Why is it Important to Use Cyber Security to Protect your Business?

Virtual security network security is the union of technologies, practices and processes specifically designed to provide protection for computers, networks, data and programs from possible assault, damage, harm or unauthorized access. The term commonly used in computing context is cyber security.

Importance of Virtual Security Network Security

Virtualization, offers the promise of reduced operating costs for business while also providing improved flexibility plus some environmental benefits. This concept is now a high priority for most corporations especially those doing business in the global market. The problem though with taking full advantage of the most advanced virtual technologies is the proliferation of security concerns. There are traditionally designed cyber security products that can be used to defend virtual network perimeters, but they have no ability of set up specific control points and they also lack visibility within the virtual infrastructure. To overcome these issues and to control advanced persistent threats, it is important to use a comprehensive virtual security network security solution that can deliver the most advanced and functional safeguarding features that will work just fine along with the existing virtual managing console.

What can Cyber Security Solutions Provide Your Business in Order to Thwart Advanced Persistent Threats?

• Employees' personal information

Every business stores all the sensitive information regarding their employees within the company files. Sets of information include: Social Security Numbers, home addresses and contact details, pass codes and passwords they use to get access to the company files.

• Client's information

Your clients also provide you with necessary details regarding their personal and business details and these sets of information are also at risk of being hacked if your virtual management is very slack.

• Business information

Of course, everything about your business is included in your internal files. Prices, expenditures, business plans, merger agreements and other forms of business contracts are the common detailed information stored in the business files. You need to specifically protect these files or else your business, as well as its reputation, will be highly jeopardized.

Businesses of today are dealing with fast-paced global economy that heavily depends on information and data that are effectively transmitted through cyberspace. It has now become very important for every business to maintain their physical property and to protect it against potential threats like theft, intruders and other kinds of attack that can be done to cause problems within your business. This is where cyber security becomes not just a precautionary measure but a need.

Cyber hackers are continuously on the lookout for gaps in the defenses used by businesses as protection. If you opt to forgo the implementation of a network security solution, you are putting your company at risk and you are in danger of causing damage to your business reputation. Your network security could be very vulnerable, so don't take any chances.

A cyber security solution does not only protect you, your business and your virtual data, it also protects your clients and the information you have on them. Therefore, it is highly recommended to choose a cyber security solution that can deliver all your required protection.

The Basic Standards of PCI Compliance

Security is a serious consideration in online transactions. This is the main reason why many companies have different mechanisms of security protocols. When we make purchases online, we are most likely to share personal information. Since security breaches are well known, trust in current security measures is coming into question, hence the need of stronger security mechanisms. As a small vendor, one of the things you can implement is PCI compliance.  Payment Card Industry Compliance standards, brought forward by the major credit card issuers, ensure protection of personal information and guarantee security when transactions are processed  using a payment card.

Maintain a secure network

When handling an online business where personal information of your customers is transmitted in your network, you need to guarantee that your network is tamper-proof. For an online business venture, the most vulnerable target would be the web server. However, with the correct choice of a hosting service provider, your networks will be safe from any breach. This is because reliable hosting service providers will take the responsibility of handling the security of the network. If you keep cardholder information on your laptop or personal computer which are used in a public network, your computer should be under a firewall and other security procedures observed.

Protect cardholder's data

This standard focuses on big data storage mechanisms and how this data is transmitted. If you own an online business that decides to store cardholder's data, you have an obligation to ensure that this data is protected. Business ventures that store this information will definitely store it under encryption such that even if accessed, the information will still be safe. While transmitting cardholder's data during a purchase over the internet, this data has to be encrypted with at least a 128 bit SSL certificate for this standard to be met.

Regularly monitor and test your networks

There is need of ensuring that your networks are safe all through. This can be achieved through regularly monitoring and testing your networks. Proof or regular testing, scanning, monitoring and tracking of data are is required to satisfy this requirement. This can be achieved through the use of reliable security intelligence software and signing up for security analytics auditing service.

Maintaining an information security policy

Humans are the most exploited breach in security. To meet PCI compliance standards, you have to ensure that information is accessed by only those who need it. It is also very important to have rules and policies regarding handling of this data within your employees. Your employees are expected to understand their responsibility regarding this type of data.

