Among all types of criminal activity, cybercrime is one of the fastest-growing. The average cyberattack costs more than $1 million to handle, and those costs will inevitably increase. Network security solutions providers have one goal: to provide their customers with the best security possible. Unfortunately, attackers are devious and persistent, which means companies must use certain tools to create and maintain their defenses. In this guide, business owners will learn about different tools and how they work.
Types of Network Security
Network security tools are the countermeasures companies use to protect networks and the data that passes through them. These tools keep networks safe from employee negligence, hacking, and cyberattacks. Network security has three components: cloud services, software, and hardware.
- Hardware appliances are devices or servers with dedicated functions in the network environment. Network security software can be installed on these devices to offer additional threat detection and remediation.
- Cloud services involve the outsourcing of infrastructure to other providers. These setups handle network traffic much as hardware appliances do, but incoming traffic is routed through the cloud service that scans for and blocks potential threats.
All effective network security systems use a combination of tools to create multiple defensive layers.
Different Types of Network Security
Business owners can implement various tools to protect their networks, such as those listed below.
- Access controls. This involves monitoring users’ access to certain parts of the network. Using a dedicated security policy, it’s possible to restrict access to recognized devices and users.
- Anti-malware and antivirus software. Malware is also known as malicious software, and it comes in various types. Some variants corrupt data and delete files, while others allow hackers to access systems. Effective antivirus and anti-malware software provides real-time traffic monitoring and instant threat remediation.
- App security. Each software product and device used on a network is a potential back door for hackers. Therefore, it’s important for programs to be kept updated, which prevents cyber attackers from using exploits to gain access to sensitive data.
- Behavioral analytics. To identify odd behavior, support teams must determine what’s normal for a client’s network, applications, and users. Analytics software helps point out common anomalies that indicate security breaches, which allows providers to isolate threats quickly.
- Loss prevention. DLP or data loss prevention technology prevents workers from sharing sensitive data outside a network.
- DDoS prevention. Distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks are common, and they overload networks with traffic. DDoS prevention tools scrub incoming traffic, removing the sorts that may threaten a network.
These and other tools work to keep business networks safe.
As the business world becomes more digitized, users will undoubtedly rely on networks and the internet to get things done. In turn, these networks must offer secure, reliable service. Because much of our sensitive and personal data is stored electronically, hackers are paying more attention to business networks. For these reasons, security support teams and managed services providers must offer systems that protect data from multiple dangers.
