Strong network security reduces the likelihood of a business falling victim to data theft and digital sabotage. In today’s unpredictable cyber climate, companies of all sizes are vulnerable to online attacks. According to IBM reports, the costs associated with insider threat-related incidents alone average more than $7.68 million. Network security assessments are used to assess an enterprise’s network for internal and external threats. The results of an IT assessment can help protect businesses from cybercriminals.
What Is A Network Security Assessment?
A network security assessment is a type of audit used by businesses to identify possible vulnerabilities that could compromise their network. Certain vulnerabilities can cause harm to business operations and could result in a leak of confidential information.
There are two main types of network security assessments: vulnerability assessments and penetration tests. A vulnerability assessment helps businesses determine their weaknesses, while a penetration test is designed to mimic an actual cyber or social engineering attack, such as phishing, whaling or spare phishing. Both methods can be useful for determining the effectiveness of a network.
Benefits Of Network Security Assessments
Network security assessments can provide businesses with protection against threats and risks by delivering suggestions to improve network security. Performing a network security assessment provides companies with a better understanding of their current IT environment.
With this information, they are able to implement changes and updates to help protect the company’s network architecture and improve its overall security controls. Conducting a network security assessment can also help an organization determine if they meet industry-related compliances before they are hit with costly fines.
Some of the top benefits of network security assessments include the following:
Identifying Hardware Issues
Business hardware has the potential to last for many years without major disruption or malfunctions. However, hardware like systems and servers can fail without notice and often at the most inconvenient moment. When hardware has malfunctions, failures or similar issues, it can cause businesses to experience serious setbacks.
Processes may be put on hold, orders slow down or stop altogether, and employees may have difficulty engaging with clients or conducting other important tasks. A network security assessment can help acknowledge possible network flaws early on before they become more problematic and potentially costly.
Revealing Network Weaknesses
Many businesses are unaware of the various cyber threats that their enterprise faces every day. Having a secure network is critical in today’s highly-advanced IT environment due to the way that sensitive and confidential information is stored and transmitted. A network security assessment can help businesses detect certain vulnerabilities before a cybercriminal finds them.
While conducting a network security assessment does require time and money, it can actually save businesses money in the long-run. By identifying and eliminating network risks discovered in a security assessment, organizations can prevent the loss of important data and avoid the potential legal fallout that can arise from such scenarios.
A Review Of Security Controls
Security controls help protect business data and IT infrastructure. Any type of countermeasure or safeguard put in place to detect, avoid or minimize security risks to computer systems, information or other assets can be considered a security control. With a network security assessment, businesses can review their security controls more effectively.
Network security assessments enable companies to see how efficient their existing security controls are and what upgrades or modifications are available to make them better. With the information gathered from a network assessment, organizations are also able to take preventive measures to increase the efficiency of their security controls.
The Importance Of Network Security Assessments
There are several critical goals of a network security assessment. They can be used to discover internal or external entry points, measure the potential impact of a successful attack, and identify vulnerabilities in file, application or database servers. They can also be used to identify lower-risk vulnerabilities that could be exploited by cybercriminals to create higher-risk weaknesses.
By conducting network security assessments on a routine basis, companies can more effectively detect, prevent and respond to attacks. Any organization with a network is at risk for data loss or corruption which makes network security a top priority for businesses of all sizes and in all industries.
Consider A Network Security Assessment With TCB Inc.
An essential component of any solid business security plan should include a periodic network security assessment. With network security assessments, organizations are able to get a better look at their current network to determine what vulnerabilities exist and what policies and procedures can be modified to achieve a higher level of security.
Due to the complexity of network security assessments, many businesses choose to outsource this important task to a professional. To learn more about managed IT services or for assistance conducting a network security assessment, reach out to the IT experts at TCB by calling 703.204.2958 or by requesting a consultation online.