Skills to Run a Network Operations Centre

A NOC is designed to help monitor a company's network and to make sure everything is stored, backed up, and working properly. The only way for a NOC to be effective is to have a team of engineers, technicians and supervisors on duty responsible for ensuring that it works and works in optimal conditions. Different positions have different roles and responsibilities to ensure that a NOC operates efficiently and that the company using the NOC is properly notified and supported.

For example, ExterNetworks is successful because its engineers, technicians, and supervisors on duty know what they are doing and what they are responsible for. They work together to ensure that the NOC works correctly for their clients. A NOC network operations centre needs qualified engineers and conscientious shift managers to function properly.

How does communication flow through a NOC?

Two central employees make up the staff of a NOC: the supervisors on duty and the engineers. There are three important parts to this flow, each of which is specifically managed to ensure proper operation of the NOC.

Network Operation Centre Job Description

1. Incident management

NOC engineers and technicians manage this part of the communication flow. They take care of all the company's complaints about your network to see what happens. They also process requests for updates, new orders, reports, and other NOC-managed company information.

2. climbing

A NOC engineer or technician generally handles the escalation, but a shift supervisor can handle the escalation at the request of the company that owns the network. An escalation generally occurs when standard troubleshooting does not help, but must be corrected in a timely manner.

3. Prioritization

Prioritization is managed by shift supervisors. They monitor all tickets and incidents entering the NOC and assign them according to importance and priority to ensure the most critical tasks are completed as soon as possible. This ensures that there are no minor problems on a company's network.

Skills required to run a corporate network operations center.

As with any job, there are specific skills that NOC employees must have to make sure it works properly at all times:

Incident management: mastery of the management of any incident that occurs in the NOC or in the company network

Documentation: must be competent in documenting problems, reports, etc. to make sure things work out quickly.

Monitoring infrastructure: You must know the internal workings and functionality of the NOC infrastructure to be able to accurately monitor problems.

Use experience: must be competent in NOC experiences

Understand routing / change very well - you must know how to route information and be able to change the route if necessary

Monitor Systems: Must be proficient in how to monitor systems and what to look for

Reports: you must be able to correctly report the different aspects of a network

Understand SAN Basics - Competent to understand SAN basics

Follow-up problems: competent to follow / follow up on the problems that appear in the NOC

Troubleshooting: Competent and knowledgeable about networks and how to properly solve various problems

In general, a NOC must function properly to be effective. Shift supervisors, technicians, and NOC engineers must have a thorough understanding of technical issues and procedures to perform their work effectively for the companies that use them. They must be available to monitor networks 24 hours a day, to ensure they continue to function optimally for their customers.

Discover The Many Benefits of partnering Up with an IT Managed Service Provider

 Today, many companies work with IT-managed service providers. 60 percent of companies use IT-managed services, and this number is expected to continue to grow. And that is due to the many Managed Service advantages offered by these professionals. Here is a list of the benefits you should consider.

Control IT costs

Paying internal IT staff is an expensive task. With managed IT service providers, you get fixed IT costs at variable costs, allowing you to budget efficiently. Companies only pay for what they use and can use it when they need it. Outsourcing IT tasks only saves companies money.

Reduces labor costs

Not only does it cost money to have internal IT staff, it also costs money to hire and train them. And temporary workers don't always meet expectations. Outsourcing enables companies to focus on the human resources that are most needed in other areas.

Certified, trained, qualified and experienced

How can you be sure that the IT employee is truly qualified for the position? With an IT managed service provider, you get a certified, trained, qualified and experienced specialist. If you want to train an IT employee, keep in mind that certifications like Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) are very expensive.

Qualified does not mean experience

Regardless of how much you train an IT professional, this training is isolated and the employee may not have the proper experience. A managed IT service provider sends an experienced IT expert. When you see a doctor, you want an experienced one, right? The same applies to IT.

Increase efficiency and competitiveness.

When companies try to do all of the IT themselves, it is inefficient and costly in the long run. Much more time was spent on implementation, research and development. And all these costs are only transferred to the clients. Save operating costs and keep your service and product costs more accessible to customers and more competitive to your competition.

