Are you doing enough to protect your network perimeter?

Are you doing enough to protect your network perimeter?

Find out how to protect and prevent unauthorised intrusions to your business network in our new blog written by Adam Williams - Network Administrator.  

As we approach mid-2019, it feels like we see an article every day about companies suffering a “cyber-attack”. It can be hard to know where to start to protect your network from the multitudes of cyber-nasties that are trying to get into your network, steal your data, encrypt all your machines. A good place to start your journey to a safer and more secure network is at the very point where your network meets the big wide world, it’s perimeter.

Why should I look at a firewall?

Think about your home, you’ve got all your valuables inside. Would you just leave your front door open for anyone to walk in? Most of us keep our front door closed, and don’t let anyone in unless we want them there. It’s the same with your network, you want to make sure that you know exactly what’s coming in and out, shutting the door on all the dangers you’ll find on the internet.

A reliable firewall is a critical component of your security infrastructure. It’ll scan traffic coming into your network from outside, while also monitoring traffic coming from your PC’s, to make sure that if you’ve got a machine that’s been infected, it isn’t allowed to communicate out of your network.

Key Features You Need

Not all firewalls are created equal. There’s a wide array of features available depending on your budget but we’ve put together some of the key features you should be looking for.

  • Content Filtering – This really is a must. A decent content filter can drastically reduce the risk to your network by preventing users from accessing high-risk websites that are often compromised.
  • Intrusion Detection/Prevention System – Your firewall should be looking at your traffic in real-time and checking to see if it’s characteristics match against known exploits.
  • Deep Packet Inspection – A lot of firewalls only look at the “header” information of your traffic. That tells you where traffic is from, to and what type of traffic it is, that’s not enough. Better firewalls will look at the “payload” of your traffic to determine if the contents are safe.

What Can ATG Offer?

ATG supply a range of fantastic Managed firewalls from SonicWALL, which include all the discussed features and more. SonicWALL firewalls range from entry-level SOHO devices for home offices, mid-range TZ devices for SME’s and the NSA range for enterprise customers.

ATG firewalls are available on a Managed agreement on a low-cost monthly subscription. All hardware, licensing and unlimited configuration changes included within the monthly price. If the device develops a fault at any point during the agreement we’ll supply a replacement.

Become more aware of the type of threats that could potentially harm your business in our FREE E-book 'Modern Cyber risks for SMBs'