Inside The Firewall

Internal vulnerabilities may be threatening your network

You've probably heard the massive amount of buzz surrounding network security in recent years, and like many other companies, you may have invested heavily in IT systems and resources to protect your network against external risks. But what about the threats that lie within the perimeter of your firewall? How do you protect your company against internal network threats and ensure a secure, stable environment?

In an attempt to thwart internal risks that jeopardize applications and data, companies like yours have been spending valuable time and resources developing and implementing written security policies. These policies can be useful in the event of a dispute, but let's face it: a paper document in itself provides no protection. Companies must understand what internal issues can put their networks at risk, and have the ability to monitor and take action against infractions, whether intentional or unintentional. And for most small-to-medium-sized businesses, the lack of internal expertise and resources can lead to big problems.

In most cases, security breaches are not the result of planned, malicious attacks—although those certainly can and do happen—but more often result from a lack of understanding of the potential hazards. Educating your employees through a well-written security policy can help minimize your risks, but more importantly, you need to have a proactive system in place that monitors and protects your network from the inside out.

The most common internal IT security threats are:

• Your employees downloading unauthorized software – This happens all the time, and can potentially allow system hackers a port-of-entry to your corporate network.

• Instant messaging programs – Harmless as they seem, intruders can actually invade your network by hacking IM sessions.

• VPN/remote access – If the PC or laptop using the VPN connection to access your company's network is not adequately protected, the session’s security is jeopardized, allowing hackers open access to insert malicious code.

• New hires/disgruntled employees/terminated employees – Mistakenly giving access or failing to terminate access can be a recipe for disaster. Companies running multiple applications through multiple vendors have multiple points of failure when managing network accounts.

• Malicious intent – Internal IT staff can hack your system from inside without you even knowing it.

ITonCommand offers these simple resolutions to the 5 security threats presented above:

• ITonCommand prevents users from downloading unauthorized software. By removing the gateway into your network, eliminating the potential of accidentally allowing intruder access.

• ITonCommand prevents users from downloading IM software. With no IM sessions running, your network is safe and your employees are productive.

• ITonCommand provides highly secure, remote access via Terminal Services. The system is accessed via a hosted desktop from any Internet connection, but no actual data is transferred. The data lies on our servers in state-of-the-art facilities. The remote session is simply transferring encrypted key strokes and mouse clicks from the access device to the server.

• ITonCommand delivers all of your applications and data through a single point of access with one login and password per user. Access can be granted or removed immediately by resetting the password. When access is terminated, the employee has no other access point into your network. With new hires and their unknown practices and backgrounds, setting up strict network access permissions can prevent stolen or mismanaged data.

• ITonCommand hosts and manages your network in our state-of-the-art data center facilities, where our systems monitor security 24/7/365. We tightly limit access to servers to a select few of our expert engineers, all of whom have passed rigorous screening and background checks. And, none of our staff will access your company data without your express permission. Thereby, you keep control of your network without having to manage it.

Even the best security policies can be insufficient if your company does not have the proper solutions and the expertise to monitor and safeguard your network. The internal management required to enforce a security policy and ensure systems are functioning properly is more than most small-to-medium-sized businesses can afford. Even if you could afford it, you may not want the headache of managing it. Are you sure that your company's hard-won assets, intellectual property, and computer network are adequately protected? If you have ITonCommand and the award-winning network security solution we provide, then you can be positive. Let us eliminate the risk and protect your network from the inside out, so you can run your business, not your network.