conducting routine health checks, risk analysis and penetration testing against the latest threats, you’ll know for certain that your infrastructure is up to the task of protecting the business.

Put plans in place: There are two crucial plans every organization must create: a Disaster Recovery Plan and a Business Continuity Plan. No network can consider themselves absolutely secure, so business leaders need to have the relevant plans in place should the worst occur – to protect not just their assets, but their employees and their organization as a whole.

How Canon keeps networks secure

As a technology market leader, Canon is invested in protecting businesses against internal security breaches from all angles: networks, documents, and people.

As such, our products and services align with the highest security measures, meaning encryption and malware-detection software runs unhindered through Canon hardware. Moreover, Canon servers monitor and deliver automatic updates according to the latest security patches and updates. That means your organization is always protected against modern threats and works in tandem with every business’s unique network security protocols.

Canon Business and Information services are always controlled by Certified Information Professionals. These experts are integrated within our organization, and their role is to inject knowledge and audit-running processes to ensure a fully secured delivery of services for every customer.