Remote Support
Tech Tip:
These tips address some topics of interest to owners of a small business network.
Top Issues Facing Small Business Networks
Introduction
In this document I will review some items that put Small Business Networks at risk. This is not meant to cover all possible facets of securing a small business network, but rather to discuss some of the more common items. I have directly quoted much of this from a document produce by Microsoft and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Team. This document is meant to specifically address network security risk facing the small business network. To read more of this discussion click here. You can also download the entire document in PDF format by clicking the link on the left titled, Security Guide for Small Business. The text in italics is taken verbatim from the Microsoft Document.
"Many small business owners believe that they do not need to worry much about computer and online security. "After all," they reason, "who would want to target my business when there are so many bigger targets out there?" While it's true that small businesses are not directly attacked as often as larger organizations, there are three reasons why small businesses should be concerned":
- Small businesses often end up affected by larger attacks, such as mass worm outbreaks or efforts to harvest credit card numbers.
- Security is becoming tighter than ever at larger companies, so small business networks look increasingly tempting to attackers.
- Not all security threats come from outside your organization.
"Regardless of how or why your business is attacked, recovery usually takes significant time and effort. Imagine if your computer systems were unavailable for a week. Imagine if you lost all the data stored on all the computers in your company. Imagine if your biggest competitor was able to obtain a list of your customers along with sales figures and sales notes. How long would it take before you noticed? What would these breaches cost your company? Could you afford these losses?"
"It seems like common sense. You wouldn't leave your building unlocked at night. The same is true with information security, and a few simple steps can make you a lot less vulnerable. Technology experts have a way of making basic security seem like a huge and difficult issue. Luckily, securing your business is easier than you might think."
"Most attackers use the processing power of computers as their weapon. They might use a virus to spread a DoS program to thousands of computers. They might use a password-guessing program to try every word in the dictionary as a password. Of course, the first passwords they check are "password," "letmein," "opensesame," and a password that is the same as the username."
"Attackers have programs that randomly probe every IP address on the Internet looking for unprotected systems and, when they find one, have port scanners to see whether any ports are open for attack. If these attackers find an open port, they have a library of known vulnerabilities they can use to try to gain access."
The Importance of Software Updates
"According to the Symantec Internet Security Threat Report published in September 2004, it takes on average 5.8 days after a software vendor announces vulnerability for criminal hackers to take advantage of the discovery. You should apply software updates as soon as possible when they are announced. You should use the Automatic Updates feature in Microsoft Windows XP to download and install updates automatically and also make sure that your antivirus software is updated regularly. Consider signing up for Microsoft Security Update e-mail bulletins, a free service you can learn more about at http://www.microsoft.com/security/bulletins/alerts.mspx."
Some Top Security Threats to Small Business
- SPAM
- Phishing
- Viruses, Worms, Trojan Horses
- Spyware
- Pirated Software – Security risks and fines if caught
- Wireless Network Security
- Data Loss due to corruption or hardware failure
Steps To Take to Secure Your Network/Data
- Find a Network Consultant - Most small businesses do not have dedicated technology staff. Hiring a consultant can help you determine the security solution that is right for your business.
- DON'T INSTALL PIRATED SOFTWARE!!!!!!!! – Do you know how often I get asked, "Can't I just use this copy on all my computers?" "If you use pirated software, you just may get busted. Like shoplifting, many feel that using unauthorized software programs is relatively low-level mischief. You can think that all you want, but the legal authorities will beg to differ. In most countries, companies whose employees are found to be using illegal software can be liable for damages, fines and even jail time, according to the Business Software Alliance (www.bsa.org). In the United States, the fines can run as high as $150,000 — and that's for each illegal copy, by the way."
- Update Software/OS, AntiVirus, AntiSpyware, Firewalls – Updates fix problems, security issues. There used to be a tendency to not run Windows updates, but if it is critical you are at risk if you don't update these days.
- Secure Your Wireless Network!!! – If you setup a wireless router for your network and do not use the built in security and encryption features available on that router it is just like having a castle with a huge wall and a mote filled with alligators, but leaving the drawbridge down and the gate open and unattended. "War Driving - Anyone with a laptop computer, an inexpensive wireless network card, freely downloaded software, and an antenna made from something as simple as a can of potato chips can hack into wireless networks. Most wireless networks are completely unsecured. Indeed, many manufacturers of wireless devices leave encryption turned off by default. Users tend not to enable wireless encryption or use any other added security measures, making it a relatively easy task for anyone with a wireless setup to find and exploit the connection. War driving is more than a geek prank. Some intruders seek to access files and damage systems. Fortunately, securing a wireless network is relatively easy, and the majority of war drivers can be deterred or deflected by a few simple steps."
- BACKUP, BACKUP, BACKUP! – I don't need to elaborate here. If your hard drive crashes and you don't backup it could cost you thousands of dollars in data recovery and a lot of down time without your files, and still no guarantee that anything can be recovered.
- Have a good, clear Internet Policy at Work – Make sure you have an office policy on Internet use, browsing, and personal email. NO ONE should be allowed to download or install anything on a work computer without approval. Internet can not only waste time for employees, but if unmonitored usually results in tons of spy ware getting installed and hundreds of dollars for repair.