Even experts can be absent-minded. Have you forgotten to incorporate these basic security tasks into your procedures?

Delete all accounts for departing employees.

Even if you have single sign-on implemented, it’s unlikely that there’s truly only one login identity associated with an employee. Make sure that your deprovisioning process deletes all accounts associated with former employees.

Manage firewall configurations.

Firewalls are a foundation for information security, but they’re difficult to manage well. As the number of rules grows, the reasons behind rules are often forgotten, and it’s hard to understand how the rules interact. Implementing new rules is difficult because the impact is unclear. Address this with periodical reviews of rules and use automation to keep policies in sync.

Stay up to date with patches.

Along with firewalls, applying patches is a basic information security task. Many companies fall behind because of the frequency of updates, the need to assess the impact before applying them, and the sheer number of systems to be patched. Nevertheless, you need to build time for applying patches into your routine schedule.

Monitor mobile devices.

It’s great to empower employees with Bring Your Own Device, but make sure they only access authorized applications and authorized data by deploying mobile device management software.

Review log files.

No matter how many tools you have in place, security breaches can still occur. A breach that’s detected quickly can be ameliorated, but a breach that doesn’t attract attention can lead to major damage. Not all security incidents will cause scenarios that trigger alerts; you need to allot time to analyze your log files to identify issues. Analytics tools can help with this.

Review vendor and partner security.

Your data is your data, even when it’s shared with vendors and partners. Make sure their security practices match with your data’s sensitivity. This review should be performed every time a new data transfer is implemented or whenever a contract is renewed.

Scan your network.

No matter how careful you are, threats can still get into your network. That’s why you should schedule periodic security scans to check all devices for vulnerabilities. You should also take this opportunity to update your network map to reflect new devices that have been added or to track down and remove any unauthorized devices.

Managed services from Prescient Solutions can help you stay on top of all your routine security tasks. Our expert team is certified in the top security products and will design and implement a cybersecurity solution tailored to your needs. Contact us to learn more about how our IT consulting services help Chicago and Schaumburg businesses protect their valuable data.