One word… SECURITY!  In our experience, most small businesses in our community fall short when it comes to network or IT security.  In all fairness, how can a small business, retailer, or restaurant in Steamboat Springs hope to keep up with internet security when companies like EBay, Sony, and Target can’t guarantee that their networks are secure and their customers’ personal data is secure?  Well in spite of the challenges businesses face in today’s connected world, there are very important steps that you can take to insure your company’s, and your customers’, critical data is secure.

NDS-Security

Why do I  need to know about network security?

Network security is rooted in policies, procedures, and people.  Network security is implemented by applying the policies and procedures to the technology in your business, but it is incredibly important to always remember that technology alone can never achieve security.  That being said, most businesses do not even know how their data network is being used on a daily basis. Most business owners have no way to tell what their employees are doing online, how much time they spend on social media, or even if their connected devices are free of malware that may be putting their critical business data at risk. Does this describe you?

How do I get up-to-date with my security?

At NDS we spend a lot of time thinking about network security and in our opinion one of the best ways to be secure is with a good firewall for your network that allows you to understand and track how your network is used every day.  Cisco, the worldwide leading router and firewall provider, has a great appliance for your small business needs.  Cisco/Meraki firewalls can block internet traffic and stop fraudulent traffic from infiltrating your network.  This could help prevent Credit Card Fraud and other malicious activity from impacting your business and your most valued asset… your customers.

Meraki firewalls are built for security.  With built-in PCI compliance reporting, they are tailored to meet the needs of today’s challenging world.  This focus on high security is also combined with an ease of deployment, and an ease of management and advanced reporting that is not found in any other system we have ever deployed or tested.  Lots of firewall appliances will tout their security credentials, but one feature of the Meraki firewalls that sets them apart is the Dashboard. Through the Meraki Dashboard you can check network traffic, connected devices, specific sites being visited, and internet usage on a per user basis. This can all be done from any internet connected device.  This information can be useful in making employees more productive with their online time, achieving the most effective use of your internet bandwidth, and in identifying and blocking unwanted or malicious traffic before it can negatively impact your business.

... And there's more

Meraki firewalls have many other features including dual internet connections, 3G failover, malware detection, content filtering, and secure guest internet with splash page access, along with many more features.  They are a trusted component in keeping our network secure and could help your business be more secure as well.  For information, or to schedule a demo of what a Meraki firewall can do for you, call NDS at (970) 879-0734. We look forward to helping secure your network and your future!

Guest Blogger Your Trusted Technology Security Team NDS - Northwest Data Services