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What network equipment is needed to secure a small business LAN?

What network equipment will I need that will give me enough network security in a LAN for a small office network of 13 computers connected to the Internet?

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Asking what is the right amount of security is a difficult question.

Security is always about a balance between security and usability. One thing to look at is policy. What does current policy state? Policy should dictate what is and is not allowed. Check out the SANS policy institute for some free templates. You also need to consider if there is an acceptable use policy (AUP). With those in place you might want to start by denying access to objectionable websites. You should also block incoming traffic from areas of the world in which you do not do business.

You might also want to block IP's from known questionable addresses. Dshield.org has a suspicious networks block list you can check out. On internal computers and servers you need to make sure you have anti-virus installed, anti-spyware, and anti-malware installed.

This was first published in July 2009

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