Your business network connects your staff to files, cloud services, printers, phones, and the internet. If the firewall is poorly configured or a guest can reach business devices, one weak point can affect much more than Wi-Fi. Yet it is easy to assume the network is secure because everything seems to be working.
A useful network security review asks what is installed, how it is configured, and who maintains it. You do not need to configure a firewall yourself to ask the right questions. Use the checks below with your IT team or provider, and ask to see the documentation behind the answers.
Want a wider review? Print our two-page checklist and go through the network, device, email, and recovery questions with your IT team.
Download the printable checklist (PDF)
1. Do you know what is connected and who owns it?
Start with an inventory of your firewall, switches, wireless access points, internet connections, and devices that use the network. Identify who can administer each system, who pays for any cloud management or support subscription, and when the equipment was last reviewed. Equipment that nobody owns tends to be the equipment nobody updates.
2. Is your firewall suited to your business?
Your firewall should support the network you actually run: your locations, remote users, business applications, and any separate networks for guests or devices. Ask who reviews its rules, firmware, and alerts. A device purchased for home use may work as a router, but that does not establish that it has the management and security capabilities your business needs. Judge it by its features, configuration, support, and fit for the environment, not just its appearance.
3. Can guests and other devices reach business systems?
Guest Wi-Fi should be separated from the network your employees use for work. Depending on your environment, printers, cameras, building controls, and other connected equipment may also need their own access rules. Separation only helps when someone verifies what each group of devices can reach. Ask your provider to explain which connections are allowed and why.
4. How is remote and administrator access controlled?
Find out how staff and vendors connect from outside your office. Access should be limited to the people and systems that need it, reviewed when roles change, and removed promptly when someone leaves. Ask whether administrator accounts are separate from everyday accounts, whether multi-factor authentication protects available access points, and who checks for old vendor logins. A forgotten account can outlast the project that required it.
5. Who keeps the network current and watches for problems?
Firewalls, switches, and wireless equipment need updates and configuration reviews. Someone should know which devices are still supported, how changes are approved, and who receives alerts when a device fails or a security issue appears. A dashboard that no one checks is not a monitoring plan. You should also know how your provider records changes so a later technician can understand why a rule or setting exists.
6. Could you recover the network configuration?
If your firewall fails, you need more than a replacement box. You need current configuration records, administrator access, internet and vendor details, and a plan to restore the connections your business uses. Ask where those records and backups are kept, who can retrieve them, and whether the recovery steps have been reviewed. The same conversation should cover what your team will do while connectivity is unavailable.
Turn the answers into a plan
You may answer “I don’t know” to some of these questions. That is useful information: it tells you what to verify first. Separate immediate risks, such as unmanaged remote access or an unsupported firewall, from improvements you can schedule, such as replacing aging switches. Assign an owner and a follow-up date to each item.
Network security is one part of a broader approach to protecting your business. Our network and infrastructure services address how business networks are designed and maintained, while our cybersecurity services cover protections across your devices, accounts, email, and data. At Unified Technology Solutions (UTS), we work with you to understand what is in place, document the gaps, and prioritize changes that fit your operations.
If you want help reviewing your business network in Vero Beach, Sebastian, Fort Pierce, or elsewhere on the Treasure Coast, contact UTS to discuss what you have and what should be checked first.