| Attacks on your network will be happening | | | | the web. This means that there is a never ending |
| continuously on a 24/7/365 basis - attacks cause a | | | | variety of opportunities to gain access to the network |
| range of issues from simple nuisance issues through to | | | | by breaking in through the wireless gateway or by |
| slowing your network performance and functionality | | | | taking control of a remotely-linked machine. |
| and all the way through to causing your network and | | | | One solution is to strengthen application security. |
| even worse, your data, to be lost or corrupted. | | | | Application security deals with the software programs |
| Attacks on your network are not just through email | | | | which your staff are using and security solutions need |
| containing malicious code and attachments being sent | | | | to be put in place in order to ensure that hardware |
| to staff, or by simple web browsing and visiting sites | | | | they are using cannot be compromised by |
| which cause malware, viruses and Trojans to be | | | | non-authorized parties and also, that when they are |
| downloaded - your network is exposed at any point | | | | running a program it only performs authorized tasks. |
| where users (both authorized and non-authorized) can | | | | For instance, an employee loses a laptop through theft |
| gain access to the network or wherever the network | | | | - the laptop must not then be allowed to access the |
| is connected to the outside world and particularly at | | | | network remotely which can be achieved by using |
| the web gateway. | | | | machine access codes, strong password policies to |
| Security issues are very real and the losses which | | | | use an application and to access the network. |
| may be caused by attacks come with a huge financial | | | | Another solution is to ensure that WiFi security is |
| price tag. The damage is not just to your bottom line | | | | strengthened. Try this yourself, in your neighborhood, |
| but also to your assets, and particularly your business | | | | whether at work or at home, ask your computer to |
| reputation. How many customers will be happy to learn | | | | show you existing wireless networks (if you're running |
| that because your network security was breached, | | | | Windows you can usually see an icon in your bottom |
| their private banking and personal information has been | | | | taskbar on the right hand side). If there are wireless |
| stolen or lost? What do you think a business regulator | | | | networks in the area, it will show you whether they |
| is going to make of your inability to produce financial | | | | are secured or unsecured. If you see an unsecured |
| records when they ask for them? How about an | | | | network, which is likely, you will be able to hop onto the |
| inability to produce email correspondence if you are | | | | internet using that connection and wireless router. |
| engaged in a legal dispute? | | | | Effectively this is stealing someone's bandwidth but |
| Wireless connectivity is increasing and becoming an | | | | more importantly, it is allowing a third-party to come |
| industry standard for accessing networks and the | | | | closer to gaining access to the network core, your |
| internet as well as being able to work remotely over | | | | data and your hardware. |