Routinely check for suspicious activity.


Why bother doing this? You cannot defend against that which you do not know about.  If you were to be sued because your network was identified as the source of an intrusion into another company's network, ignorance of what is happening on your own network will not be a viable defense.


Check security log files on computers to look for failed log-in attempts:

  Large numbers of logon attempts in a short time interval or at unusual times may indicate external or internal unauthorized access

  While virus attacks grab the headlines, numerous studies have shown that the most successful attacks come from within the organization itself, from disgruntled current and former employees.


Your business may be legally obligated to perform regular reviews of security log files and take corrective action for any violations of your security policy.


The security and system event logs on computers and other network devices may provide valuable clues to identify the time and point of entry into your network for some types of security exploits.

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