Deploy the latest technology quickly

Technology is changing as fast as lightning today. Few companies have the resources and the ability to use the latest technology and implement it quickly. Working on a project internally with the latest technology can take months to train IT staff. IT professionals at a managed provider have the skills and knowledge to quickly implement the latest technology. That saves time and money.

Focus on business

It is important for companies to take care of business every day and not be distracted by complex IT decisions or problems. Trying to fix a security breach or a hardware crash means that managers no longer have to focus on their core business. Valuable time and money are also lost here.

Lower business risk

Regardless of what business it is, there is always some risk. State regulations, technologies, market conditions, and competition are changing rapidly. IT vendor outsourcing reduces and controls risk through industry-specific insight, including compliance and security issues. Correcting these kinds of problems can cost a lot of money, not only for fines but also for downtime. IT-managed vendors can use their expertise to help avoid risk.

The same competitive conditions

Many small businesses simply do not have the funds that fit the internal IT services of large companies. IT outsourcing helps smaller companies improve the competitive environment with Mr. Big. The economies of scale and affordable cost structure of IT-managed service providers offer small businesses in need of competitive advantage.

Security and compliance

Businesses can get the security they need with bank transfers, electronic checks, credit cards, and gift certificates. Fraud is common today, and companies can lose a lot of money and reputation through fraud. IT-managed service providers are very familiar with PCI compliance standards. Organizations can minimize risk by managing confidential information along with credit card and customer information. They also make sure that your firewall is up to date and that a DMZ has been installed. "The Health Insurance Liability and Portability Act, the Family Education Protection and Rights Act, the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act they have strict regulations on retail health and the financial industry. "

24/7/365 support

Today many companies work 24 hours. And their networks too. Help is always available from managed service providers, regardless of whether it is day, weekend, or holiday. Companies can always provide support. Overall, there are simply too many benefits of partnering with an IT-managed service provider for companies to ignore today. New technologies offer companies great opportunities, but they also pose daily challenges. Professional IT service companies can help your company overcome these challenges.

5 Best Practices for Outsourcing Cyber Security & Compliance Services

Cybersecurity Outsourcing Report 

Cybervisors (cybersecurity advisers) from Lazarus Alliance, Inc. provide information security chiefs (CISOs) and IT security teams with information and advice on how to address the cybersecurity skills gap.

How to find a trusted GRC partner

Outsourcing Cybersecurity Operations is a great way to save money and time and close the very serious and growing gap in computer security skills. However, it is also a very serious decision. Your cyber security provider has access to your entire network and all your confidential data. How can you ensure that you trust your business to a provider that is not only legitimate but also suitable for your organization and data environment? Below are five best practices to follow when outsourcing your IT security and IT compliance.

If something seems "out" of a company, it is likely

At a minimum, avoid providers who do the following:

• You cannot provide an address and phone number.
• They do not have corporate email addresses and instead communicate with addresses from Gmail, Yahoo, etc.
• Do you have websites that look very "amateur" in design and / or contain broken English text.

These are instant red flags indicating that you are dealing with a hobbyist, or possibly night surgery.

Get referrals

Even if a provider seems absolutely legitimate and professional, always ask for references and call them. Professional cyber security companies are happy to provide verifiable references. You should also Google the name of the company and its customers and look for comments, or complaints.

Make sure the provider can meet all of your compliance requirements

GRC's ongoing assessment and evaluation services include HIPAA and HITECH, PCI DSS QSA, SSAE 16 and SOC, FedRAMP, FISMA, NIST, CJIS, ISO, NERC CIP, SOX, ISO Certifications and EU-US Privacy Shield reports. We are the only company based in Arizona that offers this depth of coverage.

However, many GRC companies, including some very large ones, meet certain IT compliance requirements, but not others. Make sure that your provider not only offers all of the compliance services you need, but also has experience performing these specific audits. Ask about your specific compliance requirements while reviewing supplier references.

Ask the provider about their audit and compliance processes.

Believe it or not, some IT auditors still use Excel or other spreadsheet programs for reporting and IT compliance audits, although spreadsheet programs were never used with the large amounts of data found in today's complex data environments. They were created. A GRC provider who is still messing around with spreadsheets will end up costing you a lot of time, money, and headaches.

