The Importance of Baseline Security

Understanding your company position in terms of digital security is vital to knowing whether you can and will be protected moving forward. Although having layers of security to protect you against the multitude of threats a company can face is preferable, there is a bare minimum standard that you should be aiming for.

That bare minimum would be a Gap Analysis of your current situation. This is a method of assessing the differences in performance between a business’ information systems or software applications, to determine whether business requirements are being met and, if not, what steps should be taken to ensure they are met successfully. The first step is always to understand the present and isolate the issues that must be addressed moving forward.

One of the key things that a Gap Analysis can help to illuminate is exactly who and what is actively utilising your network. This is a fundamental position for businesses to make sure they are in, as without having this initial understanding, there is no way of knowing that things have changed.

As we have alluded to, this is the absolute minimum you should be doing. We understand that integrating digital security measures into your business can seem daunting, which is why taking small steps, and addressing the immediate weaknesses, is a great way to begin. Once you have your reference point, a new device on the network can immediately be flagged as a threat, and increased traffic on the server will bring the suspicion it deserves.

In the digital protection industry, this is known as baseline security. A comparison we often make is with a house. When you leave your home, you will always lock all doors and windows to guard against intruders. Over time, you may even look to add additional security measures. You might install more robust locks, introduce a security system, or place your valuables inside an internal safe. Whatever additional measures you take, you will always start by locking the door. This is what baseline security is.

It is important to make clear that completing a Gap Analysis on its own does not protect you. Digital security is never a one-off action. Instead, it is an ongoing and ever adapting measure you should be taking. You combine the blocks over time, gradually building the wall higher and higher, to create an even more secure network for your devices to operate on.

In digital terms, you would probably start with a firewall. This is you securing the locks. Then, over time, you might introduce Log Management Processes, to keep track of your digital environment and the movements of your users. Next, you could add a Managed Encryption Service into the business, to protect your data. The task as a whole may seem daunting, but this gradual approach is something that makes it manageable and cost-effective. There will always be more layers of security you can add, but addressing your immediate weaknesses is the most important place to start. How do you find those weaknesses? By building a picture of your baseline security.

We can help you did this. Get in touch either by completing the form, call 0844 586 0040 or email [email protected].

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