To secure mission-critical data, think beyond basic firewall and virus protection. Secure infrastructure – like a dedicated fibre optic network – provides a solid foundation, but when you interact with the outside world via email, cloud services or any other transmission of data, you need serious protection!

No single security tool works for every enterprise because each business has unique needs. The farmer uploading crop data to use cloud analytics has different needs than the hotelier providing secure internet to guests. The oil and gas company engaging in real-time site monitoring has different requirements than the retailer using big data or the financial institution managing countless online transactions.

Fortunately, there are quite a few security options to choose from. Here are five that will benefit any business. 

Endpoint protection

Of course, you want to know that your equipment is secure, and computers are vital to any operation. If you're running more than 10 computers, consider endpoint protection software, which is also called unified threat management software. Enterprise endpoint protection is typically installed on a central machine and delivered to clients via the network, providing firewall, port and device control as well as malware protection for PCs and tablets.
 
Endpoint detection and response

Endpoint detection and response (EDR) technologies are more proactive than endpoint protection. Rather than providing basic protection, they detect, investigate and contain security incidents. This is a good option for any business that might be vulnerable to targeted attacks.

Identity management

Do your employees have different permission levels to access company data? Do customers have their own online account? If the answer to either of these is yes, identity management software is a must-have security tool. It initiates, captures, records and manages user and device identities. As Internet of things (IoT) technologies grow in popularity, every business will need an identity management system that can authenticate devices and users.

Security information and event management software

Do you have a complex network involving multiple databases and users? Do you need to track and report to regulatory bodies? Consider a combination of security information management (SIM) and security event management (SEM) called security information & event management software (SIEM). SIM, which is also called log management, is a system in which file logs are collected and analyzed to detect issues. SEM involves real-time monitoring of events.

Cloud access security brokers

Do you use cloud services? Your cloud service provider is only responsible for the security within the app environment. It's up to you to protect data travelling to and from the provider. This is where a cloud access security broker (CASB) comes in. A CASB sits between any cloud service and the user, ensuring that the data that passes between them remains secure.  

The developers of these tools all promise solutions that won't slow down your network, but the fact remains, the more work your system is doing, the greater the bandwidth cost. And you don't want to compromise the quality of your security for the sake of bandwidth. With a dedicated fibre optic network, you don't have to compromise. 

For more information on our fibre connectivity solutions, contact your Axia salesperson at sales@axia.com or 1-866-773-3348.