Top 10 Network Security Best Practices in 2024

Due to the advancement of business and technologies in the modern world, it is also giving rise to multiple threats and malicious activities in businesses and organizations. Hence it is important to maintain the safety and security of the data and information in the organizations.

Here, comes network security which is a process of protecting the computer network from potential threats. Therefore in this article, comprehensive knowledge has been provided about network security and the top 10 network security best practices.

What is Network Security?

Network Security refers to the practice of protecting the network and data from breaches and other threats. Therefore in simple terms, it is a process of keeping the data safe from the attackers and making sure that the users have access to the resources that are needed. The four important components of network security are- Firewalls, network access control and security information, Intrusion Prevention System, and event management.

Top 10 Network Security Best Practices in 2024

There are various network security practices are there to protect the data and information from the attacks. Some of the best network security practices are mentioned below.

1. Execute Data Loss Prevention

Execution or implementation of data loss prevention software is mainly important and the major data breaches involve internal factors which include employee breaches. Therefore this is the reason why implementation of data loss prevention software is needed.

Advantages

• The main purpose of data loss prevention software is to monitor the network.
• It helps to spot whether an individual is violating sensitive data security policies by transferring it to an unsafe system or not.
• By implementing the software the individuals can prevent both accidental and malicious leaks.

2. Looking Out for Social Engineering Attacks

Looking out for Social Engineering attacks is another important network practice that is used to obtain access credentials and passwords by manipulating individuals. They are mostly depended on the exploits rather than the technical vulnerabilities in the system. Therefore it is known that mostly the majority of cyber attacks depend on social engineering.

Advantages

• By using email filtering tools and implementing strong password policies social engineering attacks can be prevented.
• Reassessing access credentials regularly helps to protect from social engineering attacks.
• Also monitoring the network traffic and making multi-factor authentication helps prevent social engineering attacks.

3. Educate the Employees

Educating the employees is one of the best network security practices that can be taken by the organization to prevent social engineering attacks to educate the employees. By providing the relevant knowledge and understanding about the dangerous applications, and phishing techniques individuals can be aware of the potential threats.

Advantages

• Training should be organized where individuals should be taught about how to create strong passwords.
• The training sessions should include about information and knowledge of phishing and what phishing email looks like.
• The individuals should know about the rules and regulations, data protection policies, and procedures.

4. Use Regular Data Backups

The organizations mainly store, collect, and produce a large amount of data, and losing control over these data causes a loss to the organizations. Therefore backing up the data regularly is one of the good practices of network security as it protects from data loss. Thus regular backups allow the individuals to protect the sensitive data from several threats.

Advantages

• It is one of the best practices to protect the data from being lost as it consists of various important data of the companies.
• It is a good practice to create at least three copies of the files so that it cannot be lost.
• With regular data backups, you will be assured that you won’t lose all of your data to accidental deletions, ransomware attacks, and so on.

5. Audit the network and check the security

Having an understanding and knowledge is important in maintaining a secure environment. Therefore to have an accurate perspective on the security posture it is important that the Information technology organization needs to run an audit of the network. Auditing is used to confirm the overall efficiency of the security infrastructure.

Advantages

• By using the IT individuals can identify the potential threats which need further correction.
• It helps in determining the strength of the firewall and the currency of its setting.
• It also helps to measure the state of the networked servers, software, applications, and gear.

6. Set appropriate access controls

By effectively managing the access management and setting appropriate access control helps to manage the network security and it is a well-known best practice. Therefore by having correct policies in place to dictate which devices and users have the correct of entry to the resources.

Advantages

• Employing access management systems and privileged access to control who can retrieve information is important.
• Effective password management is a part of network security as it helps to manage security by making strong passwords.
• Multifactor authentication is another important tool that validates that the only user has access to the proper resource.

7. Update Antimalware Software

Updating the antimalware software is another best practice as it is one of the easiest to address. Security professionals should be able to do periodic checks on their antimalware software by making sure that all the devices are running mostly up-to-date security software. Therefore the information technology also automates its patch management whenever possible.

Advantages

• Updating the antimalware software helps ensure that the device is being protected from various threats.
• The antimalware software needs to be updated regularly so that it protects the devices.
• By enabling real time scanning or active protection feature it helps to protect the device from threats.

8. Aggregate your data in a SIEM

The security information and event management technologies aggregate activity from the network. Therefore SIEMs and the other security analytics solutions are only as good as the data being fed into the systems. Without good data these systems are unable to conduct the correlation to provide the insights enterprises are seeking.

Advantages

• The SIEM platforms aggregate the historical data and real-time alerts from the security solutions and IT systems.
• They help in analyzing the data and establishing the relationships which helps in identifying the vulnerabilities.
• It is a centralized platform which enables security analysts to review and make sense of the data.

9. Secure your routers

A security event or a security breach can take place simply by hitting the reset button on the network router therefore it is considered moving routers to a more secure location such as a locked room or closet. Therefore securing the routers helps to maintain safety and is known as a best practice in network security.

Advantages

• Video surveillance equipment and CCTV can also be installed in the server or network room for safety purposes.
• The routers should be configured to change the default password and network names which the attackers can be found online.
• One of the good way to secure the routers from being stolen is to change the default login credentials.

10. Access to the PCAP

PCAP refers to Package capture mainly involves intercepting the data packet as it moves through the network by storing it temporarily so that it can further be analyzed for security purposes. Therefore one of the packets is captured and it is stored temporarily so that it can be analyzed.

Advantages

• The packet is mainly used to inspect to help diagnose and solve the network security policies that are being followed.
• There are also chances that the hackers can use this packet to capture the techniques to steal the data therefore it needs to be secured so that no data can be stolen.
• It helps in detecting the instruction, security incident and sudden spikes in the network traffic.

Conclusion

Network security is known to protect the network and it is an important security as it helps in preventing cybercriminals from gaining access to valuable data and sensitive information. It is important in businesses and organizations as it helps to focus on instituting and sharing the strategies on how individuals and network security can focus on adapting the security measures and get an understanding of different threats. Therefore in this article, detailed knowledge has been provided about the network.

FAQs on Top Network Security best practices

What do you mean by Network Security?

Network Security mainly involves the access to virus, control, application security, network analytics and antivirus software. It protects the data and information of the organization and businesses from malicious attacks.

What is the importance of Network Security?

Network Security helps in protecting client data and information by keeping shared data secure and maintaining reliable access and network protection. Therefore a well-designed network security solution reduces the overhead expenses and safeguard.

What are the best practices used in network security?

The different and well-known network security practices are- Execute Data Loss prevention, Watch Out for Social Engineering Attacks, Use Regular Data Backups, Educate the Employees, Audit the network and checks security.