An up-to-date network security plan is essential for safeguarding your organization’s data, systems, and network infrastructure from cyber threats. A best practice that we encourage at Resolute, is a layered cyber security approach, encompassing processes and policies, security technology, and training. Having a well-documented network security plan provides clarity on current security measures, intricacies of the IT environment, and can pinpoint areas for improvement to avoid data breach and network compromises.  

As reported in Uptime Institute’s Annual Outage Analysis, “When outages do occur, they are becoming more expensive, a trend that is likely to continue as dependency on digital services increases. With more than two-thirds of all outages costing more than $100,000, the business case for investing more in resiliency — and training — is becoming stronger.” 

While IT environments differ from business to business, there are certain key elements that should be included in the network security plan section of your company’s overall cyber security strategy.  

Here is a Network Security plan example to give a sense of the scope and process. 

Network Security Plan Example 

A Network Security Plan example should contain the following elements: 

• List of Identified Assets
• Risk Assessment and Evaluation
• Security Measures
  • Access Controls
  • Firewall
  • Endpoint Protection
  • Detection and Response
  • Physical
• Network Architecture
• Update and Patching Schedule
• Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity
• Compliance with Industry Regulations

 

How to Write a Network Security Plan 

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to plan and implement a comprehensive network security plan.  

Assess Current Network Security Plan Readiness and Security Posture 

Start the process by conducting a thorough assessment of your organization’s current network security posture – either internally or with a security partner. Identify existing security measures, vulnerabilities, and necessary remediation areas for improvement. 

At Resolute, we offer a free high-level scan that runs on a network-connect device and will produce a scorecard and report of any glaring security concerns as it related to network infrastructure. Contact us to learn more or book a network assessment. 

 

Define Network Security Plan Objectives and Requirements 

Define clear security objectives and requirements based on your organization’s goals, industry regulations, and best practices. Consider factors such as confidentiality, ensuring data integrity, availability, compliance, and risk tolerance. Your organization’s security goals should be specific to the frameworks and network security risks you are looking to address. 

 

Identify Assets and Risks 

Identify and inventory all network assets, including devices, applications, data, and infrastructure components. Assess potential risks and threats to these assets, considering internal and external factors. Your IT team or IT provider likely already has this information; however, this is an optimal time to ensure it is up-to-date and documented to align with your security goals. 

 

Develop Network Security Plan Policies and Procedures 

Develop comprehensive security policies, procedures, and guidelines that address various aspects of network security, including access control, data protection, incident response, and employee training. Ensure that policies are clear, enforceable, and aligned with organizational goals. 

Specific network security policies included in your plan can include guidance on: 

• Assigning appropriate access levels during employee onboarding
• Detailing Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policies
• Leveraging VPNs to access the corporate network remotely
• Listing which systems and applications require MFA

 

Implement Security Measures and Controls 

Implement a combination of technical, administrative, and physical security controls to mitigate identified risks and threats and ensuring a layered approach to cyber security.  

Examples include:  

• Firewalls or a Managed Firewall Service
• Intrusion Detection/Prevention Systems (IDS/IPS)
• Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR)
• Endpoint Protection Software
• Vulnerability Management Service
• Managed Antivirus
• Encryption
• Access Controls and Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
• Security Awareness Training 

While most companies will already have implemented at least a portion of these security measures, it is worth revisiting whether the current security measures are sufficient to protect your business from evolving threats and are keeping up with business network security best practices. 

 

Secure Network Architecture 

Design and implement a secure network architecture that segments sensitive data, isolates critical systems, and controls access to network resources. Implement security measures such as VLANs, network segmentation, and secure gateways to prevent unauthorized access and lateral movement by attackers while also ensuring that internal users only have access to what they absolutely need as opposed to the wider environment and data. 

As stated in IBM’s Cost of a Data Breach Report 2024 study, “40% of data breaches involved data stored across multiple environments.” It is vitally important to design your network infrastructure securely by placing the most sensitive information behind additional layers of security, authorization, and segmentation.  

Here is an example of Network Security Logical Architecture that Gartner has put together.  

Source: Zero Trust Architecture: Strategies and Benefits | Gartner 

 

Monitor and Audit 

Implement continuous monitoring and auditing of network traffic, system logs, and security events to detect and respond to security incidents in real-time. Use security information and event management (SIEM) systems, intrusion detection systems (IDS), and endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions to monitor and analyze network activity.  

Many companies will partner with a managed services provider or managed security services provider to manage the ongoing monitoring and auditing to take the burden off their internal teams and free them to focus on the more strategic aspects of their IT environment.  

 

Network Security Plan: Additional Security Measures to Consider 

 

Incident Response and Recovery 

In addition to a network security plan, businesses should look to develop and test an incident response plan that outlines procedures for detecting, responding to, and recovering from security incidents.  

Key items to include for an effective response: 

• Roles and responsibilities
• Objectives and scope
• Incident classification and incident response playbooks
• Response plan and escalation procedures
• Communication protocols

 

Security Assessments 

Conduct regular security assessments, vulnerability scans, and penetration tests to identify and address security weaknesses and gaps in your network infrastructure. Security assessments are an invaluable resource when IT budget planning as they will not only pinpoint vulnerabilities, but also prioritize them by risk to business and difficulty to remediate them. Meaning, you can use the security assessment output to create a security roadmap for which areas you will tackle in each budget cycle strategically.  

 

Regular Review and Update 

Regularly review and revise your company network security plan to adapt to evolving threats, technology changes, and organizational requirements. Conduct periodic risk assessments and security audits to identify new risks and ensure that security controls remain effective over time. 

 

Developing a Comprehensive Network Security Plan 

By following these steps, organizations can develop and implement a comprehensive network security plan that effectively protects their assets, mitigates risks, and ensures the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of their network infrastructure and data. 

 

In addition to providing network security services, Resolute also provides:

• Network Support Services in Winnipeg
• Network Support Services in Calgary
• Network Support Services in Edmonton
• And all across North America

Contact us if you are considering a new partner to manage all aspects of network support and security.