Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Business Network Consulting Ensures System Defenses Are Up to Speed

A business has the option of seeking outside expertise when certain technology goals prove to be difficult. Network outsourcing is becoming common as new innovations change the way systems need to perform. Security consulting is a highly desired service because of the increased need for data reliability in today's business settings. Various types of equipment must be implemented to collect, evaluate, and house the data a company uses to service their customers. The days of a business being able to manage these components easily are long gone. A network administrator may be capable of keeping track of the basics but remaining on top of necessary security items can become complicated. Companies are finding that these tasks may be better handled by a dedicated professional or team. Small organizations have one very big complication due to the extensive cost involved with hiring the necessary staff members. They can afford a network administrator but not the whole package. Business network consulting offers solutions based on costs and needs such as outsourced monitoring or security services. These services may be acquired as needed when full time costs are not possible for smaller companies.
IT Network Consultants: How Do Professionals Find Harmful Vulnerabilities?
IT network consultants begin by assessing the current setup to determine where threats could develop. The information gained during an initial assessment allows the consultants to find areas for improvement and also helps a business make necessary decisions. What a provider assesses greatly depends on the needs of a business as well as their current networking setup. External access, firewalls, overall architecture, physical security, server arrangement, operating environments, and various other areas may be part of this initial solution research. Data regarding equipment, operating environments, domains, and hosted systems is gathered to create a security profile which is often used as a blueprint for further decisions. The entire network is then scanned to determine where vulnerabilities are present. It is an attempt to see how easy it is to reach critical systems or data. Any defined vulnerabilities are inspected in more detail manually, in an effort to rule out misguided information from the scan. This prevents a company from wasting time on unnecessary resources and leaves the focus on fixing relevant areas on the network.
Penetration tests are next on the roster for IT network consultants attempting to increase security. The approach is performed as if they are an internal person attacking the network. It challenges individual defenses by finding any weak points where personnel could obtain restricted or company sensitive data. The consultant's goal is to ensure availability and system integrity cannot easily be compromised. A final overall assessment is made on collected data. Any vulnerability caused by networked systems is made apparent for resolution. The client then makes decisions on what actions they prefer to be taken and has the business network consulting firm working with them to achieve desired results. A small business may use this service to enhance security thus allowing their hired administrator to perform all other related tasks. It can also be a full service where any sized company receives an assessment, solution implementation, monitoring, and maintenance.

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