Why a Network Vulnerability Assessment is good for Business

Cyber attacks have cost companies and businesses a fair bit, both in terms of money and in terms of information/intellectual property according to international statistics. Keeping your company’s digital property safe means making sure your network security is on the ball.

When it comes to advanced web security testing, penetration tests are great, but they can take a little more time and are not the same as vulnerability assessments!

Pen Tests

Penetration tests or more commonly called pen tests are basically you authorizing someone to attempt to hack your organizational network and access sensitive information. The idea is to find loopholes in your network security by simulating an attack. The pen test’s primary focus is how detrimental a specific attack could be as opposed to exposing numerous weaknesses like a vulnerability assessment.  

Vulnerability Assessments

A vulnerability assessment is a detailed and extensive procedure involving a series of tests in order to identify loopholes in network security. Vulnerability assessments also involve providing possible solutions and options for organizations to strengthen their security and protect their data and other digital assets.

Why Bother

As we said, no matter how seamless you think your network security is, there are those out there who can find ways to penetrate your protocols. There are a few reasons why it might be a good idea to have regular vulnerability assessments done even if you’re already getting pen tests!

Frequency

Pen tests might be slightly obstructive when it comes to regular business functions and therefore cannot be performed regularly. Vulnerability assessments can be performed more often without really interrupting your business or exposing you to risks!

Kind of like the bi-annual visit to the dentist—it does not mean you stop brushing those pearly whites.

Keeping Up

You might not be poking your system to find holes in it every day. Hackers on the other hand are on a constant lookout for weaknesses in your IT security infrastructure. Since vulnerability assessments can be performed as often as every other day without upsetting your day to day business stuff they help give hackers a hard time.

You’re always a step ahead of the hackers because if there is a kink in the system, you’ll be the first to know.

Keep the Pen Tests Light

Pen tests can be a kick in the shin when you get them done because they alert you to a whole number of little security holes. This really makes you wonder how exposed you’ve been all along!

Vulnerability assessments allow you to deal with such loopholes on a regular basis so that when you do get that pen test, the list of weaknesses is far lighter. Think of this like doing the dishes after every meal in contrast to letting them sit till the weekend when you have the time.

Uninterrupted Business

Cyber and network attacks can really throw a business off, putting you back on not just schedules but tens of thousands of dollars. Even penetration tests when conducted can trigger problems and slow things down.

Vulnerability assessments let you keep working while you keep your data safe.

Guarantees

Depending on what business you’re in or what your organization does, client guarantees tend to mean something. If you can’t guarantee safety of client data and information, that might not be the best thing.

Vulnerability assessments allow you to make your networks as seamlessly secure as possible. That way you can hold your head up, look your client in the eye and tell them that their data, records and any other information is safe with you!

Upshot

Don’t waste time thinking about it. Get your networks assessed and make sure those valuable data assets are protected! If you’re not sure where to begin, get in touch! We know web security assessments like none other and would be happy to help!

Things to Look Out for When Hiring a Managed Network Security Service

Given that cybercrime, network security breaches and organizational data penetration and theft can cost a pretty penny statistically speaking, it makes sense to stay protected.

Much to Choose From

When looking for companies that specialize in managing web security assessments and other network security needs, there might be quite a few options out there to choose from.

But how can you be sure that you hired the right managed network security service?

Points to Ponder

When looking to identify a reliable managed network security service, there are a few things to look out for. These things should help you decide whether the service in question is indeed the right one for you!

Legitimacy

The first thing you need to look into is the legitimacy of the company you’re looking to hire. Are they reliable? Are they licensed? Do they have other clients whom they serve? Are there any reviews about them online? Are the team members trained and qualified to do what they do?

Questions such as these and looking into the same should help you identify how legitimate the company you are looking into is. Trusting someone with your network and data security needs is a huge decision. You want to make sure you’re handing such a massive responsibility over to not just someone legitimate but someone capable!

 

Knowledge and Experience

Knowledge and experience are two different things. Experience would dictate their time spent doing what they’re doing. If it’s network security they manage, how long have they been providing that service? It stands to reason that a longer time in the market equals more real experience to draw on.

That being said, at times, newer companies have teams with highly qualified and skilled individuals who might even make up for a slight lack of experience with sheer technical knowhow.

Question representatives of the company you wish to hire about both their degree of experience and level of technical skill.

Working Together

Another thing you want to establish is what the work dynamic between you and the hired company will be as well as if it suits your needs.

Will they spend a lot of time in your office space or operate remotely with frequent visits. Do they get along with your in-house IT department? How are they with feedback, communication and follow ups?

When outsourcing network security management, it is important to remember that you will have a day to day relationship with them. Understanding what that dynamic will look like and whether it suits you and your team will help ensure that you hire a service provider who can work well with you.

Info Sharing

Just as your company will need to give the hired security management company access to data and other information, how much access to security protocols will your company receive in return? Establishing this is important and transparency when it comes to data security is crucial.

Bad Days

Another thing to establish is how the chosen company might address attacks. Can they ensure that some of your servers will continue to run while work is being done on others?

Miscellaneous

Apart from the big ones mentioned above, there are other things to look into. These include:

· The security company’s relationship with its vendors?

· How and where they plan to store your data?

· What technologies they apply?

· Are they up to date and do they partake in continued professional development?

Upshot

Though deciding which network security company to hire is a tricky decision it is an important one. The right company could ensure the success of your business and protection of sensitive data. The wrong company or non-existence of network security could…you know. Let’s just not go there!

If you’re trying to figure out where to start, our Aussie company isn’t just warm and friendly, we’re reliable too! We offer advanced web security testing among other things. Come on over and check out what we can do for you!

