The fix that must be checked
The help desk found that new starters keep locking their accounts. The fix was a guide. Two months later the lockouts are still high.
The guide was not enough. Improvement is a cycle: fix, watch, review, fix again.
By the end of this lesson
Note
I can apply a fix, then monitor and review it, and I can read a penetration test report.
Key words
| Word | What it means |
|---|---|
| Monitor | to keep watching to see if a fix works |
| Review | to look back and decide what to change |
| Owner | the one person who makes sure an action is done |
| Contingency plan | a plan B for when a fix fails or the risk happens |
| RMM | remote monitoring and management: software that lets IT watch and fix devices from a distance |
| Firewall | a filter that allows or blocks traffic between computers |
| Penetration testing | an approved test that tries to break in to find weak points |
| Network | computers and devices linked so they can share data |
The cells students fill in are left blank in this preview.
Starter
Have a go
Starter
3 questionsYour answers are marked here and are not kept. A college account keeps every student’s marks.
Apply a fix to the devices
Choose a fix that matches the threat found on the end user devices.
Install RMM software so devices report and update on their own. Harden each device. In a cabled office, think about where each firewall sits: between the office network and the internet, and on each device as well.
Threats found and fixes applied
| Threat found | Fix | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Devices missing updates | RMM software | It reports and installs updates |
| Unneeded programs and open ports | Device hardening | Remove them and close the ports |
| Traffic from outside reaches the office | A firewall at the boundary | Place it where the cable from the internet enters |
| A guest device reaches office computers | A firewall between parts of the network | Place it between guest and staff |
The cells students fill in are left blank in this preview.
Monitor and review
A fix is not finished until you have checked it. Four jobs keep the cycle going.
Give each risk an owner. Plan contingencies. Keep devices updated with current security software. Read the results of each penetration test, and act on them.