Any connection from the outside world gives access to network intruders – whether its through the Internet, dial-up modems, and even physical access. For instance, software intended to help with data entry may actually be a hacker looking for passwords, data, phone numbers, or anything else an attacker may use to access the equipment.
To adequately address security issues, it is necessary to identify and evaluate all possible avenues of entry. Also, the security of that entry point must be consistent with the stated policy of acceptable risk levels.
Practices to Prevent Security Disasters
Here are some practices that will help prevent intruders and control damages in the case that preventive measures fall short in blocking an attack:
- Secure backups – helps recover data when a break-in happens.
- Don’t put data where it doesn’t need to be – by not putting data in a location accessible from the outside world, you will prevent the increase of network damage.
- Avoid systems with single points of failure – redundancy is good, especially when handling very important data and information. A system that can be broken through any one component is not very strong.
- Stay current with relevant operating system patches – exploiting an old system is still one of the most common and effective means of breaking into systems.
- Monitor relevant security advisories – make sure that at least one person in your group is subscribed to the mailing list of advisories to keep up on what security vendors are saying about their products.
- Have someone familiar with security practices – it is important to have someone who understands network security advisories to keep abreast with security developments. This way, proper responses to security issues can be applied
