How do you protect your network from disaster?

a good and tested backup plan meeting the scenario of possible or expected damages should be ready ahead of your recovering activities that can reduce any direct damages.

logical disasters arise from configuration errors, incorrect routing updates, routing loops, and layer 2 loops. To minimize the risk associated with these logical disasters, we must ensure there are no configuration errors resulting from human oversight. Additionally, we need to carefully design dynamic routing and implement mechanisms to prevent layer 2 loops, such as the Spanning Tree Protocol (STP), Link aggregation and redundant RE also good choice when preventing such network outages.

The human element is one factor which is widely overlooked. In as much as you leverage technologies to protect your network, same effort should be put into training staff on the use of these technologies.

To protect your network from disasters, it's crucial to have a well-rounded strategy. This includes implementing a robust backup and disaster recovery plan with offsite backups, establishing network redundancy for critical components, maintaining strong network security through firewalls and intrusion detection systems, and enforcing access controls with employee training on cybersecurity best practices. Additionally, having an incident response plan, monitoring tools, and regular testing and drills can help identify and mitigate potential threats. Physical security measures for data centers and equipment, along with detailed documentation of network configurations, play a critical role.

By following these below steps, We can significantly enhance network's resilience and reduce the risk of disasters impacting operations. Backups Redundancy Firewalls/IDS Patching Segmentation DRP Physical security Employee training Monitoring/alerts Offsite data storage Incident response Testing/drills

Remember, a backup is only as good as your ability to restore it, so regularly test your recovery process. Involve the team in understanding the plan to ensure everyone knows their role in case disaster strikes.

Yes, a very important step. Cloud services is the best option for me as it's way more efficient. But backing up to a physical storage too is good, as long as it's stored well to prevent damage. Always test your backup and restore process to make sure it's seamless.

Absolutely network admin should create backup plan and test it regularly and have history and revision also keep them on safe place .

Regarding backup plan creation: It's recommended to use incremental backup to save time, processing and network utility also data should be secured by AV, data encryption and difinetly in DMZ area on FW.

To me well architected and designed networks hav auto provision to protect themselves and provide DR/Backup in case of emergencies. How can be answered with the approach foundation was being laid out.

The recovery plan should be concise, comprehensive and unambiguous as this would help speed up the recovery process. The plan should be reviewed annually to accommodate changes in equipment and infrastructure.

Regarding network recovery plan : It's mandatory to have multiple connection for network such as lan, wifi and USB modem which is providing high availability so you would avoid single point of failure.

For security measures implementation: You should devide multiple network Vlans with different ip subnets and network access list which is secure who can and cannot reach each area in your network also you need to manage land to Wan and wan to Lan access ports, protocols and ip range with internet web filtering.

1. Consistently safeguard your essential data by creating regular backups at secure offsite locations. 2. Deploy redundant Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) systems to furnish backup power in the event of electrical interruptions. 3. Guarantee the presence of effective cooling systems within your data center. 4. Maintain thorough records detailing your network configuration. 5. Enforce rigorous security protocols to deter unauthorized entry into your data center. 6. Ensure that your network infrastructure, software, and security systems remain current through the timely application of patches and upgrades.

Don't just go full into security and do everything all at once. Think of what actually will protect your company, hardware and software security on certain levels might not even applicable to you. Maybe training and understanding for or staff might be the best start. Stage the solutions you want to implement.

The principle of least privilege should be applied so as to avoid assigning a user a high level of access as required for a role. Leverage the network monitoring tools such as Solarwinds NPM and NCM to keep track of network devices and changes in network device configurations respectively.

All these commendable strategies, plans and practices must go hand in hand with latest human capacity building. We must continue toto equip our network administrators and engineers with latest skills and and technology if WE MUST SUCCEED. Thanks

The training should start with the “what” and “why” of your mission, to then branch out into processes. To effectively make decisions in any scenario, especially a disaster, employees must have a clear and complete understanding of the organization’s mission, intent and purpose.

Regarding training for stuff: It's very important to train the stuff to not follow a suspicious email addresses so it's urgent to learn them the self risk assessment to be careful about internet phising.

In my opinion it all starts here. No matter how many layers of preventative security we put in place, human error will always occur. Minimizing human error is paramount. Prevention through regular training and awareness will pay dividends in avoiding a disaster. Here's a quote from one of my favorite movies: "If you're thirsty, a drink will cure it, if you're not, a drink will prevent it. Prevention is better than a cure" -Mandy Nichols, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.

Security awareness programs should be conducted quarterly to train staff on security best practices, risks, and possible threats. A staff who is well trained and aware of security risks is less likely to fall victim to threat actor schemes.

In any disaster scenario, business continuity must be of paramount importance. We may take enough network security measures - Firewalls, IPS, WAF, DDos scrubbing, physical and logical security of data centres etc. but there must always be contingencies in place to protect the business in an event of a disaster. A stealth network offshore over a diverse network path could be an option to ensure business continuity for mission critical applications. This may not always be financially viable for small businesses but a must have for top tier orgs.

How we have configured our honeypot and honeynet to attract the attacker is the key thing. Later its monitoring and data collection round the clock.Depends on the technology used and how fast it's getting detected and give alerts. Best to use the ML with it to be getting tracked and follow the patterns keeping in mind the legal and Ethical considerations.

As a Layer 1 network builder it’s all about redundancy, the reducing of single points of failure and being able to quickly change pathways and connection points. Additionally other protection measures include “East West” protection, well documented As Built, the right product for the job, and a fibre optic installer team on speed dial.

Take a holistic approach to disaster resistance starting with its initial design. Instead of grafting disaster resistance onto the network after it's built, design redundancy into it from the start. Things will break. When possible, use redundant hardware, fiber paths, power sources, and datacenters. Backup everything, preferably offsite. Periodically test them, or you'll never discover problems until it's too late. Likewise, security must designed in from the beginning to protect against man-made disasters like ransomware and data leaks. It's never as effective if it's bolted on afterwards. Document everything in a central repository. Inventory everything and keep records of the owners so you know who to go to if something goes wrong.

Protecting your network from disasters is essential to ensure business continuity and data integrity. Network disasters can include natural disasters, cyberattacks, hardware failures, and other events that can disrupt your network operations. These steps can help to protect your network; Backup and Disaster Recovery Plan with regular test of backups. Redundancy and Failover of Network Resources. Firewall and Intrusion Detection/Prevention Systems. Segmentation of Network Resources. Disaster Recovery Site. Security Awareness Training to employees. Incident Response Plan. Physical Security. Regularly reviewing and updating your network security and disaster recovery measures is crucial to adapt to evolving threats and technology changes.

First of all, to have a good network environment and a secure ambiance you need to hire a good Admin. ( lazy but ambitious) . Then put tasks and challenges in front of him. He will find and apply best practices with highest efficiency, because being lazy in IT means you don’t want to do same thing every day. Apart from all of that I would recommend to have a physical firewall , that is the best tool to track any attacks and protect your network. A skilled IT is able to prevent attacks , track any leaks and give a report on productivity of your staff. Treat your IT as your accountant , he knows all your secrets , if you don’t trust him/ her better find one you trust.

Monitoring and Logging: Continuously monitor network traffic and maintain detailed logs for analysis and early threat detection. This involves keeping an eye on network activity and maintaining records of it to identify security issues promptly. Documentation: Maintain up-to-date documentation of your network architecture and security policies. This means keeping records and documentation of your network's structure and the policies in place to secure it.