“You can run a really tight ship if you run it right,” says John Verbrugge, owner of Nonlinear Tech, a firm offering IT support to small and medium-sized businesses.  He says the networks of large organizations can be more vulnerable than those of smaller entities because their very size means “something will likely be overlooked.”

That’s not to say the smaller entrepreneur has nothing to worry about. It does mean, however, it is easier to secure their network.

Steps to take
Verbrugge, whose Michigan-based company has been serving clients since 2003, says there are steps a small business owner can take to create a more secure network. Those steps include:
·        Check your router and firewall. A business should use a high-grade, business-class firewall to protect its network
·        Malware and anti-virus software should always be installed on every device linked to the network; and
·        Use some kind of web filter.

A web filter is designed to catch any viruses or other network invaders the first line of defense, such as malware, didn’t snare. Verbrugge recommends the Barracuda brand, because it is extremely dependable, but it’s also costly. On the low end, Barracuda runs around $1,400, plus an annual maintenance fee.

Still, there are still steps to take even if a business cannot afford such a costly investment, says Verbrugge.  “Get anti-virus software with a web filter,” he suggests, noting that while the pair don’t offer the same protections as does Barracuda, “  still better than nothing. “

A huge concern for network providers is Ransomware, a relatively new phenomenon gaining traction. “When malware infiltrates a network and corrupts all of the files on a network share and then someone demands a ransom to get the files back, this is known as ransomware," says Verbrugge. Unfortunately, this criminal activity has experienced an uptick in the last six to nine months but a strong web filter can often prevent it, he says. In fact, according to a recent article in PC Week, cryptowall ransomware held over 600,000 computers hostage while encrypting five billion files.

Backing, flashing and stopping
Backing up the files saved on a network is a great way to retain information, but it is does nothing to protect it. Flash drives are a popular tool for accomplishing this goal. However, cautions Verbrugge, “They’re not as good as a corporate backup strategy.”  Another problem with flash drives is they are small and easily lost.

"Offsite data storage backups are necessary for a disaster recovery plan but there is more that can be done to secure a network,” says Verbrugge.

While backing up data allows for retrieval if a network has been compromised, software called Threat Stop (www.threatstop.com) is a cloud-based firewall that prevents known criminal networks from infiltrating yours. It offers a free 30-day trial. Certainly it can’t prevent all intrusions, but it can go a long way to helping secure your network.

---

Tami Kamin Meyer is an Ohio attorney and writer. Her email address is This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..