With Valentine’s Day rapidly approaching, we wanted to talk about love, but not in the way you think. We are talking about loving your network. When was the last time you showed your network any love?

Picture this, your business is a human body and your employees are the heart, without you the company wouldn’t run. Your network is the arteries and veins, they help to transfer data and information around the business, in the same way that arteries and veins carry blood and oxygen around the body.

If the veins and arteries become clogged or faulty, the heart weakens and doesn’t work as efficiently. In the same manner, if your network fails or becomes ineffective, the metaphorical heart, in this case, your employees, will struggle to retain the same level of productivity and their performance will be affected. Just like you need to look after your heart, you also need to show some love for your network security.

What better excuse to start showing love than on Valentine’s Day?

What is Network Security?

Network security is a vital aspect of your business, to protect your employee’s and your client’s data from cyber-attacks. When you have strong network security your network runs smoothy and efficiently. After all, the last thing you want is a network lag or connection issues when conducting your business. This is more relevant and important than ever before, with the rapidly increasing popularity of hybrid working and remote working, leaving networks vulnerable to low productivity and cyber-attacks.

What are the different types of network security?

Here are some of the most common applications and tools which keep your network nurtured and safe:

• Firewalls
  A firewall controls incoming and outgoing traffic to your network. They will often come with default settings which can be configured to your specifications to ensure any suspicious activity is rejected or quarantined.
• Access Control
  Access Control Management takes 6^th place in the CIS Critical Security Controls. This security mechanism is a way to control user privileges to ascertain who is allowed access to certain areas of the network. It is especially useful for areas which contain more sensitive data where you can implement the principle of lest privilege. By restricting user access to different areas, you will have more control over your data and can implement strong security policies, which restrict or limit access to non-compliant or guest users.
• Data Loss Prevention
  This is an important part of network security as it helps to prevent data losses or breaches within your system. With data loss prevention (DLP) tools you can prevent data being exposed to external parties as well as blocking unauthorised access to your network.
• Network Segmentation
  By using network segmentation, you will find it easier to implement policies for different areas and classification levels of your network. A segmented network makes it easier to allow or deny authorisation credentials for employees, therefore ensuring only those that need to view that section will be allowed access.

How to nurture your network?

Here are a few tips on how you can nurture your network and keep it healthy:

• Consider the potential threats
  Be aware of your threat landscape and the exposure points on your network.  Ensure you have the right applications and tools to protect your organisation from these risks.
• Check your network speed
  Slower network speeds affect slow internet loading times. However, when we are looking at larger networks with multiple users this can mean delays in important files being downloaded or connections to VPNs becoming weaker. It could also make access to the cloud slower, which may mean a drop in productivity as employees are spending longer accessing and saving files. We recommend conducting regular checks of your network speeds to ensure there are no drops in performance.
• Address issues without delay
  If you or one of your employees identify a potential issue, make sure you diagnose the underlying root cause as soon as possible. This may appear to be something as insignificant as VPN connections dropping occasionally or programmes running slightly slower than normal, but this could be a sign of a more severe problem. Any issue or performance drop can potentially cause a weak link in your network, which could give cybercriminals a foothold into your data and folders.
• Perform regular maintenance checks
  Even if you aren’t experiencing issues with your network ensure you carry out regular maintenance checks and vulnerability scans. By doing this you will be able to keep your systems running smoothly and pick up on any potential issues before they arise.

Why is it so important to love and nurture your network now?

Having a healthy network is more important than ever. During lockdowns and remote working, we saw a significant increase in cyber-attacks, and this hasn’t slowed down. In January 2022 alone, IT Governance, discovered 95 security incidents which resulted in 65,984,648 compromised records. Without showing some love and attention to your networks, vulnerabilities will appear which expose your company to potential data loss and cyber-attacks.

The requirements for having a fast, reliable network are vital in order to keep running an optimal automation platform. With so many aspects of a network to consider and more tools requiring faster and stronger connections, software-defined, wide area networks (or SD-WAN) are high in demand. SD-WAN separates the control and management processes from the underlying networking hardware, making them available as software that can be easily configured and deployed.

Computer Weekly IT Priorities report of 2021, revealed that many companies are looking at upgrading their network in the next 12 months, 34% of companies surveyed, are looking to upgrade their home networking and remote SD-WAN setup, due to the rising popularity of hybrid working. 28% of those surveyed are looking to upgrade their network automation.

With hybrid working becoming the ‘new norm’ for many companies, it is more important than ever to show some love to your network, and ensure you have sophisticated network security implemented. To alleviate security concerns which can come with hybrid working take a look at our previous blog.

Why should you invest in good network security?

A comprehensive network security setup will minimise risks such as data breaches, cyber-attacks and unauthorised access.

