A good firewall is the first defense against cyber intruders. In many cases, a firewall is all that’s necessary to keep your system safe because low-level intruders are simply searching for networks that are easy to breach. Most will move on to the next target on the list if your firewall resists.
Firewalls block unauthorized users while permitting legitimate users to engage in communications and activities. That second half is important because poorly implemented firewalls can cause clunky, lagging experiences for network users as they try to access files, share information and collaborate. An overactive firewall that simply keeps everyone out all the time isn’t tenable.
Good firewall protection also needs to be intuitive based on how users behave and interact. There are specific limitations with “standard” firewall that create frustrations for companies. Here’s a look:
- Firewalls don’t know when an authorized user accidentally sends sensitive information.
- Firewalls don’t know when an authorized user is sending information in response to being fooled by a phishing scheme.
- Firewalls don’t know when flaws in approved, legitimate applications within your system have been exploited by hackers. Yes, software bugs from reputable and popular programs can allow intruders to tunnel into your network!
The good news is that these security loopholes are fully manageable as long as your firewall is designed correctly. The first feature needed is traffic filtering. Traffic filtering sets a default for always blocking content from unsafe sites. The second feature is an intrusion-detection system (IDS). An IDS works like a system of “security cameras” for your network. Your IDS will inspect all inbound and outbound activity in the periphery of your “firewall gate.” This is going to send flashing lights to your IT team to take action to fortify your network.
Getting Better, Stronger Cyber Security
Don’t let gaps in your IT gate leave your system utterly vulnerable to breaches. Unfortunately, most companies don’t realize how vulnerable they are until something has already slipped in. The good news is that just having protections in place is often enough to keep the hackers and viruses simply searching for low-hanging fruit away. Talk to SynchroNet about keeping everything in shape! We’ll show you exactly where intruders could exploit your system’s vulnerabilities to gain access to your sensitive, protected information.
