Learn key strategies to fortify your network against internal threats and ensure your company's data remains secure from employee-caused breaches.

- Adopt a Zero Trust security model where no one is trusted by default, whether inside or outside the network. - Implement strict access controls based like RBAC, Least privileges, MFA. - Ensure all endpoints have up-to-date antivirus, anti-malware. - Use EDR solutions to monitor and respond to suspicious activities. - Encrypt sensitive data both at rest and in transit to protect it from unauthorized access. - Implement continuous monitoring to detect and respond to suspicious activities in real-time. - Implement UEBA to detect anomalies, SIEM to collect, analyze, and correlate security events.

Last updated on Jul 30, 2024

An employee bypasses your network security. How can you prevent future breaches?

Discovering that an employee has bypassed your network security can be a startling revelation. It's a scenario that exposes vulnerabilities within your organization and serves as a stark reminder of the importance of robust security protocols. You may wonder how such a breach occurred and, more importantly, how to prevent it from happening again. In the following sections, you'll explore actionable steps to fortify your network against internal threats and ensure that your sensitive data remains protected.

1 User Training

Regular training sessions for your employees are crucial in maintaining network security. These sessions should cover the importance of adhering to security protocols, recognizing phishing attempts, and understanding the consequences of non-compliance. By fostering a culture of security awareness, employees become the first line of defense against breaches. It's essential to keep these training sessions up-to-date with the latest security threats and best practices to ensure that employees are well-informed and vigilant.

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Ganesh Kesarkar

Security Professional | Security Governance, Risk, Compliance (GRC), Security Operations, and Network Security | Information Security | Cyber Security | CISM
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- Adopt a Zero Trust security model where no one is trusted by default, whether inside or outside the network. - Implement strict access controls based like RBAC, Least privileges, MFA. - Ensure all endpoints have up-to-date antivirus, anti-malware. - Use EDR solutions to monitor and respond to suspicious activities. - Encrypt sensitive data both at rest and in transit to protect it from unauthorized access. - Implement continuous monitoring to detect and respond to suspicious activities in real-time. - Implement UEBA to detect anomalies, SIEM to collect, analyze, and correlate security events.

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Savadogo Yassia

Architecte Cybersécurité | Expert en gestion de risques deCybersécurité
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En adoptant ces mesures et en maintenant une vigilance constante, vous pouvez réduire considérablement le risque de violations de sécurité et protéger votre entreprise.

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Sumit Shukla
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To prevent future breaches after an employee bypasses network security, conduct a thorough investigation to understand the methods used. Strengthen access controls and implement stricter authentication measures like multi-factor authentication (MFA). Regularly update and patch systems to close vulnerabilities. Conduct security awareness training to educate employees on policies and risks. Monitor network activity continuously with advanced security tools and set up automated alerts for suspicious behavior. Foster a culture of security, encouraging employees to report potential weaknesses and breaches promptly.

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Yogesh S Madhekar

Cybersecurity Professional | Consultative approach | Collaborate, Learn, Contribute, Succeed
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Conduct regular security awareness training about security best practices and the importance of compliance with security policies. Review the incident and implement stricter access control measures based on roles and responsibilities. Establish mechanism for continuous monitoring of that provide real-time visibility of system events, network traffic, user activity and suspicious behavior or unauthorized access. For remote workers secure access to your network through zero trust model, IAM and MFA methods for better control. Implement a robust update mechanism that ensure that regularly updates of the latest security patches and updates to address known vulnerabilities. Develop and regularly test an incident response plan.

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David Bjørnsten-Lindhard

Security Architect at Nuuday by day and Threat hunter by night
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It can be interpreted in one of two ways: 1) They did it by mistake (unmalicious intent) 2) They did it intentionally (malicious intent) It will require different approaches. But what is common for both is the monitoring part. This is done by your SOC and relies on audit trails, logs and automation. A healthy SOC is the KEY! The first, is the one you see most often and it's typically happens by they plugin a USB device not allowed, installing unwanted software, unwanted equipment on the network and so on. I.e.. it all comes down to your company security/compliance policies and regular employee training. The second, is those who want to do harm to your company. No training can help there but solid policies will help HR with post-process.

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2 Access Control

Implementing strict access control measures is a vital step in securing your network. This means ensuring that employees have access only to the resources necessary for their job functions. Utilize role-based access control (RBAC) to assign permissions based on individual roles within the company. Additionally, consider using multi-factor authentication (MFA) to add an extra layer of security when employees sign in to the network. These measures help minimize the risk of unauthorized access and potential breaches.

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3 Audit Trails

Creating a comprehensive audit trail can help you detect and investigate unauthorized activities within your network. By logging all user actions, you can monitor for any unusual behavior that may indicate a security breach. Regularly review these logs to identify patterns or anomalies. Automated monitoring tools can assist in this process by alerting you to suspicious activities in real-time, enabling a swift response to potential threats.

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4 Incident Response

Having a well-defined incident response plan is critical for dealing with security breaches effectively. This plan should outline the steps to be taken when a breach is detected, including containment strategies, communication protocols, and recovery processes. Ensure that all employees know their roles in the event of a breach and conduct regular drills to test and refine the response plan. A prompt and organized reaction can mitigate damage and help prevent future incidents.

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5 Policy Enforcement

Enforcing a strict security policy is essential for maintaining network integrity. This policy should detail acceptable use of company resources, password management guidelines, and procedures for reporting security incidents. Regularly review and update the policy to adapt to new threats and ensure compliance. Disciplinary measures for non-adherence should be clearly communicated to deter employees from violating the policy and compromising network security.

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6 Technology Updates

Staying current with technology updates is an ongoing task that plays a significant role in network security. Ensure that all software, including antivirus programs and operating systems, are kept up-to-date with the latest security patches. Outdated technology can leave your network vulnerable to exploits that have since been addressed by newer updates. By prioritizing regular maintenance and updates, you can close security gaps and protect against the latest threats.

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7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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An employee bypasses your network security. How can you prevent future breaches?

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2

3

4

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1 User Training

2 Access Control

3 Audit Trails

4 Incident Response

5 Policy Enforcement

6 Technology Updates

7 Here’s what else to consider

Network Security

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An employee bypasses your network security. How can you prevent future breaches?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1 User Training

2 Access Control

3 Audit Trails

4 Incident Response

5 Policy Enforcement

6 Technology Updates

7 Here’s what else to consider

Network Security

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