By investing the time and money into a strong network you are also likely to have a more efficient, satisfied workforce. By nurturing your systems, they will run smoother, with less issues, therefore making it easier for your employees to remain productive and less stressed.

How Nouveau can help you secure and nurture your network

Here at Nouveau we believe that a healthy network is one of the pinnacle factors to a happy, healthy company. With the networking expertise from Axians Networks and security pedigree of Nouveau, we now have the team to provide expertise on both areas.

From IT security tools to IT infrastructure & network management, we can provide a comprehensive managed IT services package. This means you can focus on nurturing the heart and leave us to look after the veins and arteries of your business.

Contact us today to find out how we can help you show your network some love.

For more information about our managed IT security services, get in touch with our expert consultants on 0118 918 6822 – alternatively, you can fill in our contact form, and we’ll get back to you shortly.

The recent disruption and changes to the way that we work has been staggering. Organisations without contingency plans had no choice but to adopt new structures. Those with plans had no choice but to execute and expand them. Whereas some who had been transitioning to a liberal way of operating have seen it as an opportunity to accelerate trends and plans that have been on the horizon for years.

However, the new “hybrid” way of working needs the right security policies and practices in place to facilitate the necessary flexibility, productivity and accessibility whilst providing assurance. Of all the options available to organisations going forward, this presents the biggest security challenge.

But once you’ve committed to a workforce spread across homes and offices, how do you start going about establishing a security plan that will work for you?

This blog is part of a series: “Make a Safe Transition”.

Read here about security concerns for fully remote working models.

Read here about security concerns for office-based working models.

For assets: this would include, but not be limited to, an update (or patch) of services and applications whilst employees are potentially outside the corporate network, identifying how this could be done for remote employees. This will also need to be done for workstations that have been sitting idle in offices and only occasionally used, that could now be vulnerable.

Protocols and policies would need to be put in place for when company data is accessed from sites with limited security like public wifi. Disks should be encrypted in the event of theft or loss. Personal devices used when employees are working from home will bring their own unknown threat to the corporate network. With no knowledge of how those devices are used outside of working hours, be it by employees or their families VPN’s, rigorous scans and firewalls will need to be maintained.

For users: Whilst employees work remotely, the person to person security checks that you would have in a communal space are no longer there. If something looks odd or out of place you no longer have someone nearby that you can easily turn to or ask the opinion of. Education about the threats of phishing, downloads and other user reliant threats will need to be put in place for all on-site and remote employees. Multi-factor authentication should also be configured for any applications or services being accessed remotely, including cloud services like Office365. Moreover, if there has been a change of staff the system will need to have an up-to-date account of the users.

It is also important that employers provide continuous training services to educate their users on the risks of working remotely, along with communicating changes to information security policies in a timely manner. It is key to present additional training to provide insight into how threats such as phishing are becoming more sophisticated and thus harder to identify.

As employees become more widely distributed it is essential for organisations to have in place the necessary infrastructure, guidelines, plans and policies to minimise their exposure. However the most pressing concern is to ensure that any systems put in place balance, connectivity, productivity and collaboration with cybersecurity. You need a system that preserves your business continuity without compromise.

While it may seem complicated with the right collaborative partner, it may not be as difficult as you think.

Get in touch for a free health-check audit and let Nouveau help you establish your hybrid approach while building a better, more resilient future for your organisation.

Email hello@nouveau.co.uk or call 01189 186822 and let’s get started.

Got any questions? Get in touch!

by submitting this form you consent for us to get in touch with you using the details provided.

The way we work has never been in bigger flux. Companies during these last 18 months had to provide flexible access to company data and resources, however with restrictions now being lifted these remote working practices are being removed and employees are now returning to the office environment.

For those fully transitioning back to the office, your cyber security may seem simple. We’re returning back to an environment that we know is secure, so surely there should be no problem? Actually no, even though you are returning to the office there are a number of factors to take into consideration.

But how do you start going about finding the holes in your security? By taking a look at your assets and your users to help make your transition plan.

This blog is part of a series: “Make a Safe Transition”.

Read here about security concerns for fully remote working models.

Read here about security concerns for hybrid working models.

For assets: this would include, but not be limited to, an update (or patch) of software on hardware that has been home with employees. This will also need to be done for workstations that have been sitting idle in closed offices that could now be vulnerable.

When it comes to company data, this may have been part of a non-secure home environment, exposed to unsecured personal devices. While employees’ personal devices may have been used to specifically access sensitive information. This may mean mandated password changes, scans, and endpoint detection to ensure that IP and access to the network remain safe.

There will also be concerns with any 3rd party applications that have been used to support remote working.

