The technology needs for a small mom and pop retail store.
Consider the technology needs for a small mom and pop retail store. There would likely be more than one computer in use to manage custom transactions and payments, accounts, inventory, and customer information.
Information is the life of a business in today’s digital world. The computer’s network and information need to be protected in case of a security threat or loss of data.
What type of additional hardware and software should be in use, and how will it protect computers and data?
Sample Solution
In addition to the computers needed for custom transactions, accounts, inventory and customer information, a small retail store should also consider other pieces of hardware and software necessary to protect their network and information. Hardware such as firewalls, routers, switches, wireless access points (WAPs), servers and other devices are used to create a secure network infrastructure that ensures data privacy and integrity.
Firewalls can be configured to block malicious traffic from entering the network while wireless access points provide WPA2 encryption protocols that secure all communications over Wi-Fi networks. Routers can be configured with network policies that limit traffic from known bad sources or use Quality of Service rules to prioritize certain types of data over others. Switches allow for segmenting the LAN into separate VLANs in order to further isolate sensitive data from general public use. In addition, it is important for smaller businesses to have a server setup in order process user requests in an efficient manner without risking performance issues due to too many users simultaneously using the same computer resources.
On top of this hardware infrastructure additional software should also be considered in order protect against threats such as viruses, malware or ransomware attacks. antivirus/anti-malware solutions like Norton Security or McAfee Total Protection can help identify and eliminate any malicious files on any computer connected within the network while backup solutions like Carbonite ensure important business data is stored offsite so it can be quickly recovered if lost due to accidental deletion or virus infection . Furthermore security measures such as two factor authentication (2FA) should also be implemented across all accounts which requires an extra layer of protection through either SMS codes or biometric fingerprint scanning before granting access thus significantly reducing risk associated with stolen passwords cracking attempts.
In conclusion creating a holistic approach towards protecting small retail stores' computers & data requires more than just one type of hardware/software solution but rather implementing multiple layers of defense whether its physical firewalls & routers along side anti-virus softwares & 2FA implementation alongside backup solutions will help ensure maximum security & peace at mind when conducting day today business operations with minimal down time caused by potential external threats