There are many specific reasons to get a security assessment:
- You’ve had a data breach
- There has been loss of memory or destruction of data
- A virus has infected your systems
- Or something else has obviously gone wrong
But there is a very large and less pin-pointable reason that every business should have a periodic Network Security Assessment: because you aren’t sure your systems are secure. You hope so. And you think so. At some point in the past you knew that your network had adequate security. But maybe time passes, changes happen, staff changes. Now you’re not as sure. This is the right time for a security assessment.
What Happens During a Network Security Assessment?
When a business is looking at getting a network security assessment, there are some basics they can expect. There should be a review of network and traffic flows, some education on security design principles if needed, and you should be presented with network & security solutions for your situation.
Key personnel recieve interviews to make sure your risk evaluator has a complete understanding of your environment’s data flows, perimeter security and infrastructure. The security expert will likely inspect your physical system too.
Following reviews of your hardware, software, protocols and needs, your security advisor should have an understanding of your network environment. Strengths, weaknesses, successes and failures. You’ll receive a report that outlines your environment’s current security & network architecture. Recommendations about what to do next may include feature set changes and architectural improvements to enhance your overall security.
This process is not difficult for you, and it uncovers the security position your company is in, including how much risk you’re exposing your data to. The best part of course, is that you won’t receive a list of your problems, but a specific tailored set of recommendations to get your network to the level of security that you need to continue doing business with confidence.
