Warning Signs That Your Network Security Has Been Compromised

June 13, 2014

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Even if you got the best antivirus software and firewalls installed, a hacker or malicious program may still wade through all of your defences and leave your small business IT network at the mercy of cyber criminals with premeditated goals to steal information or hackers who just love to destroy things they get their hands on. While having someone looking after network IT support issues is almost certainly the first thing a small business needs, it is also a good idea to tell all employees about the signs that indicate potential network security breaches.

An informed in-house team can also help your IT support company in pre-emptively dealing with security breaches. Here’re the top warning signs:

1. If a new software/program that has not been documented appears to have made it to a system’s hard drive, alert your network IT support guy immediately. It can happen (possibly) if the system or the network itself has given way to a malicious program or a hacker.

2. In case spam emails are originating from your computers time and again, ask your small business IT support company to look into the matter immediately. These emails appear legitimate as they would carry your email ids in ‘sender email id’ field.

3. If there has been a recent, abrupt and unusual increase in network activity, it’s possible that your network defences have been brought down. Your firewall has either been bypassed or manipulated by smart hacking software or a cyber-criminal.

4. When an unknown program requests access to the network, consider it a red flag. Tell all of your employees to never permit unknown programs to gain access to the network. When such issues surface, call your IT support company immediately and let them fix the issue remotely.

5. On many occasions, well designed hacking software storm a network by first uninstalling firewalls or security software.

Any such occurrence should call for immediate measures. There’s no time to lose because such malicious programs may gain access to more data, systems and other IT components with each passing minute.

6. Changes in web browser’s settings and sudden & frequent appearance of unsolicited advertisements on the computer screen also indicate that a malware or some other program has crept inside the network.

Do not ignore these warnings. Consult a techie or network security professional immediately.

Article by – Henry Chow is the Director of Motionwave Technology, a managed services provider specializing in delivering IT Support and technology solutions to small businesses in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane since 2010.