The above standards are the first steps that have to be met when you are thinking of becoming PCI compliant. These standards will be checked by credit card companies before you are rated based on the volumes of your transactions. With the widespread use of virtual technology in payment card systems, ensure you choose the services of virtual security and compliance providers especially if you are working in virtual environments.

Why Network Monitoring is Crucial to any Business

The Microsoft Network Monitor is one example of a tool that analyzes a network for troubleshooting purposes. In a typical company, there is always a person or a department that looks into this function. If it is a person, this individual is commonly referred to as the IT guy or gal; otherwise, the common reference would be the IT department.  

The Microsoft Network Monitor would be an excellent application to use. It is backed by a company that is the epitome of technical prowess and experience. There are countless network analysis software out in the market, but not everyone has the same reputation as Bill Gates.

This will explain why the Microsoft Network Monitor is a popular brand for conducting day-to-day network analysis. Code-named Bloodhound, this type of packet analyzer can be trusted upon handily to find out what is causing network traffic or a breakdown in an application. It will be hard for an IT guy to do everything by himself or herself. 

Sniffing packets for clues as to what ails a network at any point in time can take so much of the IT desk's time and so automatically doing it with the aid of a robust program is the only way to go. Especially for a huge firm, manually conducting network analysis would be a tremendous waste of time. This type of network monitoring is not even network forensics yet.  It is simply covering the basics.

Now what if there is a crucial breach in the system, something like a hacker gone rogue in a busy network that cannot afford to be down. The plot thickens. This is where network forensics come into play.  The support desk needs to be on top of the situation and at break-neck speed, or else, vital data may be lost at the blink of an eye. At this point, the techie is no longer just monitoring the WAN's data passively, he or she is already doing what is commonly known as intrusion-detection.

At this hard core level, the technical individual is said to be performing network forensics. Most individuals would like to think that an escalation from network monitoring to network forensics does not happen until law enforcement gets involved. However, this can never be further from the truth.

This is because network forensics has two components, namely, tracking the usual and non-usual suspects; and, information-gathering for legal evidence. Doing any or both is definitely an escalation already from the usual analysis of data traffic. Come to think of it, an IT specialist must take care of all this. 

Therefore, hiring the perfect person for the job is paramount. In this day and age, data management is absolutely important to a company that intends to remain profitable as well as reputable. In fact, human resource is beginning to lose out to data as a corporation's most important asset. Thus, having an employee who handles network monitoring like a pro is like hitting two birds with one stone.

Important Aspects of Cyber Security

Cyber security is of paramount importance in view of continuing cyber attacks and increasing range of malware and viruses. Most organizations and enterprises run their business online and hence are connected to the Internet and other private networks. This exposes them to a variety of risks, which includes identity thefts and loss of crucial data. Loss of critical data can cause great damage to any organization, and can even close down a business enterprise. A strong cyber security system is the first line of defense for data loss prevention, which can be supported by a good backup solution. 

Cyber security has now much broader implications, and has to be addressed as a risk management issue of the entire enterprise, rather than merely an IT problem. Security breaches are now common, in not only consumer and financial systems, but also in systems of industrial control, as most systems now use open technologies and platforms. The first line of defense would obviously be early detection of an attack or malware, and in this aspect, deep packet inspection plays an important role. 

Deep packet inspection is a type of filtering system that examines network data packets especially the header, for non-compliance of protocol. This will usually reveal whether it is a malware, intrusion, or some form of spam. The deep packet inspection system then decides whether such packet has to be let through, or diverted to another destination for further analysis and statistical information.  

Although a strong defensive and filtering architecture forms the basis of a good network security system, it should also have an effective incident response plan to counter new threats. In today's world, a computer system will be bombarded with numerous cyber attacks daily, and if the defense mechanism fails to cope with the new threat, there should be an incident response plan in place to control the damage or counter the attack effectively in a timely manner. Incident response is now becoming an important aspect of protection and data loss prevention at the national level, and governments of various countries are forming expert teams and procedures for combating new cyber threats. 

It is not possible to have a foolproof system, as cyber criminals keep improving their techniques and come out with superior malware. Cyber security is an evolving science as new methods and techniques are developed constantly in view of new threats. However, the basic principles and strategies have remained the same, and they still play an important role in developing an effective system for security. In addition, having an effective online backup solution is an important aspect of a security system. With a good backup plan, there is hardly any risk of data being lost, even in the worst cyber attack.