6 Common Network Security Issues And How To Resolve Them

Today’s modern technology and the increasing use of hosted solutions have brought some major changes to application and network infrastructures.

While such changes have equipped businesses with more functionality, some suffer from countless network security issues without realizing it. What’s worse, when such issues go unresolved, they may create paths for attackers to breach your organization’s security infrastructure to wreak havoc and steal your data. 

Fortunately, by working with CloudSecureTech managed services providers in Boston, you can ensure that your network security is strong. But to better protect your network, it would help to also have knowledge about the issues it might face. Below are some of the common issues you should know and the ways to resolve them.

1. Ransomware

This is one of the most feared and unpredictable network security issues, as it leaves costly damage to businesses. Usually, attackers infect the systems, encrypt data, and threaten to delete or corrupt the files if they’re not paid some expensive ransom.

The best way to defend against and resolve ransomware is to use antivirus software, teach team members how to distinguish phishing attacks, and update your system's security patches. To minimize the impact, focus on the importance of network security and create a solid recovery and backup strategy.

2. Insufficient Network Security Team

Another common network security issue for many businesses is that even when they have the best cybersecurity solutions, their team might not have enough people to manage such solutions properly. Once it happens, your team might miss some critical cybersecurity alerts, and cyberattacks might not be prevented in time to reduce damage.

Finding enough people for your internal network security team to manage your needs can be time-consuming and expensive. Take note that most qualified professionals are highly in demand. Working with a dedicated partner that offers quality services or solutions would be a good option to build a team to handle your network security issues quickly.

3. Unknown Assets On Your Network

More often than not, most businesses don’t have a complete inventory of the digital assets tied into their network, which can be a massive problem over time. If you’re clueless about the assets on your network, how will you be able to keep it safe and secure?

The best possible solution for this is to review all the devices connected to your network and to determine the different platforms they’re using. Once you do this, you’ll know the access points on your network, and this will help you determine which ones require security updates.

4. Insider Threats

At present, most attacks are actually carried out by insiders. Whether it’s misuse of account privileges, intentional leaks, honest mistakes made by sending information to wrong email addresses, or identity theft due to a phishing campaign that compromises user account data, your team members could be one of the security problems you’ll face.

Since insider threats come from trusted systems and users, they’re also the hardest to stop and identify. However, there are some ways to reduce your risk in case of insider attacks. For instance, if your business company uses a policy of least privilege (POLP) for user access, you may limit the damage that misused user accounts can do. In this kind of policy, users' access to the different databases and systems on your network is restricted to only what they need to do their jobs.

5. Lack Of Defense

Lack of defense is another common network security issue. You have to remember that despite your best efforts, attackers may succeed in breaching your network security. But the damage they can do may depend on how secure your network is. For this reason, you may need a multilayered defense.

Usually, the problem is that several businesses have an open network structure where attackers are in the trusted system, giving them access to your network’s systems. If your network has strong segmentation to keep its discrete parts separated, it’s possible to slow down the attackers enough to keep them out of the crucial systems. At the same time, your security team can work to identify, contain, and eliminate the breach.

6. Unpatched Security Vulnerabilities

Most businesses are worried about zero-day exploits, which are unknown issues with security in systems and programs that have yet to be used against anybody. But a zero-day vulnerability isn’t the problem. The primary problem is an unpatched known vulnerability.

The simplest solution for this network security issue is to keep a strict schedule for security patches. Gradually changing your network's operating systems and programs to make them the same can simplify the entire process. For instance, if all your systems are Mac-based or Windows-based, you should keep track of these operating systems' security patch alerts and schedules.

Conclusion

Network security issues could happen at any time. The good news is that there are ways to resolve them immediately. As long as you’re armed with knowledge about network security, you can be ready for the inevitable. If you think you can’t handle the situation, do not hesitate to work with experts in network security to get the best possible solutions for the problem.