Many small businesses today still believe they are not
targets for hackers because of their size, but, the opposite is actually true.
Hackers prey on small businesses because they tend to have lower defenses than
bigger companies, which is usually due to lack of financial resources and man
power.
According
to a recent threat report from an Internet security firm, 60% of all targeted
attacks struck small and medium sized businesses. The average cost of one of
these targeted attacks is $36,000.00!
Protecting
your data security is an ongoing process of trying to stay one step ahead of
hackers. So how can you keep your business from becoming a statistic?
In the
upcoming editions of ePress, we are dedicating this section to MUST HAVES of
network security. We will discuss hardware, software, internet and email, along
with employee education. In this
edition, we will take a look at the first line of defense between your business
and the outside world…the router/firewall.
Router/Firewall
– Must Have
Your end
users cannot determine whether a website is ‘safe’ or uninfected by looking at
it.
Legitimate
websites are compromised every day. Why risk someone else's security problem
becoming your problem?
At its core,
a firewall inspects incoming network traffic and determines if it is safe to
let through or if it should be blocked. How it determines varies depending on
the type of firewall.
Lower end
firewalls work with a static set of rules or filters that are set at the time
of manufacture and are only updated when the device’s firmware is updated
(which means these devices can become ineffective with age). These devices
usually allow you to block a limited number of websites by manually adding the
offending website to a blocked list. These ‘static’ firewalls are generally the
less expensive devices, with SOHO (small home & office) brands found at
many local retail outlets. Small Business brands are available from companies
like DCR.
Higher end,
subscription based, firewalls use rules and filters that are continuously
updated to protect against new and evolving threats and attacks. These devices inspect incoming network
traffic, and, block websites based on categories and content, not just by a specific
website URL. Categories such as social
media, gambling, gaming, adult sites, and many others, can be blocked without
having to know a specific URL or website.
Content Filtering blocks websites based on the content of the webpage.
Content could include profanity, adult sites or other content that may be offensive
or against company policy. In addition, these higher end devices include anti-malware
scanning (viruses and spyware), intrusion detection and prevention (hackers).
The subscription based devices include an upfront purchase and an annually renewing
subscription.
Contact DCR
today to discuss which router/firewall meets your security needs and budget.
