Unfortunately, we don’t exist in a time where network security tools can be looked at as a maybe, whether in a professional or personal environment. The threats have simply become too common and significant to be overlooked.
In the same vein, many businesses have learned from their mistakes over the years. Being vulnerable when it comes to your internal network is not something you want to let slide on the day-to-day.
Regardless of the size of your operation, every business should utilize a layered defense strategy when it comes to their network. This article highlights many of the modern tools you can use to improve your network security from every angle.
The Most Essential Network Security Tools
Feel free to keep it as simple or complicated as you like, but it’s essential to learn about your options in network security. Some businesses do just fine with a single piece of firewall hardware, but this doesn’t follow the advice of a layered defense. This considers more than just surface-level firewall tech.
1. Firewalls
Even though they aren’t alone in network security, it’s definitely a leading factor. Firewall tech can come in a broad range of capabilities and feature sets to meet the demands of every business that’s out there.
Many of the network security tools mentioned in this article can be found in what a firewall can bring to the network. It’s still important to look at this piece by piece, as not all firewall tech is built the same. Overall, firewalls will ensure you have eyes on every layer of your network traffic.
2. Intrusion Detection and Prevention Systems
While intrusion detection (IDS) focuses on suspicious activity, intrusion prevention (IPS) can detect and block malicious traffic. It’s important to note that these features aren’t found with every firewall that’s out there either.
Not only does this help keep the network protected, but it can also give you an idea of where and what the problems are. These features are a great bonus to any company, but especially those that deal with a substantial amount of network traffic.
3. Network Switches
Another layer you should consider adding to the roster is network switches. Being able to connect multiple devices isn’t the selling point here. What’s really enticing about a network switch is that it works to manage the flow of data.
If utilized correctly, you can ensure specific data points only reach certain devices or personnel. In more technical terms, network switches forward data packets between local devices. They’re a great layer to add against network security threats, and they can be a huge benefit for organizing and streamlining data access.
4. Encryption
It might sound rudimentary, but encryption is just as important as firewall hardware itself. Again, this is commonly included with many other cyber security tools, but it shouldn’t be seen as a back-burner priority.
Having encryption as a part of your network security architecture will offer:
- Data is encrypted to be accessed by authorized users only
- Essential for the confidentiality of data
- A must-have for industries under data and security regulations
- Data is encrypted whether it’s in transit or being stored
This is another layer that many people would be familiar with but rarely understand its true importance in regard to data. It offers more than just secure encrypted emails, and it’s easier than ever to integrate.
5. Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
A bit different from the standard two-factor authentication, multi-factor authentication carries the same principle. Essentially, you’re integrating multiple forms of ID as a requirement to gain access to the network or certain data.
This merely makes it that much harder to get in from the outside and is extremely easy to integrate with existing security architecture. When you combine all of these layers into one strategy, your business is equipped to face top cyber security threats at any given time.
Selecting Your Suite of Network Security Tools
To hone in on what strategy works best for you demands a multi-faceted approach. One that considers the size of your organization, budget, physical space, hardware, software, cloud-based solutions, and more.
Even if it all seems like overkill, it’s better than leaving your business vulnerable to the most common cyber security threats. Having multiple security layers working cohesively like this ensures you’re covered from every angle. No matter the type of digital threat, your business network remains unaffected.
Let’s Wrap Up
Any approach to network security can feel highly technical, but it never has to be complicated. Keep in mind that many of these features can be found with numerous all-in-one solutions.
On top of that, you’re never alone in the process, regardless of how much experience you have with the tech. If you’d like to learn more about your options with network security tools, give us a shout at Firewalls on how we can help.
