Subscribe to Our Newsletter
Your company’s network is absolutely vital to the daily operations and success of your business. Whether you run a modest start-up or a company with a global reach, your key to it all is the network. Many companies put off implementing and securing the network because they fear the costs, they do not feel their company is a target, or they simply don’t know where to start. That is where GXA steps in. We have three tools for a successful and secure network management strategy.
Things to Consider First
Before you get started, you need to identify your goals, get to know your system, and identify all the threats that affect the integrity of your business’s network. When you are devising a network management system or working with IT professionals about doing so, you need to consider the following factors:
- What are your daily operations like? What is the volume of business your network needs to accommodate, and what is the plan for growth?
- What are your company’s security concerns inside and outside of the office?
- What types of devices are used on the network?
- What industry standards and regulations is your company required to observe and implement?
- What has worked in the past? What didn’t work?
- Will you be tackling network management all at once or initiate rollouts over time?
- Have you taken inventory of everything from security and software to devices and infrastructure?
- What is your company’s policy for data collection, backup and recovery?
- What is at stake?
Three Strategies
There are three core strategies for an effective network management solution.
- Think outside the brick and mortar
Business owners need to think outside the perimeter of the network. This means thinking beyond the firewall. Business owners need to understand what is coming into the network and what is leaving the network. Traffic flow and an intrusion detection system assist in doing so. A company must also consider personal device use and remote access to improve the integrity of the network. Thinking outside the brick and mortar includes a security plan that establishes an acceptable use policy, communication standards, and remote access standards.
- Establish security standards and use tracking
Your company needs to establish a system of monitoring the devices and device use. Doing so helps companies identify where threats lurk and what patterns are cause for concern when users are on the network. This is achieved with email monitoring, password standards, personal web use, compliance validation, security training, access control, and identity management.
The company’s data is the upmost concern for businesses large and small. Business must consider the personal, professional and financial impact of security intrusions. What happens if a security intrusion occurs or the business’s website goes down? A company must employ data collection strategies, encryption expectations, and backup and recovery services if a loss or intrusion does occur.
- Create alerts
Sometimes businesses have such complex networks that noticing and identifying an intrusion is next to impossible. A business owner must establish a monitoring and alert system for all critical devices and hardware on a network. Alerts can be setup 24/7 by working with an IT team that works around the clock without sitting in your office. Alerts provide business owners with information about intrusions, failures, and infrastructure issues.
Call the network management experts at GXA to save money and to protect your business. We look at the current, past and future environment to create a scalable network that is safe, secure, and ready to grow.