Why are network security solutions so important in today’s business environment?
One-third of the time employees spend online at work is nonwork related. Internet misuse at work costs companies more than $85 billion each year due to lost productivity.
Besides that, many companies use public IM services, exposing them to risk, and few companies have clearly defined IM policies. Peer-to peer (P2P) file sharing is another area of concern, as 45 percent of executable files downloaded through P2P applications contain malicious code and a company can be liable for up to $150,000 per download if the downloaded content is copyrighted.
Because of these issues, each and every high speed Internet connection needs to be secure. Internet security must be managed 24/7 and firewalls must be managed remotely with proactive security updates and constant monitoring. Viruses, spam, spyware and malicious codes have to be stopped immediately. And all of this has to be affordable.
These are all reasons that network security solutions have become so important in today’s business environment.
What types of companies should be implementing network security solutions?
A company should implement a network security solution if:
- Its customers conduct transactions over the Internet
- Its customers have personal or private information stored anywhere on its network
- Its customers have any compliance regulations
- Its customers want to be protected against the vast variety of dangers on the Internet
What does a company need to consider when implementing a network security solution?
When looking to implement a network security solution, you need to answer the following questions:
- How many users do you have on your network?
- How many locations or sites do you have that you want to connect via VPN?
- Do you scan your e-mail for spam and viruses before they reach your network?
- Would you like to know how your network is being used, and where and for how long employees are going on the Internet?
- Is your Unified Threat Management (UTM) suite proactive, and does it stop viruses, spyware and other threats before they reach your network?
- Do you have a Web-based server or other externally accessed servers?
What are the consequences of not properly monitoring your system?
A company can face stiff fines from the federal government when it comes to credit card, Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) violations. And you can lose all of your company and personal data in an instant.
Is the ROI of network security solutions measurable?
Depending on the size of your business, you can begin to see an ROI almost immediately. The cost of a virus, spyware or malware destroying your network is immeasurable, as is having your vital company information fall into the hands of your competitors.
Thomas Merola is a sales engineer with Time Warner Cable Business Class. Reach him at (614) 255-2819 or [email protected].
