How to secure your network from Malware

Network security is a vast topic in itself.  There is a constant fight of supremacy between hackers, crackers and network security specislists. Network administrators are always watchful of any suspicious activity on their networks. One of the most significant threats to the security of a network, and the leading cause of data loss, is malware. Whether that malware comes in the form of a worm probing your external addresses for a vulnerable service, a Trojan horse program embedded inside of a download, an infected document received via email from a customer, or some other source, malware infections present a significant risk to your network. Protecting your systems and data from malware is an ongoing process that requires attention, consistency and diligence. While that sounds like a lot of work, it is really quite easy if you include these six areas in your regular system upkeep. It will also be significantly less work, than cleaning up after a malware incident. The following five tips will help you secure your network from malware and increase internet security of individual machines on the network.

• Schedule regular scanning, virus definition download
• Use a security scanner to identify vulnerabilities
• Use a patch management solution to update systems
• Use an antimalware solution to secure systems
• Educate your users

Additionally firewalls are also very effective against malware on the network as they can prevent the spyware, virus, worm or trojan from phoning home. Invest in a good firewall system.

For more information on securing your network, visit: http://www.net-security.org/article.php?id=1574