Let’s be honest: the unfortunate reality is that data breaches and other types of cyberattacks are extremely prevalent. Fortunately, there is one process that is highly effective in combating these threats: a network security assessment. Oftentimes, companies do not respond to cyberattacks in a timely manner and this can create issues.
According to Ernst & Young’s (EY) 2018-2019 Global Information Security Survey, approximately 76% of organizations didn’t invest more in security measures until after a major cyberattack occurred. Data breaches and other cyber assaults that result in the compromise of sensitive information can often take months to completely resolve, and they can cost organizations millions of dollars. Therefore, it is critical to regularly conduct a network security assessment in order to ensure that your organization is adequately protected from various types of threats.
What Is A Risk Assessment?
An IT risk assessment is essentially a type of “audit.” It is a process used for identifying hazards that could negatively affect your organization’s capacity to operate properly. This type of evaluation should constitute the foundation of your organization’s overall security strategy.
According to Forrester Research’s 2019 State of Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) report, only 36% of organizations possess a formal ERM program and 62% of businesses have experienced a major risk event during the last three years.
Types Of Network Security Assessments
The two primary types of network security assessments that organizations utilize are:
Vulnerability Assessment
This type of review process is designed to uncover weaknesses (and assess how severe these vulnerabilities are) in an organization’s IT infrastructure. Testing tools such as web security and network scanners are frequently utilized for vulnerability assessments.
Penetration Testing
Penetration testing, also called “ethical hacking”, this type of test is intended to imitate a real cyberattack or a social engineering assault (e.g. phishing). There are multiple methods for conducting penetration tests, including external testing, internal testing, and blind testing. This process is not complete until the attacker covers his/her tracks until all evidence of his/her existence has been erased.
Benefits Of Network Monitoring Services
A network security assessment is designed to ensure your networks, data, and devices remain safe and to identify potential entry points for cyberattacks.
There are many advantages to network monitoring services, although we will pay particular attention to the following five:
Taking Inventory Of Your Resources
Prior to testing your assets for weaknesses, it’s imperative to take stock of all the valuable things that your organization wishes to secure. The most effective way to do this is to record your entire IT infrastructure so that you can more rapidly identify an attacker.
Predicting & Preventing Network Downtime
Network monitoring services assist you with the prevention of unforeseen network outages. If downtime is preemptively dealt with, your organization can optimize service availability.
Testing Changes To A Network/Device
If changes to a device or network are not properly implemented, the addition or reconfiguration of this network or device can negatively impact your system of networks. Network monitoring solutions give you the ability to test new connections.
Observing Bandwidth Usage
Many network administrators view bandwidth utilization as one of the most vital indicators of a network’s performance.
Your organization’s employees can use as much bandwidth as they need while still verifying that all of your business operations are being carried out properly and efficiently.
Generating Network Performance Reports
Network monitoring services typically involve dashboards that allow you to track network activity in real-time. These solutions can also regularly create reports for your organization to analyze and used to devise a strategy for preventing future threats.
Other benefits of network security assessments include reducing the average time to repair problems and identifying performance issues that arise after regular business hours.
Speak With An Experienced Managed IT Services Provider
Reach out to the experts at SeaGlass Technology in New York for more information about the advantages of conducting a network security assessment. We are dedicated to providing both small and mid-sized businesses with innovative and efficient IT security solutions that are customized to meet their unique needs. Our staff has extensive knowledge of top original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and independent software vendors (ISVs), and can thus properly determine which solutions are the best fit for each client.
SeaGlass Technology’s staff are certified in both network installation and monitoring services. We have experience in endpoint security, which means that all of your organization’s devices that have Internet connection capabilities will be fully protected. We can also generate a detailed report every time we perform network monitoring services so that you can be aware of any vulnerabilities that exist in your overall IT infrastructure. Call SeaGlass Technology today at (212) 886-0790 or schedule a consultation online or to learn more about our managed IT services.