Technology
Notable Watch List: Sussex Bancorp (Nasdaq: SBBX)
Sussex Bancorp (Nasdaq: SBBX), the holding company for Sussex Bank, today reported net income of $513.00 thousand, or $0.090 for each basic and diluted share, for the quarter finished December 31, 2017, as compared to $1.50M, or $0.330 for each basic share and $0.320 for each diluted share, for the same period last year.
For the year finished December 31, 2017, the Company reported net income of $5.70M, or $1.050 for each diluted share as compared to net income of $5.50M, or $1.190 for each diluted share, for the same period last year.
The decline in net income for both reported periods was mainly attributable to the Company’s adjustment to deferred tax assets resulting from the recognition of the newly enacted Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (“Tax Act”) and merger-related costs associated with the merger of Community Bank of Bergen County (“Community Bank”), NJ with and into the Bank.
Earnings for each share for both periods were also impacted by 1,249,999.00 extra common shares issued in the 2nd-quarter of 2017 in connection with an approximately $28.20M capital raise.
The Company’s net income, adjusted for merger-related costs and the impact from the Tax Act on income tax costs, inclined $608.00 thousand, or 39.90%, to $2.10M, or $0.350 for each basic and diluted share, for the quarter finished December 31, 2017, as compared to the same period last year.
For the year finished December 31, 2017, the Company’s net income, adjusted for merger-related costs and the impact from the Tax Act on income tax costs, inclined $2.20M, or 39.40%, to $7.70M, or $1.420 for each basic and diluted common share, for the year finished December 31, 2017, as compared to last year.
In December 2017, the Company recognized a decline in deferred tax assets as a result of the Tax Act and the change in federal income tax rate from 34.00% to the newly enacted 21.00%, which resulted in additional income tax expense of $942.00 thousand.
Also, the Company realized $705.00 thousand and $1.20M in merger-related costs for the three months finished December 31, 2017, and for the year finished December 31, 2017, respectively.
“I am very excited to report another strong year of financial performance for Sussex Bancorp as our business lines continue to drive outstanding results. For 2017, each of our major business units grew in excess of 15.00% with commercial loans leading the way, growing at 23.00%.
The business line growth in conjunction with continued improvement in efficiency has driven strong growth in operating results of approximately 40.00% for the 4th-quarter and fiscal year of 2017,” said Anthony Labozzetta, President, and CEO of Sussex Bank.
Financial Performance:
Net Income. For the quarter finished December 31, 2017, the Company reported net income of $513.00 thousand, or $0.090 for each basic and diluted share, as compared to net income of $1.50M, or $0.330 for each basic share and $0.320 for each diluted share, for the same period last year.
The decline in net income for the quarter finished December 31, 2017, was driven by a $1.20M, or 153.00%, incline in income tax provision mostly due to the newly enacted Tax Act and an incline in non-interest costs of $1.10M largely due to merger-related costs of $705.00 thousand.
The aforementioned decline in net income was partially offset by a $1.30M, or 19.50%, incline in net interest income resulting from strong average loan and average interest-bearing deposit growth of 18.40% and 19.50%, respectively, which is partially offset by a $491.00 thousand incline in overall interest expense partly related to the $15.00M private placement of subordinated notes completed in the 4th-quarter of 2016 and an incline in interest expense related to growth and higher costs for interest-bearing deposits.
The Company’s net income, adjusted for merger and impact on income tax costs from the Tax Act, inclined $608.00 thousand, or 39.90%, to $2.10M, or $0.350 for each basic and diluted share, for the quarter finished December 31, 2017, as compared to the same period last year.
For the year finished December 31, 2017, the Company reported net income of $5.70M, or $1.050 for each diluted share, or a 3.00% incline, as compared to net income of $5.50M, or $1.190 for each diluted share, for the same period last year.
The incline in net income for the twelve months finished December 31, 2017, was largely due to an incline in net interest income of $4.70M, which was partially offset by an incline in non-interest costs of $3.00M and income tax costs from the Tax Act of $942.00 thousand.
