Useful Tips To Secure Your NAS

Network Attached Storage or NAS is undoubtedly one of the most preferred modes of storage currently. Not only businesses, but home users as well seem to prefer NAS over external hard drives to store their data. So, when NAS are such integral devices for home and office network then it is mandatory to take their security seriously. As in case, if they are attacked by some malware we will be on the verge of losing all out valuable data.

So here are the few essential tips that you should follow to secure your NAS.

Tips to Secure Your NAS:

If we look a few years back then we will find that NAS is now a more preferred choice for local backup. Also securing NAS from any malware attack is not that much difficult. The tips that we have listed to secure NAS are quite simple and to implement them you do not need to be a system administrator.

Create a New Admin account and Disable the Default:

Mostly every NAS arrives with a default admin account along with default password. Therefore, before setting up your NAS change the default admin password with a secure password that should be alphanumeric with special characters in it. However, to be on more safer side you can disable the default admin account after creating a new one. The advantage of setting up of new admin account that you can now set a desirable username and strong password for it.

Setting up a new admin account will now help your NAS from attacks like Brute Force that keep on trying the possible password.

Go for Two-Factor Authentication Method:

Yes, like for your other social accounts NAS too provides you with an additional layer of security with two-step verification process. As we all know that if two-step verification process is enabled then getting access to the password is itself not enough. As you need another device probably your phone to get the password and confirm your authentication.

So, if you are using two-factor authentication then you are making the job of attacker near impossible.

Also Read : Tips to Secure your iPhone Data from Hackers

Install the Updates Whenever Available:

This is one of the things which you should never overlook, whenever an update is available for your NAS, install it immediately. These updates not only come with new features but also with security fixes to keep the NAS safe from prevailing or upcoming threats. Thousands of filthy minds keep on generating new forms of malware, therefore a NAS with latest updates installed is less vulnerable to attacks as compared to a NAS that is updated years back.

It is strictly recommended to regularly check for the updates not only for the NAS but also for the router. Also in case, automatic updates option is available then set it on.

Avoid HTTP:

HTTP is less secure as compared to HTTPS. Data send and received over HTTP can be easily intercepted. Therefore, be assured that whenever you are remotely accessing your NAS you are finding HTTPS with a lock icon the address bar. If you are not finding HTTPS before the address then your connection is not secure and can be intercepted.

So, enable HTTPS if not enabled by default. Although you may need to purchase an SSL certificate but these few bucks will give you a complete peace of mind. Also, there are some NAS companies that provide this for free.

Block Unknown Incoming Connections Using Firewall:

A firewall acts like a gatekeeper that keeps a check on every incoming and outgoing connection. You can set rule on Firewall to block all the unrecognized connections trying to connect to your NAS. If by default Firewall is not enabled then enable it in the first place as it may allow any unusual traffic to flow through from outside world.

Also, if you customized the rules in Firewall as per your requirement like blocking or allowing the connections from a certain region.

Use VPN While Accessing Remotely:

We all know that how VPN provides an additional layer of privacy and security. So, if your NAS has the ability to run a VPN server then use it to securely access it while from a remote location.

Depending on the manufacturer setting up of VPN server on your NAS will be different. You can check the manufacturers’ website for the complete details.

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Guys, you do not always need to wait to react till you find yourselves in a problem. It is always better to be prepared and fix every security loophole to stay protected. Hope now you can secure your NAS easily by following the above-listed steps. If you have any other suggestion that we might have missed then feel to share in the comment box below.