Fail-Safe Measures

The first—and most important tool—is a good, properly configured firewall to isolate your network from outside threats.  Although personal computers use software-based firewalls, businesses need a hardware solution, often part of the router.  Among firewall best practices is to use a “DMZ,” short for demilitarized zone. “The firewall sees all the traffic that goes in and out of your network, and is in the best position to monitor and control that traffic,” Salustro explains.  For this reason, it is important to have a strict usage policy, continually monitor security logs, and make sure the firewall is up to date and intact.

Firewalls are the most misunderstood component of Internet security, Bevente says. “It’s basically a front door with a lock on it, but we find most firewalls are not configured properly,” he says.  “A properly configured firewall should not just have an inbound policy, on what is allowed in, but also on what is allowed out. That’s where most small businesses fail.”  Further, IT personnel must routinely review firewall logs to know what’s happening and establish a change control process, so employees can’t create new rules that weaken or negate the firewall’s benefits. 

Redundancy is also crucial, in backups of software systems and daily data, and Internet connectivity.  While most companies back up data on a daily basis, experts recommend having two copies: one in-house, and the other either on a cloud server or remote location in case of physical disasters, like a fire.  “It’s important to have more than one backup,” says Kyle Stone from Detroit’s Ben B. Schwartz & Sons, especially “if you’re talking about a produce business.”  Stone says a system crash could be catastrophic for companies dealing in perishables, when writing tickets or accessing shipper and load data quickly is an absolute necessity—which is why Schwartz & Sons has three backups.  

Yet spoilage isn’t the only thing at stake.  “More and more companies are reaching a point where, if their Internet system goes down, it puts them at risk of going out of business,” McCary adds.

#4 – Meet the ANTIs

When it comes to computer security, most people are familiar with anti-virus software for their personal computers.  Security for businesses requires anti-virus, anti-malware, anti-phishing, anti-spyware,  anti-spam, and anti-spoofing.  Managers also need to protect against denial-of-service attacks, and use encryption on email and other sensitive documents.

Many of the aforementioned programs come bundled together.  McCary says brand names don’t really matter, as pretty much any anti-virus will handle the basics and be up to the task. Though early viruses from the 1990s and 2000s were created to wipe out hard drives, today’s revolve around accessing data, especially financial information.  Others are “botnets”—designed to take over computers to send out massive streams of spam.  

Walborn recommends installing protection on every office PC and especially laptops.  “Laptops are a particular threat to your system, since they are often off site and have the potential of contracting a bug and infusing your system.”

And don’t forget patches.  “Three words: patch, patch, patch,” says Bevente, noting  businesses can dramatically improve security by updating software and systems regularly, and most can automatically install patches when they become available or even on a regular basis like Microsoft’s monthly “Patch Tuesday.”