The incline in non-interest costs was largely due to a $1.70M incline in salaries and employee benefits and merger-related costs of $1.20M. Excluding merger-related costs, net income inclined $1.20M, or 21.50%, for the twelve months finished December 31, 2017.
The Company’s net income, adjusted for merger-related costs and income tax costs from the Tax Act, inclined $2.20M, or 39.40%, to $7.70M, or $1.420 for each basic and diluted share, for the year finished December 31, 2017, as compared to last year.
Net Interest Income. Net interest income on a fully tax equivalent basis inclined $1.30M, or 19.90%, to $8.00M for the 4th-quarter of 2017, as compared to $6.70M for the same period in 2016.
The incline in net interest income was largely due to a $128.10M, or 16.10%, incline in average interest-earning assets, principally loans receivable, which inclined $125.10M, or 18.40%. The net interest margin inclined by 11.0 basis points to 3.460% for the 4th-quarter of 2017, as compared to the same period in 2016.
The net interest margin incline was partially attributed to $178.00 thousand in prepayment penalties, an incline of $135.00 thousand, or 319.50%, as compared to the same period in 2016.
Net interest income on a fully tax equivalent basis inclined $4.90M, or 19.80%, to $29.70M for the year finished December 31, 2017, as compared to $24.80M for the same period in 2016. Included in the incline in net interest income was $635.00 thousand in prepayment penalties on $54.90M of commercial loans, an incline of $544.00 thousand, or 601.20%, as compared to the same period in 2016. The net interest margin inclined by 2 basis points to 3.390% for the year finished December 31, 2017, as compared to the same period in 2016.
Provision for Loan Losses. Provision for loan losses inclined $222.00 thousand to $459.00 thousand for the 4th-quarter of 2017, as compared to $237.00 thousand for the same period in 2016.
Provision for loan losses inclined $295.00 thousand, or 22.90%, to $1.60M for the year finished December 31, 2017, as compared to the same period in 2016.
Non-interest Income. Non-interest income inclined $256.00 thousand, or 15.00%, to $2.00M for the 4th-quarter of 2017, as compared to the same period last year. The incline was principally due to a growth of $227.00 thousand in insurance commissions and fees relating to Tri-State Insurance Agency, $62.00 thousand in service fees on deposit accounts and $61.00 thousand in bank owned life insurance. The aforementioned was partly offset by a reduction in gain on sales of securities of approximately $143.00 thousand.
The Company’s non-interest income inclined $456.00 thousand, or 5.80%, to $8.30M for the year finished December 31, 2017, as compared to the same period last year.
The incline was principally due to a growth of $530.00 thousand in insurance commissions and fees relating to Tri-State Insurance Agency and an incline of $214.00 thousand in bank-owned life insurance, due to an incline in investments in bank owned life insurance. The aforementioned were partly offset by a reduction in gain on sales of securities of approximately $453.00 thousand.
Non-interest Expense. The Company’s non-interest costs inclined $1.10M, or 19.10%, to $6.80M for the 4th-quarter of 2017, as compared to the same period last year.
The incline for the 4th-quarter of 2017, as compared to the same period in 2016, was largely due to costs of $705.00 thousand related to the acquisition of Community Bank and inclines in salaries and employee benefits of $377.00 thousand and in professional fees of $177.00 thousand.
The aforementioned were partly offset by reductions in costs and write-downs related to the foreclosed real estate of $156.00 thousand.
The Company’s non-interest costs inclined $3.00M, or 13.40%, to $25.60M for the year finished December 31, 2017, as compared to the same period last year.
The incline for the year finished December 31, 2017, as compared to the same period in 2016, was largely due to inclines in salaries and worker benefits of $1.70M, merger-related costs of $1.20M, professional fees of $385.00 thousand, and other costs of $270.00 thousand and was partly offset by declines of $245.00 thousand in FDIC assessment fees and $175.00 in costs and write-downs related to foreclosed real estate.
