Network Security Solutions for the Insurance Industry
The news is bad. There are stories almost daily about how major businesses and agencies are having data stolen, or are involved in major breeches. Most independent insurance agencies are left asking what network security solutions for the insurance industry they should put in place to secure their data and keep their clients safe. Here we outline several basic affordable steps that every agency should take to make sure they are protected.
Patch it up
Microsoft releases patches and updates every single week to protect you from security threats. The reality is that most folks are a long ways behind from being current on patches. It takes too much time out of our busy week to keep them current. We’re here to tell you that THEY HAVE TO GET DONE! Without them you’re left vulnerable. We understand your busy, but if that’s the case you should invest in a system that will run you patches automatically at night so you can make sure they still get done. This is critical.
Back it up
This may seem like an obvious one, but it is neglected far too often. A solid backup can save your bacon if you get hit by ransomware or have a major hardware failure. Again, best practice would be to do at least daily backup of all of your data, and offsite backups are recommended.
Strong firewalls will give you a great perimeter defense for your network. You can also add a security suite that will give you gateway antivirus and anti-spyware, intrusion prevention service, application control, content filtering and more. This multi-layered defense at the gateway prevents a lot of bad stuff from getting in to begin with.
Email security solutions can add another layer of protection to your network. They can filter out spam, protect from viruses and advanced threats, and add encryption to your communication. This can be especially critical if you have a need to transmit client personal data.
Train Your People
Cyber education is frequently overlooked. A user on your network can bypass all of your layers of security by going out and clicking on the wrong thing. For a few bucks a user a month you can enroll your team in a cyber security training program that will increase their web safety savvy. The more you can help them to make good decisions the lower the risk your company faces from threats that frequently prey on uneducated users.
There is a lot to think about when trying to secure your network. We’re here to help. i.t.NOW offers network security solutions for the insurance industry, and partners with businesses so that they can focus on core competencies, leaving the IT worries to us. We want to take the stress out of compliance and network security. Call us today!