How To Lock Down Your Systems For Increased Cyber Security?
By Ray Parker
Organizations need to take serious actions to keep their systems and networks secure. For this, a rigorous testing approach is required so that the required goals can be achieved. A safe and sound online working environment is necessary to cover the pitfalls in security concerns and also protect critical business online. Organizations opt for the best penetration testing services to stay ahead of their competitors and emphasize on improving cybersecurity.
Let’s have a look at how companies should lock down their systems for increased cybersecurity:
Implementing Secure Configurations:
Most of the time new devices and software have default configurations such as predefined passwords. Since these are a part of the set-up for user convenience, it is not safe to leave the setting ‘on’. A system that is not configured properly could also allow attackers to gain access to the crucial and private information, or simply block your access to the device. Thus it is important to secure configurations by:
- Creating and maintaining an asset register, that includes both software and hardware
- Changing the default password and avoid using weak passwords
- Removing all unnecessary user accounts and user privileges
- Removing all unnecessary software
- Regular vulnerability scans
- Using two-factor authentication before enabling users to access sensitive data
Security Testing:
Most of the organizations fail to provide a security policy with respect to their security concerns. For instance, as most commonly heard companies make it mandatory to carry out the penetration testing annually. While using the modern and agile approach to software development where changes are too little. So these changes do not need much time but the companies need to consider how to perform security testing and also allow them to manager issues regularly so that it saves time and money.
Managing User Accounts and their Access:
Certain employees are only granted restricted permissions in an organization to a range of systems for performing their jobs. If their roles keep changing, they require permissions according to their respective roles. However, the permissions that are no longer necessary or relevant, they do not get revoked.
It also gets complicated with cloud computing, since most of the permissions are granular. However, the users that already have permissions but no longer require them, there is a principle of least privilege (POLP) concept, that helps the chances of attack to surface things that are potential threats or may compromise any credentials.
Reviewing Security Protection Strategy
It is important for testers and development teams to analyze the security protection strategy to make the most of their security testing efforts.
Penetration testing services can have excellent results and can help organizations combat security attacks in the future. With the help of experts, small to medium companies can easily and conveniently manage their cyber-security concerns. With more rigorous testing approaches, these experts bring in their experience and expertise at a common point to achieve business goals and protect the business from any data breach or cyber-threats.
Author Bio:
Ray Parker is a senior marketing consultant with a knack for writing about the latest news in tech, quality assurance, software development, and testing. With a decade of experience working in the tech industry, Ray now dabbles out of his New York office.