Our Connected World Invites Attackers, Here’s How to Keep Them Out

Today people are always online no matter the time or place. This convenience is an essential part of doing business. Constant connection does come with a cost - increased risks for cyberattacks. In business, connectivity has become a necessity you must embrace. However, you must also carefully weigh out the associated risks and not only understand them but also know how to minimize them to protect your company. Services such as Wireless Access Point Assessments can help you discover and mitigate vulnerabilities that result from being connected across various devices all the time.

Understanding the Risks

Perhaps you understand and acknowledge how connected your employees are, but you may not realize the level of risks to manage. Here are some risks to watch out for:

• Discover any rogue access points or ad hoc networks. Require connected devices to be sanctioned by your administrator to reduce vulnerabilities.
• Confirm your company's Wi-Fi does not have any misconfigurations or incomplete configurations.
• Companies fail to use a Virtual Private Network (VPN) on mobile devices. VPNs provide encrypted connections to allow for privacy and security.
• There is a lack of wireless segmentation. Use segmentation to limit the damage an attacker can wreak.
• Some businesses do not have inventory of all their network access points.
• Companies use weak passwords, low encryption levels and/or default passwords.
• Add in Risky Employees

Risks are multiplied when vulnerabilities combine with the risky behaviors of your employees. Research by Wandera states that 1/4 of enterprise devices have connected to open and potentially insecure Wi-Fi networks. Consider how many vulnerabilities just one employee brings. He/she uses weak passwords, shared passwords, personal and business applications on a shared device and connects to unprotected Wi-Fi networks. In addition, think about how many ill-advised decisions are made about which applications can see and transfer their information.

Now combine these risks with wireless access security vulnerabilities that are likely lurking on your network. Consider how many employees are in your company. It might be a good time to think about hiring a professional to perform a Wireless Access Point Assessment.

Find the Sweet Spot

After you receive a list of ranked vulnerabilities, you can prioritize and determine how many controls/security measures to implement. This is the real challenge. You want to increase the security posture of your company without causing too much of a hindrance on your employees' productivity. Once you find the right balance for your risk appetite, you can determine what security measures to put into place without adding too many restrictions.

The connected world we live in opens the door to uninvited guests. Learn how TechGuard Security can identify your vulnerabilities and provide recommended actions to mitigate your risk.