Companies have always needed to protect their internal records and other information. In our Information Age, protecting information means protecting data. This is because data is stored on computers and in the cloud. Without implementing a cybersecurity plan, data is left vulnerable to hacking and general data loss events such as hard drive failures.

Examples of a basic information security plan would include having a firewall, using secure email, and encrypting stored data. Let’s talk about these three topics at greater length.

Firewalls are Barriers

A firewall is like a window screen. While air is able to move in and out of a home, bugs cannot get through the screen. Likewise, with a firewall, clean information and data move in and out of a network. Viruses and other types of malware and dirty traffic are banned. Firewalls are essential for proper network security.

There are two types of firewalls: network firewalls and host-based firewalls. A network firewall protects the entire interior network from the outside world, the internet. A host-based firewall, on the other hand, protects only that host, or computer. Each computer may have its own firewall in addition to the entire network having a firewall.

Protecting Data in Transit

Stored data, like data on a hard drive, is data at rest. Sending data over email, on the other hand, is known is data in transit. This data can be vulnerable to interception through tools packet sniffers such as Wireshark. Choosing a secure email service gives greater protection to your data.

Here’s another thing to consider when choosing an email service: How secure are their servers? After all, that’s exactly where your emails will be stored. There are more options than Gmail, Yahoo, and Microsoft Outlook. Let our team at MelroseINC help you choose which secure email service is right for your business.

Safeguarding Stored Data

Companies that work with large files have to think about storage options. External drives, cloud storage, in-house servers—these options are standard when it comes to finding a place to put data. And when it comes to data security, they need to be safeguarded in place to protect it while the data is at rest.

What would happen if someone gets unauthorized access to your computer, network, or server? The data would be vulnerable and ripe for the picking. That is unless there’s a way to protect the data even if someone breaks into your network. You should implement additional safeguards to ensure the integrity and safety of the data.

One of these safeguards is encryption. Encryption prevents the data from being viewed when the data is wrongfully accessed. When data is encrypted, the plaintext—readable words, phrases, and sentences—is converted into ciphertext. The ciphertext is unreadable and essentially looks like scrambled plaintext.

Contact Us to Learn More

Whether you’re interested in firewalls, secure email, or encrypting stored data, the MelroseINC team will help you get started. Protecting your critical business information means protecting your data. Get in touch with us to learn more ways you can safeguard your data.