For users: Education will be essential before, during, and after returning to the office. Employees should be kept informed of new, adaptive cyber threats such as phishing scams. Tabs should also be kept in compliance and any gaps where further security education may be needed. Moreover, if there has been a change of staff the system will need to have an up-to-date account of the users

Even though you are planning a return to the office, with the idea that things will now return to normal, it is important to create or adapt your protocols and processes. It may even be advantageous to rework your original setups using the new methods adopted over the remote period, to help improve your productivity and your employees’ accessibility to information needed to effectively work.

While it may seem labour intensive it will provide a greater level of rigor, resilience and confidence in your risk mitigation. Plus with the right help, it may not be as difficult as you think.

Get in touch for a free health-check audit and let Nouveau help you establish your return to the office while building a better, more resilient future for your organisation.

Email hello@nouveau.co.uk or call 01189 186822 and let’s get started.

Got any questions? Get in touch!

by submitting this form you consent for us to get in touch with you using the details provided.

By now it’s profoundly obvious that the way we work has been fundamentally altered. Gone are the days of conforming to the rigid “office” structure. Companies will now be able to adapt the way they work, focusing on how employees want to work and need to work without fixating on where they work.

Employers expect the proportion of regular home workers in the UK to double from 18% to 37% following the pandemic. Plus, a recent survey by Gartner found that 82% of business leaders plan to make hybrid working a permanent feature of the workplace. However, for some industries, such as education or manufacturing, working from home is a near impossibility. The reliance on legacy systems, requirement of face-to-face teaching, and limited access to computer connectivity or internet speed, determines that there will never be a complete replacement for on-site access.

The term ‘new-normal’ may be the phrase of choice for many but with data like that it becomes clear that there is now no such thing as ‘normal’, every organisation will be moving forward using a model that works for their unique demands. Every business is unique, there is no one size fits all.

No matter your approach, security must be your priority

The new reality will challenge how businesses evolve, as security postures will be ever changing. Organisations will need to make sure they have a fundamental and true understanding of their people, processes and technology making sure these are being consistently reviewed. However this need is currently going unnoticed, underreported and is generally misunderstood.

Due to the rapid rate at which businesses were forced to close their doors and adapt to working from home, few will have the security measures in place to ensure their data is fully secure. Whether your organisation is fully returning to the office, adopting remote working or remaining fully remote, each approach presents it’s own unique challenges.

But are you approaching your security the right way?

In the wake of the ever growing and ever evolving security threats we’re being bombarded with, more and more products professing to magically address your security challenges. But inevitably these products need to complement existing systems and can sometimes end up restricting accessibility, hampering productivity and can even cause their own security concerns.

With the right solutions provider on your side, instead of creating a Frankenstein’s monster of integrated products and programs, you can create a bespoke system that meets your business objectives.

Once you understand how your people work, the needed compliant processes, along with the IT stack in operation, you can then properly establish a robust, yet flexible IT security policy and strategy. Not only will you be able to establish a process that safeguards your systems and data and complies with increasingly comprehensive legislation, it will allow employees the freedom to work collaboratively, regardless of their location or device.

At Nouveau we look at your IT security landscape as a whole, including your individual methods of working, before giving you choices. We work with you to create a robust security policy that keeps you safe whilst optimising user accessibility and network speed to maintain productivity.

Whilst the new reality does offer it’s challenges, it is also an opportunity to take a holistic approach to your IT security management and build a better, more resilient future for your organisation.

Get in touch with Nouveau by emailing hello@nouveau.co.uk or calling 01189 186822 and let’s start the conversation.

Got any questions? Get in touch!

by submitting this form you consent for us to get in touch with you using the details provided.

For many over the past year, the changes to the way we work have been drastic. In some cases for those employers who have recognised that their business can run productively in a work from home structure, these changes will become permanent.

However, this new way of working presents different cyber security challenges that existing policies and security systems weren’t implemented to protect against. Without the safety of knowing that you are working on a corporate network that is being monitored, managed and supported, how do you ensure that your data is not at risk?

This blog is part of a series: “Make a Safe Transition”.

Read here about security concerns for hybrid working models.

Read here about security concerns for office-based working models.

For assets: this would include, but not be limited to, a way to remotely update (or patch) services and applications whilst employees are potentially outside the corporate network. The proper processes will need to be put in place for application installation for all remote devices. Protocols will need to be put in place for personal devices being used to access company data on sites with limited security, and being part of a non-secure home environment.

External drives and ports that may not be required for off-site staff may need to be disabled. Remote access would need to be secured for required resources that are accessed via the cloud, there is also the potential need to create a security hierarchy for any need-to-know data that should only be seen by staff with the correct permissions.

