As a business owner, you probably rely on cloud services to streamline your operations. And you count on these services to safeguard your company information. Fair enough. But note that a cloud provider’s commitment to keeping your data safe and available at all times does not extend to your internal network or devices (i.e., the computers you use to connect to cloud services).
To protect your non-cloud IT infrastructure, you need a multi-layered approach that includes a firewall. It’s a crucial line of defense against cyber attacks and can be software, hardware, or a combination of both. Although antivirus programs help to protect system files from unwanted software, a firewall keeps external threats or adversaries from gaining access to corporate systems in the first place.
But there are more reasons why it makes sense to invest in a firewall:
Release Apps With Confidence
As businesses continue to integrate new software and applications, they are inadvertently exposing themselves to an array of potential security threats. However, with the deployment of a powerful firewall, businesses can ensure that their networks remain secure.
A reliable firewall acts as a life preserver for your business, protecting your network from any hazardous traffic that could compromise your system. Managed by a Utah IT services provider, a sturdy firewall can proactively detect and flag any suspicious activity stemming from the new software, keeping your business safe from harm.
By investing in a robust firewall, you can guarantee that your team is working in a secure environment. The added layer of protection provided by a firewall also instills confidence in your team, enabling them to adopt new applications without fear of security breaches.
Meet Compliance
Regulatory compliance is a constantly shifting landscape of complicated bureaucratic and legal requirements. To keep your business in line with regulations such as the HIPAA Security Rule or PCI security standards, proper network security protocols are essential.
One of the most critical components of these protocols is a reliable firewall to protect your network against potential cyber threats. With a robust firewall in place, you can rest easy knowing your company meets important security standards and is prepared for any compliance challenges ahead.
Meter Bandwidth
Firewalls aren’t just for security – they can also be used to control and limit the network bandwidth. By allocating network bandwidth to higher-priority business traffic and reserving a smaller amount for non-essential items like images, videos, and music, firewalls can help ensure that important business processes aren’t slowed down. With the ability to meter and limit network bandwidth, firewalls are an essential tool for any business looking to optimize its network performance and streamline its operations.
Block Unapproved Sites and Code
A firewall is a powerful tool that prevents unauthorized external users from accessing your network and allows you to control your users’ access to specific external websites. By setting up policies that block access to websites like Facebook, you can increase productivity and protect your business from potential security threats.
Additionally, a strong firewall can inspect the traffic going in and out of your network, blocking viruses, worms, spam, and other malicious code and logging intrusion attempts and policy violations for further examination. You can even maintain a list of known malicious and good applications, allowing the firewall to block harmful software while enabling safe ones.
Secure the Network for Remote Workers
As businesses increasingly embrace remote work, the challenge of safeguarding their network from external threats becomes more daunting. When employees venture outside the protection of your ISP, it can be a struggle to maintain control and security over your network.
But with the implementation of a firewall, your connection with remote employees can be safeguarded. This powerful tool blocks any unauthorized users from accessing or tampering with the data shared between your business and remote employees, ensuring that your valuable information stays safe and secure.
Eliminate Spyware
The evolution of technology systems has resulted in the creation of more entry points. While this is good news from an IoT point-of-view, it gives hackers multiple avenues for infiltrating your corporate network.
For instance, cybercriminals can use spyware and malware to enter your network. Such malicious systems are designed to help them gain entry into corporate systems, after which they can steal data and even control the machine externally. Having a strong firewall offers protection against spyware and enhances system security.
Protect Databases
As the backbone of websites and mobile applications, back-end databases play a critical role in the functionality of these digital platforms. Without them, the front-end interface would have no way to interact with the user or display content.
For example, a small business website’s mailing list sign-up form will require data to be sent from the user’s browser to the site’s database. However, it’s essential to keep these back-end databases safe and secure to prevent malicious attacks. A firewall is one of the most crucial tools to utilize in this case.
While the web server needs to communicate with the database to add new records or retrieve old ones, it’s crucial to restrict external access to this layer of information. Otherwise, you risk exposing your database to harmful SQL injection attacks, which can lead to the compromise of sensitive information.
To mitigate this risk, you should configure your firewall to allow only internal IP addresses from approved application servers to connect to the database server’s ports. All other connections should be entirely blocked to maintain the security and integrity of your back-end database. By utilizing a firewall in this way, you can keep your data safe and prevent potential breaches that could compromise your business’s reputation and financial security.
The Bottom Line
As a business owner, you cannot afford to leave your network and sensitive data to chance. That’s why investing in a reliable and robust firewall is crucial to ensure the security of your business. By implementing a top-tier firewall, you can rest assured that your business is protected from potential cyber threats, enabling you to focus on growing and scaling your operations.