The incline in salaries and employee benefits for the 4th-quarter and twelve months finished December 31, 2017 as compared to the same periods in 2016 was largely due to an incline in personnel to support the Company’s growth.
Income Tax Expense. The Company’s income tax costs inclined $1.20M, or 153.00% to $2.00M for the 4th-quarter of 2017, as compared to the same period last year. The Company’s income tax costs inclined $1.70M, or 58.40%, to $4.50M for the year finished December 31, 2017, as compared to the same period last year.
The incline in income tax expense for the quarter and year finished December 31, 2017, was directly impacted by the recognition of the newly enacted Tax Act.
Financial Condition
On December 31, 2017, the Company’s total assets were $979.40M, an incline of $130.70M, or 15.40%, as compared to total assets of $848.70M at December 31, 2016. The incline in total assets was largely driven by growth in loans receivable of $125.40M, or 18.00%.
Total loans receivable, net of unearned income, inclined $125.40M, or 18.00%, to $820.70M at December 31, 2017, as compared to $695.30M at December 31, 2016. Throughout the twelve months finished December 31, 2017, the Company had $165.30M in commercial loan production, which was partially offset by $54.90M in commercial loan payoffs.
The Company’s total deposits inclined $101.60M, or 15.40%, to $762.50M at December 31, 2017, from $660.90M on December 31, 2016. The growth in deposits was primarily due to an incline in interest-bearing deposits of $87.80M, or 16.60%, at December 31, 2017, as compared to December 31, 2016. Included in the aforementioned deposit total is $89.90M with a cost of 0.690% attributed to our branch in Oradell, New Jersey, which opened in the beginning of March 2016, an incline of $29.90M or 49.90% from December 31, 2016. Additionally, the Company’s wholesale deposits inclined $46.00M, or 54.40%, to $130.60M at December 31, 2017, from $84.60 on December 31, 2016.
On December 31, 2017, the Company’s total stockholders’ equity was $94.20M, an incline of $34.10M when compared to December 31, 2016. The incline was largely due to the capital raise of approximately $28.20M and net income for the twelve months finished December 31, 2017. The Company completed the capital raise on June 21, 2017, which was the primary driver in the book value incline of 23.10% from $12.670 to $15.590. At December 31, 2017, the leverage, Tier I risk-based capital, total risk-based capital and common equity Tier I capital ratios for the Bank were 11.870%, 14.280%, 15.190% and 14.280%, respectively, all in excess of the ratios required to be deemed “well-capitalized.”
Asset and Credit Quality
The ratio of NPAs, which include non-accrual loans, loans 90.00 days past due and still accruing, troubled debt restructured loans currently performing in accordance with renegotiated terms and foreclosed real estate, to total assets declined to 0.940% at December 31, 2017, from 1.10% at December 31, 2016.
NPAs declined $120.00 thousand, or 1.30%, to $9.20M at December 31, 2017, as compared to $9.30M at December 31, 2016.
There were no loans 90 days past due and still accruing on December 31, 2017, as compared to $468.00 thousand at December 31, 2016.
Non-accrual loans inclined $187.00 thousand, or 3.20%, to $6.00M at December 31, 2017, as compared to $5.80M at December 31, 2016. Loans past due 30.0 to 89.0 days totaled $6.50M at December 31, 2017, representing an incline of $4.70M, or 253.00%, as compared to $1.80M at December 31, 2016.
The Company continues to actively market its foreclosed real estate properties, which declined $92.00 thousand to $2.30M at December 31, 2017, as compared to $2.40M at December 31, 2016. On December 31, 2017, the Company’s foreclosed real estate properties had an average carrying value of approximately $253.00 thousand for each property.
The allowance for loan losses inclined by $639.00 thousand, or 9.50%, to $7.30M, or 0.890% of total loans, at December 31, 2017, compared to $6.70M, or 0.960% of total loans, at December 31, 2016.
The Company recorded $1.60M in the provision for loan losses for the twelve months finished December 31, 2017, as compared to $1.30M for the twelve months finished December 31, 2016.
