You can never be totally at ease when you’re protecting a network. This is especially true for businesses and other organizations. Dangerous parties want to get their hands on your sensitive data. These are six examples of IT network security vulnerabilities.
Lack of Employee Education
The more you and your employees know, the less likely any of you are to fall prey to an otherwise avoidable cyberattack. Education needs to have a strong presence in your company’s culture. Without it, people aren’t going to have the kind of awareness it takes to identify and avert potential threats.
Everyone needs to be on-board with network security best practices from day one. This is one area where you absolutely need to have all hands on deck. Even one vulnerability can lead to a massive problem. And that opening can come from anywhere. This is why it’s so paramount you help employees understand why network security is important, and what they can do to uphold it.
Infected Software
There’s more than one way software can lead to big problems for your network security. Vulnerabilities in software can be the ideal route for fraudsters trying to gain access to a network.
It’s important that enterprises keep their machines and software up to date. Older products are going to be inherently more vulnerable to many of the newest security threats, especially if they don’t receive frequent updates from developers.
Malware, or malicious software, is another way networks can be compromised with a software threat. It’s important for organizations to get all the proper tools to ensure network security. Proper monitoring for threats such as malware is one of the most essential pieces of this kind of protection. Network security services should provide a comprehensive, real-time overview of safety threats detected and resolved. It’s also key for the network security system to filter out potential threats before they’re even given the chance to materialize.
Phishing
Don’t write off phishing as a nubile form of cyber-attack. While many versions of phishing scams aren’t particularly glamorous, this is actually one of the most dangerous and prevalent types of online threats.
In fact, phishing, particular spear phishing, accounts for over 90 percent of all cyber-attacks. Due to this, enterprises need to have comprehensive training and continuing education on how to identify and avoid phishing attacks. Highly targeted spear phishing emails can be difficult to detect. Organizations should carefully consider their network safety protocols to ensure the greatest possible protection.
Network security tools can also be employed to limit the risk of phishing. Certain services can filter out threatening emails so they never even reach user inboxes. This can reduce the likelihood of employees even being faced with a dangerous email.
Lack of Encryption
Encryption is important for everyone. But this is especially true for businesses and other enterprises that hold large quantities of sensitive information. Without properly encrypted networks, hackers and other parties might be able to apprehend all kinds of data, such as credit card numbers, addresses, messages, logins, and other info.
Bugs
Vulnerabilities are always going to exist. It’s an enterprise’s duty to constantly be finding and fixing these. Bugs in software is one of the most crucial vulnerabilities that can exist within an organization.
There are all kinds of things a hacker can do if they’re able to take advantage of bugs. Defending against this requires organizations to stay one step ahead of these criminals. Getting the latest updates for software, web browsers, and other network technology is a key piece in minimizing the risk of bugs.
Weak Passwords
The vast majority of people use weak passwords to protect their online accounts. This can lead to negative consequences such as a third-party accessing sensitive personal information. But the concept of weak passwords takes on a whole new meaning at the enterprise level. Here, it can lead to losses of massive amounts of important data relating to thousands, if not millions, of people. Make sure passwords are taken seriously within your organization.
There are threats coming from all angles when you’re protecting a network. That’s why it’s essential you do everything in your power to minimize vulnerabilities.