Hardware and software firewalls are essential. They scan network traffic and block any suspicious activity from entering your system. They should be installed on all devices that are connected to the internet. A firewall is the first line of network defense, so a good one is important.
VPN's or, virtual private networks are a must for protecting employees who are logging in on a computer other than the office computer. This allows the employee to work securely from an alternate location. These are very important if your employees are going to be working at home or on the road.
Intrustion Prevention Systems, also known as IPS, are also very important. They monitor both network traffic and system activities for malicious activities. They go a little bit further than firewalls in protecting you, and can take immediate action if a threat is detected.
Anti Virus and Anti Spyware programs are also imperative to keeping your network secure. There are a ton of great ones out there, and you definitely need to make sure you have one. Make sure also that you have full disk encryption on any and all laptops, and make sure all data is always password protected (with a good password!) at all times! The encryption will make your devices useless if they are stolen. You also need to make sure to back up all data very regularly. Another good reminder is that if your employees use flash drives to hold data, they always need to be password protected in case they were lost or stolen.
Small business computer security is one the most important aspects of business, and you owe it not only to yourself, but to your customers and employees as well, to keep everyone safe!