Additionally, the Company recorded net charge-offs of $947.00 thousand for the twelve months finished December 31, 2017, as compared to $185.00 thousand in net charge-offs for the twelve months finished December 31, 2016.
The allowance for loan losses as a percentage of non-accrual loans inclined to 121.80% at December 31, 2017, from 114.80% at December 31, 2016.
Hawkmoon is an exotic hand cannon that was introduced in Destiny 2: Beyond Light. It has a unique perk called Paracausal Shot, which allows each shot to create a temporary buff zone around the target that increases damage taken. The last shot in the magazine deals extra damage based on the number of precision hits landed with the weapon.
Hawkmoon is a versatile and powerful weapon that can be used in both PvE and PvP modes. However, not all Hawkmoons are created equal. Depending on the random roll you get, your Hawkmoon can have different perks that enhance its performance in different ways.
In this article, we will show you how to get Hawkmoon, what are the best rolls for PvE and PvP, and how to find its catalyst.
How to Get Hawkmoon in Destiny 2
To get Hawkmoon, you need to purchase a random roll from Xûr, who is only available on weekends. He sells different rolls each week, so you might need to wait for a while to get the one you want.
Xûr can be found either on Nessus, the Tower, or the EDZ. You can check his current location and inventory here.
To buy Hawkmoon from Xûr, you need:
- 1 Exotic Cipher
- 1 Ascendant Shard
- 200 Legendary Shards
- 125,000 Glimmer
Alternatively, you can also get Hawkmoon from exotic engrams or from the exotic kiosk in the Tower. However, these methods are less reliable and more expensive than buying from Xûr.
Hawkmoon God Rolls for PvE and PvP
Hawkmoon can have different perks in its barrel, magazine, and trait slots. The best perks depend on your playstyle and preference, but here are some general guidelines for choosing a good roll:
- For PvE, you want perks that increase your damage output, reload speed, and magazine size. Some examples are Outlaw, Rapid Hit, Extended Mag, and Rampage.
- For PvP, you want perks that increase your range, stability, and consistency. Some examples are Rangefinder, Opening Shot, Accurized Rounds, and Kill Clip.
Here are some possible god rolls for Hawkmoon for PvE and PvP:
| Mode | Barrel | Magazine | Trait |
|---|---|---|---|
| PvE | Corkscrew Rifling | Extended Mag | Rampage |
| PvP | Hammer-Forged Rifling | Accurized Rounds | Rangefinder |
Of course, these are not the only good rolls for Hawkmoon. You can experiment with different combinations and see what works best for you.
How to Find Hawkmoon Catalyst
Hawkmoon catalyst is an item that improves the weapon’s performance by adding a new perk called Transformative. This perk allows you to change the weapon’s random roll by using an exotic cipher.
To find Hawkmoon catalyst, you need to complete a quest called As The Crow Flies. This quest requires you to find six feathers hidden in various locations across the solar system. You can check this guide for more details on how to complete the quest.
Once you have the catalyst, you need to kill enemies with Hawkmoon to unlock its full potential. You need 700 kills to complete the catalyst.
FAQ: The Ultimate Guide to Your Questions
Q: What is Hawkmoon?
A: Hawkmoon is an exotic hand cannon that has a unique perk called Paracausal Shot.
Q: How do I get Hawkmoon?
A: You can buy a random roll of Hawkmoon from Xûr on weekends or get it from exotic engrams or the exotic kiosk.
Q: What are the best perks for Hawkmoon?
A: The best perks depend on your mode and preference, but some examples are Outlaw, Rapid Hit, Extended Mag, Rampage for PvE and Rangefinder, Opening Shot, Accurized Rounds, Kill Clip for PvP.
Q: How do I find Hawkmoon catalyst?
A: You need to complete a quest called As The Crow Flies and then kill enemies with Hawkmoon.
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A Way Out is a co-op adventure game developed and published by Electronic Arts that follows Leo and Vincent on their escape from prison to freedom. Designed by Hazelight Studios and directed by Josef Fares (Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons), A Way Out features compelling narrative and stunning visuals to keep players hooked for hours on end.
