Five network settings to check this year

Five checks cover the essentials of an SME’s network security: separate administration accounts, up-to-date equipment, protected remote access, separate networks, and a designated person who receives and handles alerts.

What has changed since 2025

Firewalls and VPN gateways have become a priority target: according to ANSSI, these internet-facing devices can be exploited very quickly after a vulnerability is published. CERT-FR regularly publishes alerts about this type of equipment. A device left untouched since it was installed is therefore a real risk.

The five checks

1. Separate administration accounts. Nobody reads email or browses the web with an administrator account. Each administrator has a named account, protected by a second factor.
2. Updates. The firewall, VPN, Wi-Fi, servers and workstations receive their patches, and CERT-FR alerts about your equipment are followed up.
3. Remote access. No remote desktop open directly to the internet: access goes through a VPN with a second factor, and the accounts of former employees or contractors are closed.
4. Separate networks. The guest Wi-Fi, the cameras and printers, and the network for workstations and servers do not communicate freely with each other.
5. Who raises the alarm. One person, or your IT provider, receives the alerts from the firewall and antivirus, knows how to read them and knows who to call, including outside office hours.

Questions about your situation? Describe my needs

Sources consulted on 19 October 2026: ANSSI – Panorama de la cybermenace 2025, published on 11 March 2026; ANSSI – Guide d’hygiène informatique.
Article written by IT CyberWall.