If you own a company, especially larger companies that do business online, then it is important to think about cyber security and your information. A firewall is an extremely effective way of protecting your data and preventing any potential attacks from hackers or viruses. We will discuss some reasons as to why having a firewall is such a great idea for business owners.
1. Prevent vulnerability
This is a great benefit for your business as it can prevent you from becoming a victim of a cyber attack. Hackers are constantly looking for new ways to access information that they aren't supposed to have, making sure that you do everything you can to protect yourself is extremely important. Businesses spend a considerable amount of time and money on making sure they are ready for any attacks, by having a firewall installed you can make sure that your business will be protected against most of the known cyber threats.
2. Security software can help protect your network 24/7
There are several benefits to security software but one of the most important reasons why it is so helpful is because it will protect your network around the clock. Hackers are constantly trying to break into databases in order to get access to information, not only is this a bad idea for business owners but it can also be expensive. With security software installed on each of your computers you can make sure that all threats are handled much more quickly and much more efficiently.
3. It helps you monitor your traffic
Having a firewall installed is a great way to help monitor the traffic on all of your devices. This is extremely beneficial for business owners because it allows them to make sure that all of their information and data has not been accessed by anyone who isn't supposed to have access. Business owners should always make sure that all of their data is protected from any outside threats because if even one bit of information goes missing it can be extremely costly.
4. It will make your network faster
There are quite a few different reasons as to why having a firewall installed on your business's network will actually make the network faster. The biggest reason that a firewall helps improve the speed of your network is because it reduces the amount of traffic that goes through your network. When you have a firewall installed, each device on the network has its own place to be so there isn't any traffic jam making sure that data gets sent and received quickly.
5. It will keep your information private
A firewall will help keep all of your information private by preventing others from seeing it. The biggest example of this is when you are browsing the internet, if you aren't connected to a network with a firewall then any website that you visit can easily see all of your personal information. Business owners should avoid going on websites where their password or login information could be compromised, but having a firewall installed will also keep you safe once you have logged in to any of your secure websites.
6. It can prevent viruses from entering the network
This is another great benefit that a firewall has for business owners, being able to stop viruses from getting into your computer before they spread throughout the entire network is extremely beneficial. Viruses are one of the biggest sources of problems for business owners as they can cause a lot of downtime and money loss. To protect your company make sure that you are taking steps to prevent viruses from infecting your computer, one of the best ways to do this is by having a firewall installed.
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Your business has a responsibility to keep your staff, clients and data safe. Not have it stolen or altered by unauthorized access. As well as preventing outside threats from affecting your systems, having a firewall can also prevent any threats that may be lingering on your computer network.
A firewall can protect your computers from an attack by either a software or hardware device that stops unauthorized users from accessing systems and prevents unneeded access. Take advantage of the many different types of firewalls for each type of protection. Hardware and application level firewalls are the most popular options, but businesses should take into account their needs and available technology before buying one.
A firewall works to block a user from a specific area on your network, such as a server or website, not allowing them access into that system. Firewalls work by using an access control list, or ACL that is built into the firewall for each IP address and protocol being used. This list is where the access rules are defined, allowing or blocking services.
There are several firewall types that can be implemented into your business, each one useful for different reasons. It is important to understand the basics of any type you wish to implement in your business before buying or installing it. Each type works differently and has different pros and cons depending on what you hope to get out of it.
Firewalls are usually purchased as hardware or software, but can be both.
Software firewalls are installed with the firewall permissions built into the program. Software firewalls come already configured with predefined rules to allow or block traffic. These are very useful for small businesses that have little to no IT experience and cannot configure a firewall on their own.
Hardware firewalls are connected to the router and the router connects all the computers on your business's network. This type is most common but requires an IT department that can configure and monitor it with constant updates and patches. Hardware firewalls provide better security than a software firewall, but will rely more on your Internet Service Provider (ISP) than the actual firewall.
Application level firewalls are used specifically for individual programs or services that run on your computer network. This type of firewall is configurable and will monitor all traffic between the client and server. Application level firewalls can block unauthorized access by recognizing irregular activity, such as an attempt to access a service or program that is not being used.
Address-based firewalls are the most common type of firewall, using information about network resources to determine whether to allow traffic through it. Connection tracking is what allows the firewall to be efficient and accurate when protecting against intruders; it ensures the connection has arrived at its destination before allowing it to pass.
Stateful firewalls work with the connection tracking to ensure that traffic between computers is relevant and up-to-date. This type of firewall is much more difficult for hackers to get around because they have to create new connections in order for their attempts at gaining access into your systems, making them very effective.
As you probably already know, having your business hacked can be devastating. But did you know that there are many ways to prevent this unfortunate event?
A firewall is one of the most effective ways to keep hackers out of your company's password databases. That's because it acts like a shield between your computer and the internet at large, blocking any attempt that is not coded with your system's passwords.
While there are many kinds of firewalls, an Internet Protocol (IP) firewall can be used to keep unwanted entities off of your business' network. Here are ten reasons every company needs an IP firewall:
11. Alerts You To Intruders - A Firewall will notify you if any trace of a hacker is detected. This allows you to block the intruder from your system so they can't access your files and business information.
12. Software Protection - In addition to blocking unwanted users, a firewall also protects vital software programs from outside threats such as viruses and worms that attempt to infect your systems remotely.
13. Prevents Denial of Service - Any hacker can attempt to overload your system with requests, but a firewall prevents these types of attacks from taking place.
14. Protects Against Internal Threats - Every time you log onto the internet, there is a chance that an employee could introduce viruses and malware into your network through unprotected web sessions. By using a firewall, you can prevent this from ever happening.
15. Prevents Leaks - Hackers typically use software to look for leaks in your system's security so they can access your files and business information with ease. A firewall stops these programs from running on your system.
16. Data Protection - Just as a firewall protects against hackers gaining entrances into your system, it also prevents sensitive business data from leaking out into the internet if a hacker manages to break through your network's security.
17. Stops Port Scans - If you run an online store or another other ecommerce website, port scans are the first step that hackers take in order to hack into your system and steal your product listings or charge your credit cards.
18. Prevents Attacks - A firewall prevents users from going through the process of trying to hack into a system, so a hacker is less likely to attempt a hack.
19. Privacy Protection - As you know, hackers can use your data and sell it on the black market for money. By using a firewall, you can prevent them from accessing your sensitive information.
20. Faster Businesses - Since a firewall prevents hackers from gaining access to your system and using it as a platform for hacking other computers or selling your data on the black market, it allows you to run your business more efficiently and securely.
Don't let yourself be the next victim of a cyber attack.
You can see that a firewall has many benefits to a business and that's why we recommend bringing one in as soon as possible. If you would like more information on what we do or if you need us to install a firewall at your company, give us a call today so that we can get started 703-336-9700.
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