What sets A Way Out apart?
A Way Out is designed for two players, either online or locally over split screen. Players control one of four main characters in this cooperative game that requires them to work together to overcome obstacles, solve puzzles and make choices that impact its story. A variety of gameplay mechanics such as stealth combat driving fishing mini-games as well as dynamic camera angles provide for seamless transitions between scenes add depth.
What is the plot of A Way Out?
Beginning in prison, Leo and Vincent decide to join forces and attempt a breakout together. Along the way they learn more about each other’s backgrounds and motivations as they come across characters and places connected with their pasts – leading them down different paths towards potential endings depending on player actions and decisions during gameplay. The game features multiple endings depending on players’ actions during gameplay; many endings exist depending on players’ decisions throughout.
How long is A Way Out?
On average, A Way Out can be completed within six hours; however, its replayability encourages extended playing sessions as players can switch roles and experiment with various choices and outcomes. Furthermore, the game contains several secrets and Easter eggs hidden throughout its environments for discovery by exploring them thoroughly.
FAQ: The Ultimate Guide to Your Questions
Q: To play with my friend, do I need two copies of the game?
A: No additional copies are needed in order to play online co-op with friends. This game offers a feature called “Friend Pass”, which allows you to invite anyone who doesn’t own a copy for free!
Q: Am I allowed to play A Way Out solo?
A: Unfortunately not, A Way Out is designed for two players and cannot be played solo or with AI partner(s).
Q: On what platforms is A Way Out available?
A: A Way Out is available on PC (via EA app), PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
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MissQGemini, also known as Haley Germaine, was a Twitch streamer who became infamous for cheating in a competitive match of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) live on stream. She tried to cover up her cheating by blaming it on a mysterious friend named ‘Clara’, who supposedly downloaded the cheating software on her computer. This incident sparked a lot of backlash and memes in the gaming community, and eventually led to her quitting streaming altogether.
What happened on the stream?
On June 12, 2017, MissQGemini was streaming a CS:GO match on Inferno. Just before the first round began, she opened up her hacking software, and enabled a pre-made cheating profile, turning on wallhacks. This allowed her to see the enemy players through walls and gain an unfair advantage.
She continued to play without realizing that her stream viewers could clearly see the cheats on her screen. When the chat pointed it out, she suddenly panicked and tried to act innocent. She first claimed that it was a glitch that showed everyone’s ranks, then said that her friend Rock had it before. She then blamed another friend named ‘Clara’, who she said had been playing on her PC and downloaded the cheats. She pretended to confront ‘Clara’ on the phone and asked her to delete the cheats. She then ended the stream abruptly.
How did the gaming community react?
The gaming community was quick to mock and criticize MissQGemini for her blatant cheating and lying. Her stream clip went viral on Reddit, YouTube, Twitter and other platforms. Many people made jokes and memes about ‘Clara’, who became a scapegoat for any cheating accusation in online games. Some people also called out MissQGemini for using her gender as an excuse for cheating, as she had ranted about how people accused her of cheating because she was a woman.
MissQGemini received a lot of hate messages and harassment online. She also faced legal consequences, as her CS:GO account was VAC banned for cheating. VAC stands for Valve Anti-Cheat, which is a system that detects and bans players who use cheats on Valve-controlled servers.
Where is MissQGemini now?
MissQGemini has effectively disappeared from the internet since the scandal. She deactivated her Twitch account voluntarily, and made her personal Twitter account private. She also changed her name to ‘TheDjinnn’ on Twitch, but she has not streamed since then.
She does still have a YouTube channel, named ‘Thawty’, although she has posted only a few videos, playing Rainbow Six Siege, and has less than 100 subscribers at the time of writing.
FAQ: The Ultimate Guide to Your Questions
Q: Who is MissQGemini?
A: MissQGemini, also known as Haley Germaine, was a Twitch streamer who became infamous for cheating in a competitive match of CS:GO live on stream.
