Today, businesses can’t afford to risk their data. Small and medium-sized organizations need to protect their information from cyber threats. All companies, regardless of size or industry, should implement a firewall as part of their IT security measures. An internet firewall is a piece of software that monitors traffic traveling to and from your company’s network. It allows you to control what types of data can come in or go out of your network. Using firewalls in your business protects confidential information and helps prevent hackers from infiltrating your network. In this blog post, we will look at the benefits of using a firewall.
Protection from external threats
If your company does business online, you need to protect it from external threats. Firewalls are one of the most effective ways to prevent malicious actors from accessing your network. Whether you’re protecting data in your data center or in the cloud, internet firewalls play a critical role in safeguarding your company’s information. Firewalls are the first line of defense against external threats, including:
- Hackers – Your company is at risk of cyber attacks, even if you don’t deal with sensitive data. Without a firewall, malicious actors could access your computers, steal employee login credentials and infiltrate your network.
- Spam – Email Spam has become the principal vector for malware and malicious content. Without a firewall, you risk losing control of your email and attachments.
- External threats from the Internet – Whether you run a web store, offer services or provide products, you have to worry about DDoS attacks. DDoS attacks occur when hackers use large numbers of computers to overwhelm your network. With a firewall, you can block these external threats and minimize internal damage.
Help maintain compliance and operational efficiency
In addition to protecting your company’s data, firewalls can help you maintain compliance and operational efficiency. Firewalls can filter and control traffic, allowing only approved data through. They can help you meet compliance standards, including HIPAA and Sarbanes-Oxley, by ensuring your sensitive data doesn’t get leaked. Firewalls can also help you maintain operational efficiency by reducing the risk of outages. When you have an outage, you lose money. When it’s caused by malicious actors, the costs are even higher. An internet firewall can help prevent outages by blocking malicious traffic.
Defend against internal threats
Whether you have malicious employees or accidental data leaks, you can defend against internal threats with firewalls. Firewalls can block malicious internal traffic, such as emails and attachments containing viruses or spam. They can also spot abnormal employee traffic, like someone trying to log in as an administrator when they don’t work in IT. Several types of internet firewalls can help defend against internal threats, including web application firewalls (WAFs), network security appliances and cloud-based security providers.
Detection and prevention of data loss
An internet firewall is not just a barrier against external threats. It can also help detect and prevent data loss. Firewalls are critical for detecting malicious activity, like login attempts from an unfamiliar IP address. With a firewall, you can also detect suspicious internal traffic, like an employee trying to log in as the system administrator. An internet firewall can also prevent data loss. For example, if you have a WAF, it can scan your website for malicious code. If it finds a potential threat, it can block it and prevent data loss.
Increase company agility
Traditional hubs and switches are designed to protect against external threats. They don’t provide the protection you need against internal threats. With an internet firewall, you can protect against both external and internal threats. Plus, you have the ability to customize firewall rules, so you can create an internet firewall that meets your specific needs. An internet firewall can help your company become more agile in several ways. First, it can help you respond to cyber attacks more quickly. A well-designed firewall can block malicious traffic and help you identify the source of the attack. If you work with a cloud provider, an internet firewall can help you transition to the cloud more easily. If your data is on the cloud, you need an internet firewall to control traffic.
Conclusion
Firewalls are the first line of defense against cyber attacks. Data breaches cost companies millions of dollars per year. They also cause significant reputational damage. If you own or operate a business, you can’t afford to risk your customers’ data. You need an internet firewall to protect your network from external threats. An internet firewall can also defend against internal threats, like accidental data leaks. It can also help you increase company agility and respond more quickly to cyber attacks.
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