6 Tips to Protect Your Network From Malware Attacks

6 Tips to Protect Your Network From Malware Attacks

Malware attacks exploiting unprotected businesses can go undetected for months. Discover six ways in which you can future proof your network and protect from malware attacks.

“There’s a concerning trend in these supply-chain attacks,” says Craig Williams, the head of Cisco’s Talos team. “Attackers are realizing that if they find these soft targets, companies without a lot of security practices, they can hijack that customer base and use it as their own malware install base…And the more we see it, the more attackers will be attracted to it.” The longer your network is exposed, the higher your chance of falling victim to increasingly intelligent attacks.

6 Ways to Protect Your Network From Malware

• Know your network

Job one is to know what’s on your network in real-time, at all times, end-to-end.

• Fix broken devices

This seems obvious, but you would be surprised at how often devices that impact network performance go undetected. Fix the broken devices, the misconfigured devices, and the damaged cables and devices, and set up a program of regular repair and maintenance.

• Don’t permit user-owned devices like routers and wi-fi links

We aren’t suggesting not to use this technology, just be sure to have specific procedures and strict policies in place to manage it. This will make it easier to find the crack in the system and prevent further damage.

• Make sure your firewalls are configured properly

Place firewalls between segments of your network, and make sure that they are all configured properly. Be vigilant with the application of new technology as firewall hardware is becoming more intelligent. We also suggest white listing on email firewalls to eliminate spam and phishing schemes.

• Consider edge-device firewalls

These devices protect the edge devices in the network. This is exceptionally important when you have significant numbers of user input devices, such as HMIs (Human Machine Interfaces), PLCs and ATMs.

• Engage in Regular Social Engineering

All of what has gone before is well and good, but if you don’t engage in training your users, they will still begin to slide.

For a more in-depth look at how you can protect your network, read this whitepaper – Gaining Visibility on Malware Attacks.

 

The article was written by Frank Williams, CEO of  Statseeker, a global provider of innovative network monitoring solutions for the IT enterprise and OT industrial market space. Frank holds a BSEE, augmented by many post graduate courses in management, leadership and technology.