Small businesses often think they are immune from network attacks. While it is true that cyberattacks on big companies grab the headlines, small businesses are increasingly at risk.
According to Accenture’s Cybersecurity Index, 43% of cyberattacks focus on small businesses. At the same time, just 14% of small businesses are prepared adequately to defend themselves. As enterprise organizations have become more sophisticated in their network security, cybercriminals are targeting small businesses with fewer resources dedicated to security.
“The large businesses continue to invest in their cybersecurity and enhance their cybersecurity posture,” FBI special agent Michael Sohn told CNBC. “What the cybercriminals are doing is they’re pivoting; they’re evolving and targeting the soft targets, which are the small and medium businesses.”
According to the Small Business Administration, there are more than 700,000 attacks against small businesses yearly, accounting for nearly $3 billion in damage.
Despite the increased number of attacks on small businesses, the FBI says that almost all of them could have been prevented by taking some basic precautions for network security.
The Basics of Network Security for Small Businesses
The Federal Communications Commission has put together a good tip sheet for small businesses on how to approach network security, including:
- Providing firewall security for internet connections.
- Safeguarding mobile devices and remote access.
- Training employees in security principles.
- Backing up data.
- Controlling access to networks.
- Limiting access to data and information.
- Requiring complex passwords.
For many small businesses, managing the complexity of network security can feel overwhelming. While large companies have teams of IT security specialists, most small businesses have limited or no cybersecurity teams.
Network security companies can help provide the expertise and tools small businesses need to protect themselves.
LOGIX SD-WAN Secure
LOGIX Fiber Networks’ SD-WAN Secure cloud software provides robust network management and an integrated next-generation firewall (NGFW) to streamline and simplify network security. Working with LOGIX, a small business can access the security tools that large companies deploy.
Integrated NGFW Protection
An integrated NGFW helps protect your network from threats using a single platform and solution, deploying multiple layers of united threat management including:
- Antivirus options.
- URL filtering, including accept/reject lists.
- IP filtering based on location and reputation.
- Intrusion detection system (IDS)
- Intrusion prevention system (IPS)
- Highly configurable security and access policies.
With LOGIX SD-WAN Secure, all network traffic is encrypted and secure. The integrated NGFW also allows control at the application level, allowing for group and individual security policies for access and authentication. Antivirus protection also gets automatic updates to help guard against emerging threats to protect your business.
Network Command and Control
LOGIX SD-WAN Secure also gives small businesses greater command and control over the entire network, including remote access or multiple locations. It eliminates the need to send all internet traffic from distributed endpoints to a central data center before connecting to the internet. This puts connectivity closer to users and reduces latency, resulting in better performance.
SD-WAN manages the quality of service to provide optimal routing of internet traffic, whether you are using an on-premises, cloud, hybrid cloud or multicloud solution.
Zero Trust Network Access
LOGIX SD-WAN Secure also allows small businesses to deploy the same zero-trust network access (ZTNA) strategies that enterprise-level organizations use. This approach has become significantly more important with so many companies employing remote or hybrid work arrangements, greatly increasing the threat perimeter.
ZTNA adds another layer of network security by requiring:
- Strong multifactor authentication (MFA).
- Restricted access to only the resources users require for their jobs.
- Microsegmentation to prevent lateral movement across networks.
- Application and role-based controls.
- Private, encrypted connectivity to network resources.
ZTNA enables businesses to provide both high-level controls for managing access and granular control down to the application level. At every stage, ZTNA requires authentication and authorization for users to access network resources. This prevents someone from using stolen credentials to access the entire network.
Protecting Your Network
Small businesses cannot afford to take network security lightly. The number of cyberattacks on small businesses increased by 64% in 2022, and shows no signs of slowing down in 2023.
Talk to the network security experts at LOGIX Fiber Networks and take the next step in protecting your business from cyberthreats.
Looking for network security companies and network security solutions? Learn more about ZTNA and LOGIX SD-WAN Secure. Reach out to LOGIX today at 281-688-6283, or request a quote.