Security Management

Optic Fibre & Wireless's (OFW's) solutions include security management.

Inadequate security practices can disrupt your business, damage your reputation, expose sensitive information, cost you money and put your computers at risk of being hi-jacked by spammers. You may be financially liable for the excess ISP data charges that accrue when your computer is used to send spam.

OFW can advise on the following:

1. Using a firewall

A firewall is your computer network’s first line of defence against intruders. Firewalls can block all traffic between your network and the Internet that is not explicitly allowed.

2. Keeping up to date with security patches

Most operating systems are supported by automatic updates (‘security patches’) that fix vulnerabilities found in important software components. It is recommended that you should either use the ‘automatic update’ option, or subscribe to a security-related mailing list and install these patches when necessary.

3. Protecting against viruses

Viruses and other malicious software, such as worms and Trojan horses, can alter or erase data on your computers; allow spammers and other intruders to use your computer and network; and may replicate and spread to others. Anti-virus software can be installed at the server to filter out email viruses before they reach users. Your anti-virus software must be updated regularly.

4. Using hard to guess passwords

Passwords are surprisingly easy to guess. Make sure your passwords are hard to guess.

5. Backing up your software

Back up your data regularly and verify your backups from time to time.

6. Monitoring your servers

Monitoring your servers can alert you to intrusions, as well as checking that the servers are working properly.

7. Joining security-related mailing lists

Organisations such as AusCERT offer free mailing lists that allow you to keep an eye on the latest security risks and tips.

8. Securing your mail server: Close open relays!

Mail servers are very attractive targets to hackers and spammers because they exchange data between external users and internal users.

9. Securing your web server: Close open proxies!

Web servers are large, complex, and highly configurable and OFW can help you to adjust the installations of the servers to improve security.

Modern web servers can also run as ‘proxy servers’, a feature which allows users to forward web requests through your servers. If you run an ‘open proxy’, allowing open access to your proxy, spammers will quickly find your server and misuse your generosity, which could harm your reputation and result in your business being placed on spam blacklists.