Why You Need a Network Assessment Heading Into the New Year

Having a secure and reliable internal network infrastructure is a critical aspect to not only your company’s cybersecurity, but from an operating standpoint as a whole. Your company could be protected with the best and most extensive safety measures available, but that doesn’t mean much until your network is tested and deemed secure.

This article will explore why risk assessment in your company’s internal network is so important, different checking methods, the benefits of assessments, network vulnerability points, and how assessments differ from audits. Here’s everything you need to know about network assessments:

Understanding Network Assessments

Like routine maintenance checks to your house, lawn, and car, businesses need regular checkups on their internal network. If network assessments are pushed off for too long, complex and extensive systems become nearly impossible to manage and secure over time. Networks require troubleshooting with reactive methods that quickly fill security gaps.

Technology software is another aspect that updates and changes system networks by the minute. In order to manage safety risks while balancing internal troubleshooting and system updating, businesses must partner with third-party specialists like First Class Connection for regular network assessments.

What Is a Network Assessment?

A network assessment is an in-depth analysis of your organization’s current internal IT infrastructure. Assessments provide managers with a comprehensive understanding of their internal operating system’s present conditions and state. From there, you can be provided with recommended improvements like network automations, consolidations, or simplifications.

Types of Network Assessments

Network assessment testing can be performed from two different perspectives:

Internal network vulnerability assessment: Internal tests are conducted to determine the amount of damage threats could cause if they gain access to your organization’s internal network. Testing will identify the rate at which hackers can freely move through your system and expose and steal information. Internal testing is also helpful in determining the effects caused by intentional or unintentional employee actions within the database.
External network vulnerability assessment: External tests are conducted to reveal how effective your network’s security controls are under attack. External testing protects against or detects cyberattacks and helps identify specific internal weak points like email or FTP servers.

Benefits of Quality Business Network Assessments

You may not think much is wrong with your network’s internal system, but by the time you start noticing corruption, you are far beyond maintaining a healthy operating network. That’s why it’s essential to partner with third-party partners like First Class Connection to perform extensive and accurate business network assessments to fully understand your infrastructure’s state.

Monitor IT Infrastructure

In-depth analysis assessments of your system infrastructure show everything from local traffic patterns to topology maps. All this information will give leaders and IT managers the means to decide what updates and upgrades are necessary for your system’s network. Your team will be able to extend the service lifespan of your network’s infrastructure with accurate assessments and evaluations.

Boost Security

IT teams, managers, and third-party partners need to understand how technology, processes, and people are all intertwined to make any influential decisions. An extensive assessment uncovers all behaviors and patterns, allowing your team to create a strategy based on proven data. A network assessment partner like First Class Connection is excellent for protecting against end-user and global threats.

Strategic Mapping

After gaining insights into your company’s infrastructure, a leadership team can lay out opportunities for cost reduction, automation, simplification, and internal consolidation tactics. Your team can also narrow in on software-defined plans down the road to have a smooth and reliable operating network. Once you have peace of mind regarding internal infrastructure, your team can focus on more strategic and specific operations to have the best functioning network possible.

Reduced Costs

Network capacity is based on the estimated maximum resource requirement. Sometimes expensive resources won’t be touched, and other times your capacity will be maxed out. Luckily with network assessments, infrastructure architects can include cloud computing, which significantly reduces the need for maximum capacity operations within your system.

Are you interested in learning more about how business network assessments can benefit your company or organization? Check out this article on the dangers of exposed infrastructure.

The Cost of Cyberattacks and Their Impact on Small Businesses

Network Vulnerability Assessment

Hackers are working just as fast as networks are to protect against them. Here are four critical network vulnerabilities to watch out for regarding the safety and security of your infrastructure.

Obsolete software: Outdated software makes it easier for hackers to access your network. Stay proactive, and don’t make it easy on intruders.
EternalBlue: EternalBlue is a deadly virus that utilizes and corrupts the SMBv1 file-sharing protocol. Look to avoid using vulnerable SMBv1 protocols in internal infrastructure.
File access: Arbitrary file access puts confidential information and sensitive company data at risk. Businesses have experienced costly breaches and data leaks from infiltrated file access.
Encryptions: Using encryptions is vital to network success, but choosing the wrong encryption can be fatal. Experts recommend using Type 7 encryption.

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How Does an Audit Differ From a Security Assessment

We’ve covered everything involved in the network assessment process. But you may still be confused about differentiating security assessments from a security audit. In short, network and security assessments test to check everything within your internal infrastructure, which is just one aspect of security. A security audit is the comprehensive test of an entire security system.

First Class Connection: A Quality Partner for Business Network Assessments

At First Class Connection, we provide industry-leading managed security services to keep your company’s infrastructure safe and operating smoothly. Never leave the security of your system to chance—contact our team of experts to begin your network assessment today.