Before you blame “the users”, check yourself first for that security hole

I was reading a recent article entitled “IT departments biggest source of data leaks, says research”. In this article, where the results of a study, published about the source of security holes and leaks at most companies. What the study found was that about 30% of all security leaks.

My takeaway from this article was that before we blame “the users” for causing security issues or getting into things that they shouldn’t have been in, we need to “check ourselves first”.

Let me ask you this-

• Do you have a security policy?
• When was the last time you did a security audit of all network and server devices?
• How about Windows shares and who has access to what?
• Are there any rootkits installed on your PCs or Servers?

When it comes to Cisco security, I recommend:

• Check who can login to the routers, switches & firewalls
• Change the admin/root password on routers
• Implement password complexity requirements or use RADIUS from Windows AD
• Check your IOS for old versions that need to be upgraded

And, as much as it hurts and really doesn’t sound fun at all, don’t forget to “Audit IT First”

-David
Personal Website: HappyRouter.com – home of Cisco how-to articles & videos
David Recommends:
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HappyRouter Cisco CCNA & CCNP Video Training Series