Make sure your provider uses modern RegTech software to perform compliance reports and audits, such as: B. Continuum GRC's proprietary IT Audit Machine (ITAM). ITAM leverages big data and rapid reporting capabilities to automate reporting and data management. Instead of dozens of different spreadsheets and general ledgers, ITAM creates a central repository of all IT compliance requirements with associated controls and automated information flows for audits, evaluations and tests. This saves you time, money, and stress and gives you a complete picture of your data environment, as well as its risks and weaknesses.

Get everything in writing

Finally, make sure the provider signs a written contract that details what is expected of them and is willing to guarantee any promises you make.

By following these best practices, companies can reap the benefits of outsourcing, minimize risk, and build fruitful long-term relationships with trusted cyber security providers.

Network Security Checklist for Businesses of all Sizes

Verizon's research reveals that around 61% of all data breaches in 2016 were directed at small businesses, while the rest were directed at large companies and other institutions. Verizon further reports that in 2017, 90% of all small businesses did not have adequate network security measures. This is regrettable given that the losses suffered in the event of an attack forced most small businesses to surrender.

Small and large companies can stay out of the reach of hackers simply by following best network security practices. Here is an overview of 10 factors that should be included in each small business network security checklist.

1. Software updates

The 2017 global rescue attack, known as Wannacry, affected millions of companies and institutions around the world, including the British NHS. It later turned out that the NHS could have prevented this attack if it had simply upgraded its operating systems.

Microsoft, Google, and other IT companies often release new updates to address weaknesses in their software. These updates are designed to strengthen your systems and make it more difficult for hackers to enter your network. As such, check to see if your software systems are up to date. Also, be sure to keep an eye out for new updates and always roll them out as soon as they're released - it won't cost you a thing!

2. Hardware updates

The underlying hardware that hosts your computer and network programs is as important to your network security checklist as the software. Hackers realize this; That is why they always switch to newer, more powerful computers with greater processing powers. You should also track development times by updating your hardware systems when necessary. This will not only improve the security of your networks, but will also improve overall performance.

3. Computer security systems

Updated software can only do so much to keep hackers at bay. Dedicated and specialized IT security systems also need to add an additional layer of security to protect their users.

There is a wide range of computer security systems. The most basic and common include antivirus programs and firewalls. These security systems detect malware and other threats to your network and stop them before they happen. Of course, different types and brands of computer security systems have different capabilities, so don't look for the best.

It would be useful if you also consider using a VPN to protect your communications. A VPN encrypts all data so that it is not relevant to eavesdropping that may be bypassed by your firewall and other security systems.

4. Data backups

Data is easily lost for a multitude of reasons, not to mention hacking. For example, the threat threatened to freeze victim data unless it is paid for. Those who have not seen their frozen data with no hope of recovery. This has caused a lot of disruption as data becomes increasingly sensitive: Some companies have been accumulating data for years and rely on it for planning, marketing, and more.

For this purpose, it is important to always back up your data in a safe place outside of your corporate network. You should consider obtaining a secondary server for data backups only. You can also back up your data in the cloud. Backups should be performed regularly: daily backups are recommended for sensitive data.

5. Periodic audits.

When was the last time you reviewed your company's IT systems? Unfortunately, most small businesses don't realize the need to audit their computer networks and systems. Failure to audit essentially leaves you in ignorance of the security status of your network.

Auditing your computer systems and your network is necessary to discover the underlying flaws. These flaws can be sealed before hackers exploit them. The audit also enables you to identify outdated software and hardware. Finally, the audit improves not only the security but also the performance of your network and your computer systems. The audit must be carried out at least twice a year; Exceptions must be made in case of imminent security threats on the network.

6. Employee training

Every employee who has access to your company's network and software is an integral part of computer security. To this end, all of your employees must have (at a minimum) basic cybersecurity training. This is particularly important for companies that do not have an internal IT department. Employees should know the rules for online participation, especially regarding their customer data, as well as the basic answers in the event of a network failure. Most importantly, you must ensure that only authorized users have access to your network and computer systems, as many network breaches occur internally.