There will also be concerns with 3rd party applications that are used to support remote working.

For users: With remote working comes an increased need for care, vigilance and education about how to safely access services, applications and data using personal devices on your home network. Employers should provide on-going training services to educate their user community on the risks of working remotely, along with making sure any changes to information security policies are properly communicated. Additional training should also be delivered to provide insight into how threats like phishing are becoming more advanced and therefore harder to recognise. Multi-factor authentication should also be configured for any applications or services being accessed remotely, including cloud services like Office365.

The transition to a fully remote business is one that requires diligent and stringent assessment and protocols to minimise your exposure risk to cyber security threats. It is vital that you take the necessary steps to protecting not only you, but your employees and your company. You need a system and regulations in place that recognises every facet of your security needs and therefore provides full comprehensive protection.

With the right company behind you, it may not be as difficult as you think.

Get in touch for a free health-check audit and let Nouveau help you establish your move to remote working while building a better, more resilient future for your organisation.

Email hello@nouveau.co.uk or call 01189 186822 and let’s get started.

Got any questions? Get in touch!

by submitting this form you consent for us to get in touch with you using the details provided.

Securing Multi-Cloud Environments

Cloud computing has fundamentally changed how we consume and deploy technology.

And the growing raft of Public Cloud shared infrastructure, utility type consumption models offer an extremely attractive solution for enabling businesses to easily scale up and down to meet rapidly changing business needs, but security still needs your absolute attention.

New ways of working introduce new security threats

In this post, we’ll be covering a few of the most important areas to look at in order to secure your adoption of multi-cloud architecture.

Inevitably, cloud technology has changed the concept of a network and there is no longer a one size fits all for all businesses.

Whilst environments are changing, so is the growing number of entities across the technology stack as businesses cater for office, home based and new hybrid ways of working.

You need to protect multi-cloud architecture from cyber-attacks and social engineering

Multi-cloud architecture allows progressive organisations to deploy workloads across multiple cloud environments both private and public.

However, this increased complexity comes with security concerns that must be addressed in order to protect the business from cyberattacks and social engineering – simply securing at the perimeter edge alone is no longer sufficient.

Securing a multi-cloud environment requires a comprehensive approach that takes many different concepts into consideration.

As businesses adopt more ‘as a service’ technology by moving applications and services to the cloud, developing a multi-cloud security strategy is an absolute necessity.

Yet in order to deploy the right strategy it is critical for businesses to fully understand the shared responsibility model.

When adopting public cloud into your infrastructure you need to consider what security tasks are handled by the provider and what tasks remain your responsibility?

Shared responsibility when working in multi-cloud environments

One of the biggest challenges of working in multi-cloud environments can be managing different vendors and contracts.

Often working with multiple service providers provides an additional level of challenges as each company will have their own responsibilities, and your expectations may need to change based on the service they are providing.

For example, your cloud service providers will operate the IT infrastructure and deliver the services that you have paid for, but have you checked what security responsibilities they have and what you are responsible for as a user?

In many cases, you’ll be expected to have your own cloud security and encryption solutions, and you’ll be the one deciding who has access to what features in your cloud infrastructure.

In other words, you’ll need to decide what is handled by you as the business owner and what is managed by the company you hire.

Here is a check list of some things to consider when securing multi-cloud environments:

• How educated and security aware are your staff?
• Do they need additional training in order to promote safe and secure use of public, private, and hybrid cloud environments?
• Have you implemented security solutions into all of your processes?
• Are you planning ahead for disasters and minimizing downtime?
• Have you estimated costs yet to see how much you’ll be paying each service provider and if you need to pay for additional or extra services?

Managing multi-cloud environments can be tricky and will present many different security-focused challenges. However, with the right approach and effective management techniques, you’ll find that it can be easy to secure multi-cloud environments.

Nouveau is dedicated to securing your organisation

At Nouveau we help you to navigate public cloud nuances and ensure you have a robust cloud security strategy that reflects your chosen environment.

Our services are geared to increase your resilience by learning and adapting to the changing threat landscape identifying and addressing negligent or criminal behaviours.

We can also optimise user accessibility and network speed with a robust security policy that keeps you safe, is compliant with current legislation and best practice, and evolves with changing security threats.

Nouveau Solutions is a Microsoft Azure and AWS Marketplace Consulting Partner with decades of experience in IT Infrastructure and networking security.

We assist our clients in designing, building, and securing multi-cloud environments. From educating staff to helping you design processes and discovering new tools, we are a full-service company that helps companies optimise their multi-cloud environments and cloud technology solutions.

Whether you’ve already moved applications and workloads to the cloud or are just getting started with your transition to cloud-based services, we’re here to help and support you throughout the entire journey.