Network security best practices for the holidays
It’s that time of year when people in many parts of the world are looking forward to spending time with family and friends and taking a bit of a break. Unfortunately, this time of year also sees a surge in cyber threats, as bad actors like to exploit the reduction in network monitoring over the holidays. Ransomware attacks, as an example, often spike significantly during this time.
To help you navigate this period safely, here are a few quick and easy best practices to better protect your network while you take some well-deserved time off.
- Update your network infrastructure
Make sure that before you depart for the holidays, all your network infrastructure has been updated with the latest firmware. These updates often contain important security patches for known vulnerabilities or hardening enhancements.
If you have other internet facing infrastructure like a VPN concentrator or WAF, make sure it’s also up to date.
- Shut down any non-essential systems over the holidays
Any system that’s exposed to the internet is an attractive target for attackers looking to get a foothold on your network. If you have systems exposed to the internet, particularly via RDP or VNC, disable these systems over the holidays.
As you plan for the new year, explore implementing Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) to provide robust, next-generation protection for these systems and fortify your security posture. ZTNA will enable secure access only for specific authenticated users and will otherwise make your networked applications and systems invisible to attack.
If you don’t have ZTNA and you still need to access any systems remotely over the holidays, be sure to only allow access from the LAN and use remote access VPN – disable any port forwarding or NAT rules on your firewall. This also applies to any user portals that you may have provisioned – at least temporarily disable them over the holidays.
- Ensure authentication is secured with MFA
Attackers often use brute force login attempts to exploit weak credentials, especially during the holidays. Make sure all systems on your network are properly protected with strong passwords and multi-factor authentication (MFA). These measures significantly reduce the risk of unauthorised access and keep your network secure.
Softzaar has products and services that can help
At Softzaar, we provide a full line of network security solutions that are secure by design, as we take your organization’s network security extremely seriously.
Our network security products can seamlessly integrate with your full suite of cybersecurity products and services to provide you with unmatched protection and peace of mind—especially during the holiday season.
