For decades firewalls have been the first line of defense in network security. Using both hardware and software, businesses find it critical to monitor the incoming and outgoing traffic from other networks including the internet. A good firewall helps screen out hackers, viruses, and worms that try to reach your computer over the Internet. Without a solid firewall your network is exposed to potential dangers.
Personal home computers have built in firewalls that merely need to be accessed and turned on to maintain a level of security. According to Microsoft, it is important to protect every computer in the home. You should have a hardware firewall (such as a router) to protect your network, but you should also use a software firewall on each computer to help prevent the spread of a virus in your network if one of the computers becomes infected.
When it comes to business computers, employees should check with the network administrator about what protocols are called for with desktops, laptops and other devices. The growth of the internet and the resulting increased connectivity of networks means that early firewalls are no longer enough to keep out malicious traffic. Today there are numerous types of firewalls to protect the ever-evolving advancements and threats to business networks. There are proxy firewalls, Application-layer firewalls, Stateful firewalls, and Packet firewalls to choose from depending upon your company’s needs. If you don’t know what type of firewall your company requires to keep a barrier between yourself and malicious activities call M&H Consulting today.
Categorised in: IT Consulting Services, Security