Mastering network resilience in the digital age - Five top tips to make it happen

Forming the foundation of a robust IT infrastructure, network resilience is crucial for maintaining seamless business operations today. It is not merely about avoiding downtime; it’s about creating a network capable of continuous operation, rapid recovery, and scalable performance to meet unpredictable demands. A resilient network can adapt to changes, withstand various challenges, and ensure that business remains operational under any circumstances.

However, it is not always easy to achieve. Cyber threats, unforeseen disasters and unexpected technical failures are ever-present, and the growing reliance on cloud services, remote working and digital connectivity means the risk of downtime is higher than ever. As organisations seek to implement strategies to overcome these challenges, here are five top tips to help boost network resilience.

1: Understand the cost of downtime

Downtime can lead to lost productivity, revenue, and potentially a damaged reputation. According to the 2023 Uptime Institute data centre survey, 54% of respondents reported that their latest significant, serious, or severe outage cost over US$100,000. Additionally, 16% indicated that their most recent outage exceeded US$1 million in costs.

Recognising the financial impact of downtime underlines the importance of investing in network resilience. By understanding these costs, you can better justify and allocate resources to bolster your own network’s strength and ability to withstand shocks and recover quickly.

2: Go beyond redundancy

Building on the need to mitigate the costs of downtime, it’s crucial to distinguish between redundancy and resilience. While redundancy involves having multiple servers or backup systems ready to take over if one fails, true resilience goes further.

For example, if a primary server goes offline, a redundant server immediately takes over to maintain operations. However, this setup still requires manual intervention and can involve some downtime.

To create a truly resilient infrastructure, you should anticipate and minimise risks at potential points of failure. This means integrating resilience into your network architecture by providing separate communication channels for secure remote access and automating failover processes to eliminate downtime.

3: Conduct regular network security audits and assessments

A resilient network must also be a secure one. Conducting regular audits and assessments helps you identify vulnerabilities and potential points of failure, ensuring the overall health of your network. These measures provide a comprehensive examination of the network infrastructure, scrutinising configurations, access controls, and potential security gaps.

Automated auditing tools can streamline this process, identifying vulnerabilities, checking compliance and generating comprehensive reports. By documenting and reporting these findings, you prepare for future audits, meet compliance requirements, and enhance your incident response capabilities.

4: Secure remote management

Secure remote management and monitoring are indispensable components of network resilience. Managing and monitoring networks remotely addresses the challenges posed by geographically-dispersed networks and remote work environments.

Implementing robust Out-of-Band management (OOBM) solutions establishes a separate communication channel independent of the primary network. Even if the primary network is compromised, this ensures secure troubleshooting and management of network devices. Enhancing this setup with multi-factor authentication and data encryption further protects against unauthorised access and data breaches.

The use of OOBM can also be key when dealing with faulty software updates or misconfigurations, as seen in the recent CrowdStrike incident and AT&T outage, These types of issues can bring down networks, making OOBM invaluable in rolling back configurations and reducing mean time to recovery (MTTR).

5: Develop a comprehensive incident response plan

To complement your secure management practices, developing a comprehensive incident response plan is essential. Incident response planning prepares organisations for potential incidents, minimising impact and ensuring swift recovery. An effective plan outlines clear steps for every phase of an incident – identification, response, and recovery.

Utilising monitoring tools and threat intelligence helps in promptly identifying deviations from normal network behaviour. Regular testing and drills validate the plan’s effectiveness and team’s response capabilities, providing insights into areas for improvement.

Automating incident response processes enhances both speed and efficiency, helping contain and neutralise threats in real-time. But clear communication and collaboration protocols are also

important here to establish channels for internal coordination and, if necessary, with relevant authorities.

Building a resilient future

Mastering network resilience requires strategic planning, proactive measures, and continuous adaptation. By understanding the cost of downtime, going beyond redundancy, conducting regular assessments, implementing secure remote management, and devising a comprehensive incident response plan, you can build networks that withstand challenges and thrive in adversity.

This holistic approach enables organisations to maintain productivity, safeguard revenue, and protect their reputation, even in the face of unexpected disruptions. By embracing these top tips, businesses create robust, resilient networks that support seamless business operations and future growth.