To this end, your company must have a clear ICT policy known to all its employees. You should also consider engaging your employees in ICT learning seminars to keep up with cyber security developments.

7. Password security

The Verizon 2016 Data Breach Investigations report found that 63% of all data breaches are caused by weak or lost passwords. Passwords are difficult to trace because everyone with access to your organization's network system has one. For this purpose, you need to have a complete password policy.

The best way to protect passwords is to change them periodically, this can be weekly, daily or even hourly, depending on the sensitivity of the problem. You should also educate your employees on best password practices, for example; They should know how to strengthen their passwords through creativity. Finally, each employee must be responsible for the violation of their password.

8. Mobile device security

A 2016 study by Tech-Pro reports that 59% of companies allow their employees to bring their own devices to work. Furthermore, many of your employees will not hesitate to access your company's network using their mobile devices while traveling. This is practical and even unavoidable, but it also repeatedly increases the risk of network security threats.

To this end, you need to ensure that your company's IT security systems are also applied to your employees' mobile devices. As such, make sure that they have installed excellent computer security systems and that they use strong passwords. Otherwise, it is recommended to prohibit the use of personal devices for professional purposes.

9. Wireless network security

According to Intel, most network breaches occur over an open wireless network, such as your company's open Wi-Fi networks. To this end, you should always closely monitor your open networks and look for unidentified and unauthorized traffic. Also, you should consider using security systems like a firewall to prevent foreign traffic from entering.

10. Data breach response plan

Sometimes even the most impeccable prevention measures can't protect you from dedicated hackers. You must accept and plan for it by providing a mockup of a data breach response plan. This plan should focus on recovery as much as possible in the event of a data breach - response time is important to mitigate the damage caused by security breaches. Everyone in the organization should be aware of this response plan.

Do not leave anything to chance!

Are you one of the millions of companies waiting for the next boom? Do you find it difficult to implement all of these factors in your network security checklist? Understandably, you can easily overcome it using ExterNetworks Managed IT Services.

8 Financial Benefits of Managed IT Services

Managed IT services are an investment, and as with all investments, it is normal to consider the performance they can deliver. And when it comes to managed IT services, there are a number of benefits that translate directly into cost savings.

Did you know that Managed IT Services can help your business achieve a variety of business initiatives before diving in? An IBM technical report, Business Value of Managed Services, says: “According to IDC research, the biggest challenge for companies in implementing their business strategy is to focus the right people and resources on strategic initiatives. Essentially, companies want to ensure that their talents are focused on the core areas of their business while optimizing productivity. "

International Data Corporation (IDC) examined the value that managed IT services offer to businesses. Overall, their research found that almost $ 400,000 could be saved annually for every 100 users. Let's take a closer look:

THE FINANCIAL ADVANTAGES OF THE ADMINISTRATION

In many ways, Managed IT Services helps companies ensure that the right people and resources are allocated in the best possible way, which in turn offers financial benefits. Other popular initiatives that can support managed IT services include improving customer satisfaction, investing in new resources, optimizing the use of existing resources, and improving business agility. Here are some ways that managed IT services can deliver financial benefits to businesses:

1. PRODUCTIVITY OF THE USER

As a business owner and IT manager, you trust technology to improve productivity and improve your business processes. If your technology doesn't, there is a problem.

When your users can't work, you lose money.

According to IDC, unplanned downtime costs companies $ 58,118 per 100 users. The average employee lost 12.4 hours per year due to server failures and 6.2 hours per year due to network failures. The implementation of managed IT services has reduced server and network downtime by more than 85 percent.

2. INFRASTRUCTURE COSTS

Switching to a managed IT provider can reduce infrastructure costs in several ways. When a managed IT provider takes control of its infrastructure, it can use the data center to reduce the amount of infrastructure on site. It not only saves on hardware costs, but also on power consumption and space requirements.

You will also see savings on licenses, training and advice. All these needs are covered by a single monthly investment. These services do not disappear to save money, they are all optimized and better managed through a single provider. In total, each organization saved $ 146,801 per 100 users in this study each year, only on infrastructure costs.