Web Application Firewalls: Essentials and Basics

Since their initial appearance around the end of the 80’s, firewalls have really helped numerous organizations, businesses and individuals in the area of security. That being said, like about everything else, tech and otherwise, firewalls too have made progress.

Web Application Firewalls

Web application vulnerability has been a concern for many business owners and other professionals—exactly what firewalls address. But what exactly are firewalls?

Is there any difference between a WAF (web application firewall) and a regular firewall? Let’s find out!

Evolution

WAFs were developed and evolved starting around the early 90s. These were developed to address threats and risks that managed to evade regular firewalls.

 

What Threats?

To be specific, threats that gained access through trusted protocols (like HTTP), to piggyback and then access other related secure (or meant to be secure) applications. Once this is done, everything from data to system operating may be compromised.

In response, various WAFs were developed each boasting separate specifications.

Getting Down to It

To make things simple, we could divide WAFs into three general categories. We’re going to skim over these and a little about how they function.

Network Based

Network based web application firewalls are the primary category of WAFs to be developed. These are highly effective and hardware based. They are good at countering negative performance. Another thing they are good against is latency. That being said, these are costly both to install or procure as well as to apply.

Application Based

Application based firewalls operate in close quarters to the application being protected. At times, they and the mentioned application code can even be intertwined. This allows for higher performance and well as further flexibility with regard to customization.

Last but not least, the low cost of this form of WAF makes it an attractive network security prospect for many! On the downside, application based WAFs can sometimes be inadequate for macro establishments and organizations.

Cloud Hosted

Cloud hosted web application firewalls are effective guard dogs for those who need a prompt solution. What they lack in versatility and customizability, they make up for in sheer convenience.

They are easily deployed and make traffic redirecting rather simple. They can be subscribed to temporarily and work well as a go between before shifting to supplementary or more permanent solutions.  

The WAF Edge

The good thing about WAFs is they are geared to protect you from both threats; known and unknown. WAF protocols are geared to detect and address threats combination methods which may include validation of input as well as security and threat removal on a data base level.

Will My Company Benefit?

Anyone who performs online transactions can benefit from a web application firewall. That being said, businesses which involve a lot of online transacting such as banks or online stores should most definitely be investing in WAFs if they aren’t already!

Conclusion

Given that many today still need to get their head around web application firewalls and how they work. There is always more information out there however we can tell you this, whether you know it already or not, network security, WAFs included in this day and age are a needed investment!

If you’re looking for security testing services and Cloud WAF service to see where you stand by way of network security, check out your options or give us a shout! Maybe we can help!

Just remember, when it comes to keeping the data of yourself and your clients secure, it is always better to be safe than sorry!

5 Reasons To Invest In Online Or Cyber Security

Everything around us is evolving. Medicine, engineering, and the nergy we use and how we see ourselves psycho-socially!

Unfortunately, cyber crime is evolving too! Though there are a number of successful business owners who do not understand or appreciate the importance of cyber security, there are others who swear by it.

What is it about?

To make things simple, it really is about what you have to lose. If there is data, information or confidential material on your systems or network, it stands to reason that you would not want un-authorized access.

That’s not it; a lot could go wrong when the wrong person gains access to your network:

5 Reasons Why

We’re going to explain five reasons that make it glaringly obvious why you should absolutely invest in cyber security services as well as regular web security assessments. Here they are:

 

Real Crime

Unlike an episode of the hit show Archer where the extent of the hacker’s damage was a laughing pirate on the screen and everyone being locked out of their systems, real life hacks can be a lot more malicious. Simply backing your data up won’t help.

Hackers can mess with your accounts, records, internal system functions, credit and debit data and a lot more. They can also access confidential official plans and information to sell to competitors. In extreme cases, a hacker could stalk you, which could end up in physical assault or some other physical crime.

In short, hackers can sometimes be very dangerous to you or your business.

Loss upon Loss

A bad hack could cause you to lose a whole lot of money. Not just this, depending on the nature of your business, could lose credibility as well! If you have confidential client data, one hack could put it all out for the world to see. We doubt your clients would be all too pleased.

A combination of a bad hack and inadequate insurance could also well drain your funds and put you right out of business!

Easy Access

Have you never watched a spy show or movie? Back accessing microphones and cameras on mobile devices is a real threat.

Even hackers starting off can gain access to phones and other personal devices with a bit of information. We have discussed this in detail in another article but in short, phones and tablets can be phished, stolen or simply broken into and remotely accessed!  

Clouds

Again, we deeply wish this weren’t so, but it is! Depending on who your cloud provider or vendor is, your level of security might or might not be up to the mark! Secure cloud managed hosting could be helpful here. Always make sure to grill your potential or current cloud provider about cloud security and data access protocols.

Evolution

As we mentioned at the start of this article, hackers like everything else are evolving. If you think your state of the art anti-virus software is going to cut it, think again! Hackers are coders and programmers. These are guys who have the intelligence and skill to write programs. If software available in the main stream has advanced so much, imagine how far the people who make such software have come. Not all of them work for anti-virus companies!

Conclusion

Reading the pointers above, it stands to reason that investing in cyber security is not just a good idea, it’s a bare essential. If you’re looking for a reliable network security company to get security testing services and are wondering what they can do for you, maybe we can help! Give us a shout and get those online assets well protected!

Cyber Security - Stat & Trends Infographic

Many business, specially online business have cyber security issue to concern about. More business owners are now adapting safer measures to protect their data against intruders and malicious malware attacks.

Read about cyber security stats and trends.

Get in touch with us to get your business secured via our web application security testing services.