We live in an age where cybersecurity and physical security is of prime importance for businesses to succeed. From the cyber attack at the Saks Fifth Avenue store in Manhattan that affected 5 million customers, to the most recent Facebook data breach that affected approximately 50 million users, it is evident that security cannot be overlooked. Whether you are a small, mid-sized, or large organization such as Facebook, cyber and physical security is vital for your success. XOverture is a Managed IT Services provider helping such businesses with a holistic security strategy.
Example of a Physical Security Breach Attempt
Cybercrime is on the rise and your business may just spiral downward without a proper network security strategy. We provide 24/7 support to our clients located across the United States and Canada. With a goal of constantly educating our clients and readers from across the globe, we’re sharing an example of a typical physical security breach attempt. One of our clients received this email:
Notice in the mail that the so-called representative has not made any formal contact. A simple phone call in no way signifies something official. When the client requested an official mail, the caller is not able to do so. If it is genuine, the service provider would send an official email with credentials before taking the conversation further.
But How Are You To Be Sure?
Professionals working in data and network security will be helpful. Check out the reply sent by our team to understand how this situation can be understood best.
Our expert team member instantly replied with the solution and appropriate security measures. It helped the client take the right steps. This was just one of the many attempts for a physical hack. Hackers are constantly looking for ways to get into your system, but appropriate measures will help you protect yourself.
Read Also: Cyber security threats and preventive measures
Physical Security: Think Before You Act
Every network is vulnerable to an attack, so your physical security needs to be top notch. One of the first steps toward success is to perform a risk analysis. A professional risk analysis of your security will help you identify the vulnerabilities. Consider the threats such as:
- Weather conditions
- Crime reports
- Natural disaster
- Previous attempts of cybercrime
Once the threat is defined, it will help you identify your security requirements. Remember, there is no one size fit for all in the level of security. Some security threats are easy to be reduced. For example, enforcing appropriate access control measures will help to restrict entry of unauthorized personnel. In order to lessen the impact on the organization, it is crucial to conduct due diligence and then take the right steps.
Read Also: Virtual Threat and the Effect of Data Loss on Your Business
Risk Assessment Cannot Be Taken Lightly
If risks are not assessed well, the implementation of security can become costly. It is also important to consider data retention goals. Once the right steps are implemented, a wise course of action is to test the physical security program. It includes not just the testing of a system, but at the same time, you also need to check how the employees react to a physical security threat on your location. If you are not a subject matter expert in security, it is best to seek professional help.
Steps to Ensure Network Security
There is a long list of things that you can do to make sure that your physical network is secure. Here are are a few important steps that every business should take to protect their physical network.
- Guard Your Perimeter
The physical network should be protected from unauthorized people. To expose your sensitive business information to the world, the malicious people just need a vandalized server, stolen laptop of your organization or just a bad flash drive. When you start with your plans to guard your perimeter, think about your physical network security as a real firewall that can deter unauthorized persons from entry.
- Implementing Controlled Access
Limit the entry points to your facility, if possible. Installing loud alarms on the exit doors is a good way to identify a potential attack on security. Access control helps you manage and keep control over your facility because you can see the people who accessed and also when they accessed the server. If visitors need to visit your premises, it is best to give them a temporary access pass. If there are contractors that need to visit your premises and server room for technical work, give them an access pass with a specific expiration date and time. Look at practical ways in which you can implement controlled access in your premises.
- Install Proper Surveillance System
Some businesses don’t take this as a priority. However, with the current scenario of attacks on security, it is a must. Even after you’ve taken all the right steps, there are still chances that people may break in your system. There are also chances that a person in your organization has misused it. This is the reason why it is important that you have a record of who, when, and why someone accessed the server room. Also, remember to store surveillance data off-site as a backup measure.
- Prevent unauthorized visitors
Unauthorized visitors pose a security threat that you need to be careful of, especially because it is a common tactic. Tailgating gives easy access to persons who are not supposed to be there. With this approach, someone who does not have access takes advantage of someone with access. Your premises is a protected zone and if there are chances of someone entering into it without your knowledge, you need to brace your policy. An example of tailgating is when an unauthorized person follows your employee and once the door to the secured area is open, the intruder enters in.
This is not a comprehensive list. If you are a small or mid-sized business looking to implement appropriate physical security measures, make sure to take a professional recommendation from your managed IT service provider.
Facebook Breach: Lessons to learn
One of the first things to consider is that you can never be over prepared. If tech giants with thousands of subject matter experts are experiencing trouble, how much more do small and mid-sized businesses need to be careful? Focusing on yesterday’s trouble is not going to make tomorrow easy. However, planning an efficient strategy for tomorrow will help you enhance your network security.
Never take your physical security for granted. The threat is real and the security loopholes will only be magnified with time. So brace your physical security by taking appropriate measures today. At XOverture, it is our endeavor to help all our clients implement effective security policies. Get in touch with us (1-866-808-9901) to ensure that you have appropriate physical security measures in place.