3. PRODUCTIVITY OF IT STAFF

This benefit is directly related to employee productivity and is specifically related to your IT department. Too often we see IT staff working to solve user problems or repair faulty devices. These tasks focus on your primary responsibility. By outsourcing the tasks and administration of your IT environment to a managed service provider, your employees, those who are in IT and those who are not in IT, can continue to focus on the most important priorities.

In the IDC study, companies were able to save on newly allocated human resources and avoid the need for additional personnel costs, an average productivity increase of 42 percent.

4. SMALL FIRST INVESTMENT

With managed IT services, you can offset the initial investment in technology costs. Instead of spending thousands of dollars upfront on hardware and software, pay for the service with a small monthly investment. Because the service is an operational expense, not an investment, managing your business technology does not require nearly as many resources. Plus, updating new software is included in your service, so you won't incur any additional costs just to keep your technology up-to-date.

5. PREDICTABLE MONTHLY COSTS

If you have a managed IT service, you pay the same amount regardless of the amount of support you need each month. This means that you know exactly what you have to budget for and what service you get. This allows you to invest more flexibly in other areas of your company. And controlling your costs is easier than ever.

6. IMMEDIATE EXPERT LEVEL

You know it and I know it: time is money. IT problems disrupt productivity and block projects. And the time it takes to solve IT problems is a waste of money. When you use a managed IT service, employees don't wait for someone to find your technical problem and get it up and running. Instead, you have instant access to an expert who can solve your problem and often get your business up and running again in minutes.

7. ECONOMY OF SCALE

Financial benefits of managed IT services that save companies money As your business grows, the support structure must also grow. If you use a managed IT service, you can only expand or reduce your business simply by discussing it with your provider. If you hire 10, 15, or even 50 employees, they can support them. If you are not using a particular application in cloud computing, you can also easily remove it.

Managed IT service offers the highest degree of flexibility and can be scaled and scaled based on business requirements. This is particularly useful in the early years of your business and in times of significant growth when things may change in the short term.

8. GENERAL PRODUCTIVITY

Finally, all of the above benefits of jointly managed IT services increase overall business productivity by creating an IT environment that is reliable, scalable, and well-supported. In fact, IDC calculated the impact of total business productivity on sales and achieved an annual profit of $ 229,511.

Benefits Of managed IT Services

Regardless of whether you manage a large or small business, a managed IT service offers several benefits. For each of the following benefits, think about the potential impact on your daily work and business results. Consider the benefits and how you can reinvest those saved dollars into your own business.

Regardless of whether your business is small or large, the bottom line can benefit from using a managed IT service. You have constant monthly costs, you can scale as needed, you have instant access to experts, and you don't have to spend a significant portion of your budget on infrastructure setup. The benefits of managed IT services may be exactly what your business needs to advance to the next level.

SD-WAN: Five Steps to a Successful Deployment

After successfully running a pilot or proof-of-concept program, the next step is to determine how to deploy and scale your SD-WAN Deployment Services to meet your network transformation goals.

After you have tested and selected your SD-WAN solution, the next step is to plan a complete implementation. There are many things to consider. First, you need to choose the type of deployment locations that can include branches, regional centers, and manufacturing sites, for example.

Then you should assess your global connectivity capabilities, paying particular attention to countries where ISP availability and performance are problematic. Finally, you need to choose your preferred service model: Do you want to manage your DIY, co-managed SD-WAN, or do it for me? Defining strong service level agreements (SLAs) with your SD-WAN provider is important to ensure the highest possible performance of cloud applications and satisfy your end users.

1. Evaluate your global connectivity requirements

The average multinational company has 23 connectivity providers worldwide. This means that your procurement team must track and intervene different service contracts and invoices to resolve disputes in the national language of each country's ISP. Meanwhile, internal IT teams have to deal with multiple technical support organizations if they have problems. A company may find that some of its ISPs do not employ staff on weekends or schedule downtime for repairs at the worst possible time. The definition of technical service can vary from ISP to ISP, making your solution more heterogeneous and difficult to manage.

