Know Your Network Enemy

Written August 2007

Who is the network enemy,  the perpetrator, the attacker? Could it be someone you know? Is he or she in the office working along side of you? Possibly so! "The network enemy" may not even know that he or she is one. If you want to know what to look for, maybe you should take a moment to read this article.

Disgruntled Employees

BEWARE - disgruntled employees have a motive to cause network havoc. Try to put yourself into their shoes for a moment. They could be looking for ways to access information, alter data, or even destroy information.

Practical Joker Employees

Practical jokers are often looking for ways to embarrass or stumble their fellow employees for whatever reason; but the problem is, when it comes to network equipment, anything is possible.

IT Employees

IT employees, interns, out-sourced IT workers, contract workers, and security technicians can leave passwords laying around. In their imperfection or arrogance, they often make mistakes.

What Should an Employer Do?

Employers need to be on the watch for security leaks and problems at all levels. When employers take necessary precautions, they successfully reduce the possibilities for compromised or crashed networks.

The director of strategic relationships at Apani Networks, George Tehrani believes that "the best approach is to probably implement a little bit of everything" as regards to  your security efforts. Here are a few reminders to keep in check:

1. Keep your firewalls up-to-date. Make sure that they are in working order (whether it be software or hardware).

2. Keep network equipment under lock and key in a Telecom Room. Make sure that the lock or access code is changed periodically.

3. Create company policies for remote laptops tapping into the network.

4. Make sure that employees do not allow family members to use company laptops.

5. Don't let employees download iPods and digital camera software to company desktops and laptops.

6. Educate employees about the use of the business network. Implement strict guidelines for appropriate use of the company computers.

7. Create multi-tiered access strategies.

8. Monitor access to all databases and entry points.

9. Have IT  technicians enforce and audit network security for every system within the network.

10. Buy software that helps you monitor employee usage of the network and Internet.

It's good to be positive about protecting your business network. Of course, even the best security efforts will have some weak areas, but the more ways you can actively participate in controlling the network enemy, your network environment will be better protected.

About the Author:
 

Debbie Jensen, an expert writer for business and technology for Genesis Global Networks, has a Bachelor's Degree in Visual Communication (Multimedia). With her twenty year history of creative expressions and formalized study of Information Technology of digital print/web design and development, she is now publishing articles about networking for Genesis Global Networks.

1-What Does uBR Actually Mean?
June 2007

2-Broadband is Meant for Today's Lifestyle
July 2007

3. Know Your Network Enemy

August 2007

4-Ways to Deal with Spam, Pharming, and Phishing September 2007

5-What is Required for Broadband Equipment
October 2007

6 What is Difference Between Teleconferencing and Internet Telephony?
November 2007