Protect your network

Access to the internal network

Protect the organization’s networks, including wireless networks, with the right settings. Most important is to change the password from that found in the standard settings for firewalls and other network components, and to change the password and activate encryption for the wireless network.

If the networks are not password protected, the organization will have an open network to which anyone can connect and thus potentially access the organization’s internal network — which naturally entails a huge risk.

Firewalls

Firewalls protect the company by filtering all network traffic between computers/the company’s network and the internet. Firewalls constitute important protection against malicious programs and cyberattacks, for example. If there is no internal network, computers must be provided with firewall functionality between computers and external networks such as the internet.

Passwords

Strong passwords are also important in terms of safeguarding the organization’s systems, equipment and information. The reason that pre-installed standard passwords have to be changed is that they are frequently printed on the device or are easily accessible on the manufacturer’s website. It must not be possible for employees or groups of employees to re-use passwords. Passwords that have been used within the organization must not be used privately, or vice versa.

Guest network

A guest network allows visitors to connect to a wireless network, while at the same limiting access to the organization’s internal data.

However, the following aspects are important:

• The password to the guest network must only be provided to authorized users.
• Regular work must not take place via the guest network.

Other external networks

When using networks other than those belonging to the organization, for example networks found at cafés and airports (which have public, unencrypted networks), the party which controls the wireless router can follow the user and see all of the traffic which is generated (see where someone is surfing, user names, passwords and which images and files are being downloaded), which increases the risk of unauthorized use and malicious code.

Company equipment should normally not be connected to open networks at airports, hotels, etc. A VPN connection should be used in public places instead.

Download our summary with definitions and measures for all IT areas.

All areas

• Computers and mobile devices
• Software and applications
• Networks
• External IT services
• Permissions
• Training