Hacking caught the media’s attention in 2014 with a number of high-profile cases. Whether you’re a large organisation or a Small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) alike, there are a number of reasons why hackers may target your company.
A general rule is that small companies spend less on security which can make them easier targets.
So what are your Firewall options?
Software Firewall
Using only a software firewall can put you at risk. Software firewalls can be manipulated by viruses meaning they are far from the most secure firewall.
ADSL Router/Firewall (Hardware Firewall)
Most combined Firewall/Routers have a packet filtering firewall. A packet contains a unit of user data with control information. This control information provides data to the network that the network needs to deliver the user data to its destination.
Hardware firewalls don’t allow these packets to pass through unless they match the rule set of the firewall. Generally though, their ability is limited to examine the packets to check for viruses or analyse web traffic.
However, modern firewalls are able to filter traffic based on many different packet attributes – including source or destination IP address or port, or destinations like website traffic, SMTP or FTP.
UTM the next Generation Firewall (Hardware Firewall)
Unified Threat Management (UTM) is the latest term used for premium firewalls. UTM solutions derived out of the need to stem the increasing number of hacking, cracking and virus attacks on companies. These devices contain technology to inspect all of the packets which stops threats as soon as they come through the door.
The firewalls LSA Systems recommend are physically separate from the router, this means it can have more than one internet connection plugged in enabling it to switch between them in the case of a line failure. With all the security being controlled by the firewall, it does not matter which line is used as the security remains the same.