When evaluating your global connectivity requirements, pay special attention to large tracts of land without an established telecommunications infrastructure connecting the branches to be connected. SD-WAN is a very attractive offer for countries like China and India, as well as for ASEAN countries like Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia, but choosing the correct ISP and delivery model is crucial.

Orange uses SD-WAN gateways in China, where our overlay network has ended and a private network to reach the outside world. Some providers choose to run IPSec through the Chinese Great Firewall, but service provision is often sporadic, driving users crazy.

2. Consider working with a managed service provider

An alternative is to work with an MSI (Multisourcing Service Integration) partner who manages ISPs and other service providers on your behalf. If there's an issue with an app, companies don't want to have to find out what's wrong. A single team that manages both the SD-WAN infrastructure and the registries, including global ISP peering relationships, addresses this problem.

For example, we check the performance of all Internet providers we work with on a monthly basis worldwide. We assess the criticality, scope, and recurrence of all service issues that arise. Global purchasing power gives us the ability to keep ISPs on the right track. We can even manage additional ISPs that a company is currently using.

3. Choose from a DIY, DIY or Co-Management SD-WAN Service Model

Organizations can choose from a variety of flexible DIY (DIY), DIY, or SD-WAN co-management deployment models. In any case, access to a self-service portal to monitor service delivery and make changes to the network is invaluable in itself.

With the DIY approach, the company selects its SD-WAN routing devices, installs and configures them at each location, and manages a group of global ISPs. About 20% of companies choose a DIY route, compared to 80% of the managed SD-WAN route. This is the result of recent research by Frost & Sullivan.

A fully managed SD-WAN service ensures that unique SLAs are established and ensures performance and connectivity, even in remote locations. Obtains a central point of contact and process for technical support, troubleshooting, and service-related communication among all ISPs. Billing simplicity and increased economic flexibility are ensured by the ability to add new regions, capabilities, application performance, and security services as needed. Organizations can choose from a range of additional security services, including cloud-based web traffic filtering, role-based access controls, and internal network segmentation.

Joint management is a popular model for service delivery for many companies. The managed service provider ensures that the infrastructure works properly and allows the client to perform some application and monitoring policy configuration tasks directly.

4. Make sure you have a robust SD-WAN administration portal

It is important to be able to accurately pinpoint performance issues in the data center, SaaS application, network, and device stack. A unified administration panel provides visibility of application performance and the status of all connectivity links. Facilitates problem identification and reporting and ensures visibility of end-user performance. A portal should also allow you to easily make network changes and configure SD-WAN, Universal CPE (uCPE), or virtualized CPE (vCPE) devices at any branch worldwide.

5. Think about your SLAs

SLAs that extend to SD-WAN Client Premise (CPE) computers are key. CPE repair or replacement time is critical to ensure continued operation of SD-WAN locations. A large global CSP has equipment stores, speeding up the opening of new branches and reducing downtime when problems arise. This means that the devices don't get stuck in customs and companies are not exposed to unexpected duties and taxes.

In an SD-WAN environment, your SLAs are also based on the performance of individual access connections, as well as the dynamic routing and load balancing capabilities of the SD-WAN solution. Make sure your provider makes optimal use of all available links at each location and supports different levels of availability and performance.

6. Decide what features you need at each location

SD-WAN requirements generally vary by application and location, especially for the world's largest companies. With service chaining and micro-segmentation, companies can add WAN optimization and security features to specific regional locations where needed.

A company may need to connect a location in Asia to a cloud-based application hosted in Europe, which would require WAN optimization, which may not be necessary for more local locations. In retail, a simple SD-WAN overlay might be enough to provide quick access to and from stores to a cloud-based inventory system. However, video surveillance systems may require additional security to ensure tamper-proof operation. Point of sale (POS) terminals must be optimized and connections must be secured for fast transaction processing times and to comply with PCI regulations for credit / debit card processing.

Think about your long-term SDN strategy

When implementing your SD-WAN solution, it is important to think about your long-term SDN strategy. Connectivity is the soul of any digital company and must continually evolve. Over time, SDN tools will incorporate machine learning and artificial intelligence and will be able to predict network behavior in real time and identify potential problems before employees or customers notice them.