Many small businesses have never had a network review or addressed security against outside intrusion to their network. Here are reasons why every small business should deploy a hardware firewall.
ISSUE: The Standard Router
Normal ISP routers do not filter and/or inspect the traffic, nor do they detect intrusion attempts. This lack of security leaves your business open to web risks at large, which is only multiplied when you are transferring any sensitive data in order to conduct work. The risk is not just the compromise of your data, which means losing business in the event of an intrusion, but also opens you up to some large fines from any number of compliance commissions.
RISKS: 3 Most Common Risks
- Network packet sniffers – a malicious hacker intercepts unprotected network information packets and steals your data
- IP spoofing – an outsider tricks your network devices into recognizing them as a trusted source, by posing as a duplicate IP address
- Password attacks – hackers guess or use fake login sites to gain access to user passwords
SOLUTION: Deploy a Business Grade Firewall
- Block incoming traffic based on rules – ex. keep employees away from malicious sites and content
- Block websites – ex. eliminate social network sites or categories of potential harmful areas of the web
- Dedicate internet network resources – logically separate portions of your network for added protection
- Firewalls also create logs of users and instances so you can track the events of a particular time period. This kind of log is critical to pin-pointing a breach to contain or fix problems.
