WHAT IS INTRANET SECURITY?

In the local area network, web content permission is set by the intranet zone and the security level is medium or low by default. It is also considered as a mini internet; it is a computer network, which functions as per internet protocol technology.

Intranet security is intended only for organizations and their employees, and it is often heavily protected from unauthorized access. As intranet is generated inside the organization and It is a private network that is internal to the organization, and connect the organization's server all together if any individual wants to access the network, that specific person should be interior to the organizational premise, as it is an internal network so, the user isn't allowed to approach the network access from another location, and it is the most auspicious feature which alleviates the peril or threat of virus injection in servers, data breaches, and hacking, the security level is too high, to access intranet specific id and password generated in the organization is used.

Several big institutions or organizations prefer this technology so that they can transfer sensitive information without using a pen drive, chip, or any hard drive. It is a bit expensive but the cost can never exceed the benefits.

 

WHY IT IS USED?

Intranet gives organizations a place to store and share company's documents in an easy-to-use, easy-to-search location. It is mainly for various purposes like internal communications as it provides a single platform for every information and also reduces the scope of confusion, exaggerates extra efforts, and allows employees to be more productive in a short time, with social features such as liking, commenting, and rating, you can measure engagement with content and create an ongoing, two-way dialogue between employees and the leadership team.

Employee engagement: The company intranet can be used for activities like contests, events, polls, and photo galleries and provides a wide range of engagement for Employees by serving as a primary engagement vehicle, leveraging engagement features and solutions across several areas, also make the working environment more jaunty, exuberant;  

Content management: intranet gives institutions a place to store and share company's documents in an easy-to-use, easy-to-search location. It helps to gain all information related to the content or material required and keep updated with all the company related stuff by providing automatic notifications when any content has changed or any new decision has been made, Plus, some intranets integrate with third-party file-sharing apps like SharePoint, Dropbox, and Box, so it's easy to find what you need – no matter where it's stored.

Team collaboration: by creating a team room on companies intranet where a supervisor or superior can share files, important dates, and progress updates. It's all contained, organized, and accessed by team members – wherever they are, will enhance team management and also keep each n every member updated with equal information. 

Intranet solves various complicated and unnecessarily time-consuming problems of the organization and results in more efficient output. 

Mainly intranet security is used by big organizations, universities, institutions, and many other large enterprises, for whom security is the most essential thing. 

WHY IT SHOULD BE PROTECTED?

Intranets contain sensitive, business-critical information—details about ongoing projects, personal information about employees, institutional knowledge, private conversations, and documents containing IP and other proprietary information.

An intranet is exactly the type of system that requires robust security. Even after the intranet is a closed, private network, it is still susceptible to external threats from hackers or malicious software including worms, viruses, and malware. Not only external, some internals too. 

 

External threats:-

  • Network Security Threats: here the main role is played by firewalls, it acts as a barrier between the internet and intranet, these firewalls decide to allow or block the information approaching from any source based on rules and programs set by the administrator. firewalls endow security against some numbers of threats but cannot undertake against all attacks.

 

  • Security Breaches: from time to time intranet becomes a victim of several malicious attacks like Phishing, malware, spyware, Ransomware, and many more. Which may result in data breaches by exposing several sensitive information and may have a huge impact on the organization's goodwill. 

 

  • Viruses: Antivirus is the most essential requirement in any software, threats of viruses used to change constantly, so antivirus needs to be updated with the latest version. It affects the software and may lead to the loss of data. 

 

Internal threats:- 

  • Weak Passwords: sharing passwords and setting weak Passwords may result in a b harm. Some employees are also dishonest or traitors and they may cause serious harm to the information. Strict rules regarding Passwords should be made in the organization. 

 

  • Access Control: access should be given to some limited employees only, permission must be sent by the superior or by a team and everything would be controlled by them only. After the work is done, access to the most sensitive parts must be taken back immediately. Employees who left the company must have their access deleted from the server instantly when they leave, if this isn't done on time it may lead to the disclosure of data.  

 

  • Remote Access: For work from home many employees are using access on their device which may create a situation of fear and may result in a big loss of data. Special security measures must be taken into consideration by the companies. 

Due to these threats t, the intranet needs to be protected and more focused if needed. 

But some disadvantages are also linked with intranet like Costly and timely implementation, Complexity and heavy admin burden, Poor user experience, Low user adoption, Time-consuming information search, Decreased employee productivity, Internal use only, Lack of employee advocacy, Hard to measure success, and effectiveness, Lack of creativity and fun, Inability to connect multiple communication channels.

Due to these disadvantages, Some alternatives are being used. Here are some of the benefits that intranet alternatives offer. Easy implementation, User-friendly interface, Eliminates the need for extensive information search, Better employee experience, Personalization and content management, Better knowledge sharing, More employee engagement, Improved employee productivity, Employee advocacy, Gamification, Integration, Analytics, and reports.

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