Q: What did MissQGemini do?
A: MissQGemini used wallhacks to see the enemy players through walls and gain an unfair advantage in CS:GO. She tried to cover up her cheating by blaming it on a mysterious friend named ‘Clara’, who supposedly downloaded the cheating software on her computer.
Q: What happened to MissQGemini?
A: MissQGemini received a lot of backlash and memes from the gaming community for her cheating and lying. She also got VAC banned from CS:GO for cheating. She deactivated her Twitch account voluntarily and quit streaming altogether.
Q: Who is Clara?
A: Clara is a fictional friend that MissQGemini blamed for downloading the cheating software on her computer. Clara became a meme in the gaming community as a scapegoat for any cheating accusation in online games.
Stay tuned to Chopnews for the latest scoops and updates of Latest News, Technology News, Business News, World News and Entertainment News.
Pokemon Go is an immensely popular mobile game that lets players catch and battle various Pokemon in the real world. One feature of the game that stands out is challenging Blanche, Candela and Spark – Team Leaders from Mystic Valor Instinct teams which you can join within Pokemon Go – Team Leaders from which your challenge should come.
Battling against Team Leaders is a great way to practice your skills, test out Pokemon, and earn rewards. Free battles against them are available each day; Premium Battle Pass holders may battle three times daily using it. Here are some tips on how you can battle a Team Leader multiple times each day and what rewards await them.
Select Your Difficulty Level
As your first step to defeating a Team Leader, select your difficulty level carefully. There are three levels available to you – Easy, Normal and Hard. As you advance up in difficulty levels, so too do Team Leader Pokemon become stronger but so too do their rewards increase accordingly.
To select your difficulty level, tap on the Nearby button on the bottom right corner and swipe left until you access Battle tab. Choose any Team Leader who appears as you can to view their Pokemon lineup and difficulty level; once selected you can change this by tapping arrows located on top right corner screen.
Select Your Pokemon
Once again, it’s important to carefully choose your Pokemon for battle. You may use up to six Pokemon per battle and can switch them out between matches based on what type and moves your Team Leader is using – for instance if Blanche uses Lapras with Water/Ice type characteristics, Electric or Grass type Pokemon could do more damage.
To select Pokemon, tap on the Party button on the bottom left corner of the screen. From here, you can view your current party and tap any individual Pokemon to switch it out for one from your collection. Alternatively, create custom parties by tapping on New Party on the top right corner.
Starting The Battle
Step three in our journey is starting the battle itself. To do this, simply tap on the Battle button in the lower right corner and a countdown will commence before fighting begins.
The battle in Pokemon Go is similar to other battles; you can tap your Pokemon to use its fast move, which charges its charge move, then swipe left and right to avoid attacks from Team Leader Pokemon. When it is ready, tap and hold to see its type and power.
Your Pokemon must defeat all three of the Team Leader’s Pokemon before they defeat yours, or all your Pokemon faint or you run out of time and lose.
Repeat The Process
You can take on Team Leaders three times daily by repeating this process, though each additional battle requires a Premium Battle Pass which costs 100 PokeCoins that you can acquire either by completing tasks or buying with real money.
Battle various Team Leaders for an added challenge and variety – each Team Leader comes equipped with their own set of Pokemon and moves tailored to their team and difficulty level.
FAQ: The Ultimate Guide to Your Questions
Q: What are the rewards of fighting Team Leaders?
A: Battling against Team Leaders can result in various rewards, such as Stardust, Rare Candies, Sinnoh Stones, Unova Stones, Charged TMs and Fast TMs – your success depends on both difficulty level and the number of battles fought on a given day. The rewards received vary according to difficulty level and total battles conducted that day.
Q: How can I obtain more Premium Battle Passes?
A: To purchase more Premium Battle Passes with PokeCoins in the shop. Alternatively, they may be awarded as rewards for completing certain tasks or reaching milestones within other features of the game.
Q: Should I go against any specific Team Leader?
