Cyberattacks cost organizations millions of dollars and bring down networks for extended periods of time.
These problems can be avoided if you are aware of the signs and symptoms of a cyberattack and the proper steps are taken to prevent these from happening.
No one wants to experience a cyberattack and spend millions of dollars to repair their network.
Additionally, a downed network can severely hinder the productivity of your employees if they rely on the network or connection to the internet to perform daily tasks.
Coeo has delivered network security solutions to thousands of customers and knows how important a secure network is to an organization.
We want you to recognize the signs that your network may be under a cyberattack so you can avoid the impact a cyberattack can have on your organization.
By the end of this article, you will know what a cyberattack is, the signs your network may be under a cyberattack, and the solutions that can improve your network security.
What is network security?
Network security is a solution that protects the underlying network infrastructure. With reliable network security, your network will be protected from unauthorized access, misuse, and theft.
To exploit the vulnerabilities within a network, cyberattacks come in many forms from various sources.
Network security is typically made up of a variety of applications, configurations, and tools to combat the various forms of cyberattacks.
The variety of different network security applications and tools will help you secure your network as best as possible.
Obviously, the more security features you have implemented into your network the better protected your network will be.
Not only do the different types of network security solutions help protect your data and network from cyberattacks but they also provide access to authorized users so they can perform their work safely and efficiently.
4 Signs your network may be under a cyberattack
Cyberattacks bring many consequences that can negatively impact the productivity and performance of an organization. The signs that point to a cyberattack include:
● A significant drop in network performance
A significant drop in network performance can be a result of many different network issues. However, one of the main issues that can cause network performance is a cyberattack.
If your network is under attack, it is typically going to be overwhelmed. For example, a DDoS attack overwhelms the network with traffic or connections to make a network unavailable to its intended users.
When the network is overwhelmed, it typically results in a drop in network performance, a sign that your network may be under a cyberattack.
● A slow computer
If your computer is running unusually slow, it may have become a victim of a cyberattack. Viruses and other forms of malicious software can severely slow down the performance of your computer.
Malicious software and cyberattacks are often extremely resource-intensive which can put additional stress on your computer causing it to run slower.
● Programs and files are unstable
A virus may damage or delete files on your computer. You may not be able to open files or programs until they are repaired or restored if they are damaged during a cyberattack.
● Your computer receives error messages
If you are a victim of a cyberattack, your computer may frequently communicate pop-up error messages while you are working.
Error messages signal that your hardware or software may be damaged and need repair following a cyberattack.
Solutions that improve network security
Network vulnerabilities, malware, and cyberattacks are some of the most frustrating things that can happen to an organization. Solutions that improve network security include:
● SD-WAN
SD-WAN is an overlay network built on top of underlying network connections, whether over fiber, LTE, or broadband.
SD-WAN is applied as a software network of SD-WAN appliances, connected by an encrypted tunnel. These encrypted tunnels ensure that the data being sent through them is always secure.
An SD-WAN solution will not only improve the connectivity of an organization’s network but also its security.
Traffic encryption, micro-segmentation, and threat intelligence are just a few of the ways an SD-WAN solution can improve network security.
If you would like to learn more about SD-WAN, you can check out our SD-WAN Buyer’s Guide:
● SASE
SASE is a solution that integrates with SD-WAN that provides a greater focus on security. It is a cybersecurity product that combines a WAN or wide area network and a security system into one cloud-based system.
SASE improves the network security outside of the office allowing for better security for remote workers.
This helps protect your network from cyberattacks when employees are working on public wifi routers from places like Starbucks.
● Firewall
This is probably the most popular form of network security and is also its most basic form. The firewall is considered the first line of defense when it comes to network security.
A firewall protects the edge of your network and differentiates between trusted and untrusted traffic.
By doing this, it prevents malicious actors from entering your network by blocking untrust traffic from entering the network.
● Zero Trust Network Access
ZTNA is a security method that requires verification from any user looking to access resources on a network.
This solution method is a reaction that fixes some of the shortcomings of the perimeter-based network security model.
Firewalls protect the edge of your network and differentiate between trusted and untrusted traffic to protect your network.
When it comes to ZTNA, there is no trusted network because if a malicious actor compromises a device that is on your trusted network, your trusted network is now untrusted. ZTNA takes the position that every network is untrusted.
● Demilitarized Zone
A DMZ network is a perimeter sub-network that contains and exposes an organization’s services and information to a larger public network like the internet.
A DMZ adds additional security outside of your private network. Like a demilitarized zone in war, this is a neutral zone that forbids military actions within a specific area.
Similarly, a network DMZ is not part of your private network or the public internet so it is a neutral zone that is still seen as secure.
This allows you to send out data and other information over this zone to the public internet or other private networks outside of yours without having to worry about it being compromised.
Next steps to improving your organization’s network security
Now you know what network security is, the four signs your network may be under a cyberattack, and the solutions that improve network security.
This will help you better understand what to look out for when it comes to cyberattacks to better prepare for when they may happen.
Additionally, learning about the solutions that improve network security will help you determine which are best for your organization to utilize to avoid cyberattacks.
Coeo has helped thousands of organizations with their network security and knows how important reliable network security is to an organization.
We want you to know the signs of a cyberattack and solutions that improve network security so you can be better prepared for when cyberattacks happen in your organization.
If you would like to speak with our team to learn more about network security or ask any questions you may have you can schedule an appointment.
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