Use Network Segmentation to Make Security Manageable

Hackers are trying to destroy your business. According to a recent study by Cybersecurity Ventures, “global annual cybercrime costs will grow from $3 trillion in 2015 to $6 trillion annually by 2021, which includes damage and destruction of data, stolen money, lost productivity, theft of intellectual property, theft of personal and financial data, embezzlement, fraud, post-attack disruption to the normal course of business, forensic investigation, restoration and deletion of hacked data and systems, and reputational harm.” All businesses will be affected, but small businesses will feel the effects more acutely, as the cost of cleaning up cybercrime activities is often more than a business can afford, both in dollars and in damage to reputation.

Organized crime accounts for 80% of all cyber attacks by some estimates. According to the Department of Homeland Security, “The advancing capabilities of organized hacker groups and cyber adversaries create an increasing global threat to information systems. The rising threat levels place more demands on security personnel and network administrators to protect information systems. Protecting the network infrastructure is critical to preserve the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of communication and services across an enterprise.” Their recommendation? Segmented networks.

The old way of building networks involved creating an exterior that was believed to be impenetrable by hackers which would surround the information inside in a shell of security. As we have discovered over decades of internet and network use, humans are the weakest link in cybersecurity and hackers will always find a way in. The best way to deal with the possibility of being hacked, therefore, is to operate under the assumption you will eventually be hacked and try to mitigate damage and get the hackers out as quickly as possible.

This is done through the use of monitored network segmentation. Every bit of the network has its own security measures, and each section is accessible only to those who absolutely need access. The network traffic is carefully managed to ensure that low level employees aren’t able to gain access to high level areas of the network. On top of that the network is closely monitored so that when a hacker does gain access they are quickly detected and booted out so that cleanup can begin. This is known as the “zero trust” model of cybersecurity.

Learn more about managed network segmentation from this infographic. Is your business doing everything it can to keep hackers out and maintain optimal network security?

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Author: NowSourcing is an award-winning nationally recognized infographic design agency. Founded in 2005, NowSourcing has strong roots in the human and technical nuances of the web.