Blog / Most Important Aspects of Electronic Security? – Monitor Your Computer Equipment and Keep Your Eyes Wide Open!
The May long weekend is over and it’s time to drag those brains back to work and tackle the problems at work. Part of my job is to pump-out regular newsletters that contain Security Advice, updates and day-to-day things for people to keep in mind, when it comes to “little” things like computers and passwords.
You know… small and unimportant things.
Sometimes, it can be hard to come up with a new and useful topic. Other times, it feels like I’m a broken record. I mean, there are only so many times you can talk about Ransomware, before you start to wonder if there’s a problem with your delivery. Feedback is always welcome. Doesn’t matter if it’s good, bad or indifferent. If nothing else, it could help me tailor my writing style and topics.
As always though, the goal is to follow the K.I.S.S. principal. Sadly, this has nothing to do with Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Ace Frehley, Peter Criss, or Rock & Roll (wouldn’t THAT be cool!) It’s an acronym that I learned at school, and it stands for “Keep It Simple Stupid.”
So today, I asked myself a simple question: “What is the most important aspect of Electronic Security?”
At first glance, this seems like an over-broad and non-specific question. That’s not actually the case. The truth of the matter is that the most important aspect of ANY Security system is the same. It doesn’t matter if you’re talking about protecting your network from the Internet with a firewall, antivirus software on your computers, or Security bars for your office windows. Same thing for all of them.
The most essential thing is simply, MONITORING.
This seems like common sense. I mean, when you install a Security system to protect a building, you make sure there’s some sort of monitoring in place. Usually, there’s a company you contract to do this. When it comes to physical Security, it seems most people understand that you need some type of monitoring in place, to make sure everything is okay.
This same logic applies to Electronic Security, but most organizations (and people) don’t seem to understand that:
Is your organization monitoring logs and events from your Firewall?
What about your Anti-Malware software?
Has anyone ever logged into the switches in your network, to check on them?
I could ask other questions of this nature and I can practically guarantee that everyone reading this will answer “No” to every single question. The ones who answer “Yes” are the anomalies; the strange ones.
Despite all the Security Advice out there, most of it is being ignored. This has become the accepted standard. A computer is no different than a car engine. If you leave it alone long enough, something will go wrong that will require human intervention to fix. The same is true for any piece of software, which can include Security software and products.
They may not require constant maintenance, but you do need to check up and test them from time to time, in order to confirm that they are still working properly.
Security isn’t free. It comes at a price. Not only do you need to pay for it, but watch it too. Just like the Security system for a building, if you can’t watch it, then you need to pay someone to do so. Anything less means you’re fooling yourself into a false sense of Security and it’s only a matter of time before something nasty happens to open your eyes. Don’t wait till it’s too late, as the price just goes up.
If you have questions about Monitoring Your Computer Equipment, please reach out to your TRINUS Account Manager for stress-free IT.
By Kind Courtesy of Your Friendly Neighbourhood Cyber-Man.