A: That depends on your preference and goal. If you want to practice your skills and test out your Pokemon, battle the Team Leader that matches up with your team. However, if you want to challenge yourself and gain more rewards by taking on opposing Team Leaders instead, or simply want something fun and different – battle any Team Leader that interests you!
Stay tuned to Chopnews for the latest scoops and updates of Latest News, Technology News, Business News, World News and Entertainment News.
Network security is one of the most important areas on which every organization needs to focus. Every company needs to save their data from network attacks and cyber threats. There are plenty of threats in network security that businesses need to consider.
How To Identify Network Security Threats
It is essential to identify network security threats as soon as they occur and install the necessary tools to counter them in the first place. Let us check some tips to identify and fix the common network security threats for the protection of data in any organization.
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Malware/ Ransomware
Malware attacks are common for businesses with weak network security. The ransomware attacks are also becoming popular due to the creation of cryptocurrencies that allows hackers to demand ransoms. Such attacks infect the database, encrypt the data, and corrupt the files that lead to loss of data.
Therefore, a business needs to stay proactive and use a recovery strategy in case of data loss. Moreover, it is essential to have a data backup that business owners can use to recover their data. It is best to install high-quality antimalware tools to counter such attacks on your business data.
Computers Viruses and worms
Most of the computers in homes are affected by some kind of virus or malware. The viruses attach them to a host file and can stay there until removed by antivirus. On the other hand, worms affect files, documents like word files, spreadsheets, etc.
The best way to protect your data from viruses, worms and malware is to install premium quality antivirus software on your computers. To enhance the security of your data on computers, you can use a personal firewall to block access to your network by external people.
Enable the network visibility
The first step to improve your network security is to identify the potential threats and enable the visibility of your network. You can identify a threat only when it is visible. Therefore, you should use the structures on the devices connected to your network to achieve visibility.
Network access
It is essential to control the network access and make it available only to limited people in your organization. Create a network security policy that states the rules for access to your network. Not every person in your company needs to have access to the entire network. Limiting network access can help you evaluate the potential risks, reduce vulnerability, and make it more secure.
Firewall configuration
It is essential to set up a network firewall to control unauthorized access and cyber-attacks on your network. A network firewall checks the flow of data that is allowed to traverse your network. A firewall also prevents reconnaissance assaults but you need to configure it to activate IP scanning and port sweeps.
Physical Assets
Attackers can enter into your network through an outdated antivirus, firmware, device driver or endpoint devices. Network admin should restrict the installation of updates by employees to reduce the risk of random attacks.
However, programs like antiviruses, antimalware and firewalls should be updated as soon as their updates are available. Also, the installation and updates should be done only by the members of the IT team.
Phishing Attacks
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These are the attacks specially designed to steal confidential data such as usernames, passwords, and credit card details. Such attacks target reputed websites, like bank websites, and those which contain sensitive information. They come in the form of phishing emails or instant messages and are designed in a way to look genuine.
It is essential to take care while checking the mails. Educate your employees not to open the emails from the senders they don’t trust and don’t click on the links in such emails. Also, never provide the passwords, credit card details, or personal details on any mobile app or website they don’t trust.
Advanced Persistent Threats
These are the cyber-attacks that involve an attacker code his way into your network and stay there undetected. Also, known in short as APT, it siphons your sensitive information like banking and personal information. APT attackers can use a variety of tools like malware, virus programs, and exploit kits to infiltrate any network and get access to sensitive information.
The best way to avoid such attacks is to segment your network to hide sensitive data. Also, create white lists to limit access to only authorized persons. Doing so will help to detect the usage outside the laid norms and take steps to secure your network from APT’s.
Covertel offers telecommunication and network security services to organizations in Australia. The company has its head office in Victoria but serves across the country. If you have a business in Australia, it can help you identify network security issues and fix them in the first place.
Final Words
These were some ways to identify network security threats in your company. The best way to use these methods is to train and educate your employees about network security so that they can take care of data safety while using the network. Moreover, startups and small businesses should create a security policy for employees to make their networks more secure.
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