Cybersecurity is an intrinsic part of modern business, with communications, data storage, and much of the work we do all being based around an internet connection and the technology giving us that connection. To that end, firewalls are paramount.
A Firewall is a combination of hardware and software that protects networks and systems from threats. Understanding what these threats are and how a firewall helps solve them will help you bolster your own cybersecurity.
Accommodating Hybrid Work
Problem – Many workers are not near the work network when working
Solution – Make the online work network as robust as the wired network
With hybrid work booming, cybersecurity at the workplace isn’t enough, and it needs to extend to the workers’ home system too. A robust firewall can bolster your WAN (Wide-area-network) to accommodate file transfer and access in a way that is as fast and efficient as using your LAN (Local-area-network) cable in the office. By having hardware dedicated to running a long-range firewall, you can protect and reinforce your employee’s hybrid network connections.
Protecting Against Installations and Apps
Problem – Work systems can have harmful apps and programs installed that harm the network as a whole
Solution – Interrupt potentially harmful installations and prevent unknown .exe files from running without I.T approval
Firewalls can also look inwards, rather than just dealing with external threats. Therefore, if a work system is going to run a program or has been prompted to start an installation (Perhaps deliberately, but perhaps maliciously) the firewall can stop the files from spreading and activating before they start. Your Firewall can pick up on threats that have managed to pass through other systems.
Automatic Detection and Protection
Problem – IT Systems often only prompt problems when the files already exist in the system
Solution – A firewall acts as an external barrier too, constantly detecting the outside influence
Using a firewall that’s as fast as 5Gbps like the technology of the SonicWall Nsa 2700 ensures that breaches are detected at an alarming rate, and constantly being visualised and reported. The capacity and speed of the firewall mean it can support the amount of network that a business needs. Firewalls, in this way, act not just as your last line of defence but also as your first.
Unified, Clean VPN Access
Problem – VPNs can often detach and isolate workplace systems from important data and communication speeds
Solution – A firewall that encompasses the entire network and scans for oddities
By utilising the capacity and speed of a business firewall, you can do more than protect, you can enhance. Setting up a work VPN that is maintained by the firewall constantly scanning all the data in the gateway is a great way to improve security while maintaining all the benefits of your work network and location.
Stabilise Other Apps
Problem – When using work bandwidth for VoIP or video calls, or other work matters, the distribution of bandwidth can become uneven and cause lag and bad latency
Solution – Having a firewall actively looking and visualising this data
The speed and efficiency of your network are vital. A firewall can unify the bandwidth speeds across a company and display exactly where the system can be made more efficient. If a large video conference call begins your system should be able to instantly adapt and find the bandwidth to keep everyone in nice HD at a good framerate. If you see buffering or dynamic camera quality in meetings (Quality becoming low, then high, then low) it could be a sign that your network isn’t unified enough by something like a firewall.