NextGen Firewalls - Inexpensive and Vigilant
What is a Firewall?
A firewall is a network security device that regulates network access between trusted and untrusted areas of data. The untrusted area, generally, is the Internet, and the trusted area is the private or corporate network. The firewall is the regulator or “traffic cop” to the network. All traffic should flow through it, and based on default and programmed policies, is where access to the network is granted.. Firewalls enforce access controls through policies that state which traffic is allowed onto the network; all other traffic is denied.
Next Generation Firewalls
While there are many flavors of firewalls from a wide variety of vendors, real-time protection can be provided using a firewall that offers a cloud based, integrated threat intelligence service. These services communicate with the firewall at all times and when a new and emerging attack is identified, it will created a block to that threat so that if the threat is widely dispersed, the protected network will repel it. This 24/7 protection acts as an added layer of protection and enhances related applications such as antivirus software and web filters.
Combining cloud-based threat intelligence services with next-generation firewalls enhances the existing threat management solutions i.e. virus protection, anti spam, WIFI protection, etc. that every network should employ.
When a threat intelligence service synthesizes information in the cloud, it does the work of neutralizing the threat off premise. The result is protection against unknown and emerging threats wherever and whenever they are deployed. A huge benefit of this process is the identifying of zero-day (brand new), never-before-seen malware. These threats can be blocked before they ever enter the network.
Small Business Are Targets
Companies must prepare themselves for the possibility they could be the target of a ransomware or malicious software attacks. By leveraging advanced security tools that incorporate cloud-based threat intelligence services, companies can greatly reduce the chance that they’ll ever become victims of such attacks.