Protecting your business isn’t as easy as using endpoint protection software. Instead, you have to investigate every device that’s on your network to ensure that no entry points are exposed, no foreign connections are made, and that no damage has occurred.
Before scanning your network, you should back up your data. Just in case you find a system vulnerability, you’ll want to revert back to a previous copy of the network’s software. If you’re worried about what will happen during your scan, then you should get a disaster recovery tool if your system is corrupted.
And in this guide, we’ll show you four ways to protect your network. By doing so, you’ll experience fewer security breaches and have an efficient way to keep your data safe.
Universal Plug and Play
Did you know that Universal Plug and Play can expose your network to hackers? Primarily used as a way to share music, UnPnP is also used to send print jobs to remote printers and share data between mobile devices.
However, Universal Plug and Play aren’t safe for most business environments. First, the traffic will consume too much of your network’s resources. Secondly, UnPnP devices expose themselves on the internet and negotiate online access with your router.
By disabling the Universal Plug and Play feature on your network, you reduce the exposure to hostile and external forces.
Block Telnet Ports
IoT devices are more likely to be exposed than the traditional internet-connected devices. As a result, make sure that the telnet ports that in IoT devices that are blocked by your internet’s firewall. If not, then hackers can use malware to connect to these devices via automatic username and password generators.
Given that most early-generation Telnet interfaces didn’t prompt users to change passwords and were shipped open by default, your network might be at risk of these attacks.
Customized Routers
When using your router for the first time, you have to customize it for your security-focused, specific use case. First, don’t manage the interface from the internet. Either get a firewall connection between the management network or interface or configure the local management access only.
Second, you need to make sure that you’re not using your router’s main credentials. Like Telnet ports, routers offer usernames and passwords that are easier for hackers to find. When you’re customizing your router, don’t forget about this quick change.
You should also restrict which IP addresses can manage the router. This protects your router from being hacked by an outside party.
Vulnerability Scans
Network monitoring program, especially the free one, will do a good job in determining what devices are connected to your network. These tools conduct a vulnerability scan across all PCs, mobile devices, servers, routers, system software, applications, and firewalls for vulnerabilities.
These might include backdoors, ports, unpatched operating systems (OSes), or poorly written scripts. You’re probably aware of the laptops, TVs, phones, and other business devices, but there are a lot of smart devices on your network that you forgot or didn’t realize you connected.
Conclusion
To conclude, having a good network monitoring program is essential for your business. By keeping your network up to date, you’ll find it easier to accept newer devices into its system. So make sure your IT helps you manage your network so that it can continue to thrive!