WannaCry . NotPetya . SamSam . It ’ s not a question of if your network will be breached , but when . Of course you take all the usual protective measures : antivirus , intrusion prevention , firewalls , etc . But the best thing you can do to mitigate the risk is to segment your network .

With segmentation , you logically separate your network into secure zones , each of which is compartmentalized and isolated from all others . For example , the server on which your allimportant intellectual property ( IP ) is stored can be placed in one segment , and the part of the network your security cameras are attached to can be another segment . There ’ s a wall between the two .

The benefit of this ? If — or rather , when — a device like a security camera is hacked , what goes on in that segment stays in that segment . Containing the malware or cybercriminal to just one localized portion of the network minimizes potential damage . Your IP stays safe .

Not incidentally , segmentation also guards against insider threats because sensitive data and systems can be isolated from “ curious ” employees attempting to venture where they don ’ t belong .