Security Risks

 I have been asked to evaluate a network for security threats and provide solutions. The site has 50 users on the network. All users must have an internet connection and be provided with passwords.

• 50 users
• No log on to the network
• Internet (unrestricted access)
• Staff are ‘allowed’ to install and remove software
• Data is backed up once a month
• Data tapes are kept secure in a locked plastic box on top of the server
• The company keeps records in a database on customers

This information includes:

• Email is available to all.
• IP address log is not kept of sites visited.
• No firewall is in place.
• No restrictions on internet access.
• Downloads are not monitored
• Entrance doors are not protected by keypad etc.

50 Users-

It would be hard to get onto the network. If there was no log onto the network. Everyone one trying to get on same network at same time.

No Log on to network -

This is not good. If cant get onto internet sadly you cant really do nothing about because the internet need to be working properly to even connect to internet. So if can connect to it then there nothing really you can do. 

Internet (unRestricted Access) -

If go on the internet and you are not protected by your internet browser like "Internet Explorer" or "Google Chrome" then you have to get security software to protect you from the internet like avast and all these security program's to pick from.

Staff are ‘allowed’ to install and remove software -

If staff are allowed to install or either remove software. This sort of a good and a sort of a bad thing at same time. Because you do sort of trust your staff but maybe not in the way to install expensive software and uninstall it.

Data is backed up once a month -

This is not good at all. Data should be backend every weekend. The amount of data that need to be backed up as well if quite large so that why it need to be backed up every week. So that it doesnt get to big and pile that the servers cant hold it anymore. So it need to backup every weekend really. A month is far to long to wait. 

No firewall is in place -

This is quite serious. If you go on without a firewall a virus can spread and infect or get more virus or pop up that wont go away that you normally would get. Then if you have a firewall that would stop you from all of that. If you dont have a firewall enabled that might mean you will get a lot of virus or malware infected on to your computer without you even knowing.

No restrictions on internet access -

This is also not a good idea. You could go on any site and not even know if is bad or not. That why enable restricted internet access so that your internet browser will only go onto website that are safe and not ones that will give you virus and malware content.

The company keeps records in a database on customers -

Keeping the records i think is another smart idea incase somebody leaves the company. But only bad thing is that everybody has access to database so it aint that private.

 

Email is available to all -

I dont think it is safe just for all to see the email. I think you might maybe put it in a safe secure document that only have the password to access it. So just not anybody can access it.

IP address log is not kept of sites visited -

Not keeping the IP address log is sort of a good thing whenever you visit a site that maybe you dont want people to see.

Data tapes are kept secure in a locked plastic box on top of the server -

That is a good idea. Data tapes so be secured at all times they are important for whenever need them. So that why keep them away somewhere so cant get broken or stolen.

Downloads are not monitored -

If you dont have downloads monitored you dont know what other add-ons you could be downloading with it without you even knowing but if you do have downloads monitored then you have a better and a safer chance of not downloading any add-ons or any other dangerous content.