Remember what happened to Twitter and Wells Fargo? There were attacks on their websites, so improving network security must be your company’s top priority. When you are a small business, this type of attack might mean the difference between remaining afloat and not. I’ll cover how you ought to go about improving your company’s network security:
Begin with the basics
Virus protection, encrypted pages, and password security for network sites, email, documents – those must be the first elements with network security. If you do not have them, immediately apply them, and if you do, ensure that the requirements are very strict.
Make sure you stay current
No system may be fully secure given technology’s dynamic nature, yet that isn’t an excuse to do nothing at all. Read up on current attacks to figure out what hackers are up to then regularly apply security software patches and updates to remain ahead of hackers. Also, you should update more about security knowledge, as information about unikernels.
Keep an eye on the situation
When there are security tasks in place, you still can be a victim of attacks. But in implementing network monitoring software, as well as assessing the details on a daily basis, it’s possible to prevent or minimize attacks before they become massive threats. You also can use those details to check for loopholes in the network system then close them up.
3rd party vendors
Depending upon the size of your company, you might not have the resources and time to implement the required steps and remain on top of them. If you can’t, consider the use of a 3rd party vendor whose experience is in network security. They may dedicate themselves to the safety of your company while your staff members concentrate on revenue-generating projects.
Put network security policies in writing
Even when everyone knows the processes in place, people sometimes become complacent. So, place all network security policies in writing and ensure that all employees follow it. Occasional evaluations of the document allow you to make changes if needed. As an extra benefit, potential clientele knows that you’re serious about security – which also includes their information.
What are unikernels, and why do they matter?
The aim of unikernels includes restructuring entire VMs—which includes all kernel, as well as userspace code—within more modular elements that are reusable, secure, and flexible, in a library operating system style, according to David J. Scott and Anil Madhavapeddy, who define them in a Communications of the ACM post. Library operating systems are bare-bones operating systems. They have the minimal quantity of libraries necessary to operate a specific application. A library operating system dates back to the 1990s, when it was utilized in academic operating systems like Nemesis and MIT Exokernal.
Unikernels often are mentioned as if they’re operating systems. A unikernel is actually a single-address-space, specialized machine image that is made from a library operating system. A unikernel is constructed from a high-level language compiled into an application machine image.
Inside the image’s userspace, the developer places the software that the application requires to run and nothing else. Support library functions, I/O routines, drivers—everything expected in an operating system—are either eliminated or they are incorporated into a unikernel executable. In shrinking down the OS to libraries and essential functions, unikernels will take up very little resources.
No company may be fully safe from viruses, attacks, identity or data theft; however, it’s possible to make it challenging for attackers to penetrate a network. Preventive steps, along with formal documentation and consistent monitoring, will make all the difference.