Firewalls, or the dangers of an open network

This is Two Minute Tech Tips, I’m your host Lester Steward. In this series we are discussing Business cybersecurity and what you need to know to protect your business.

How are you protecting your home or business network? Really think about it. I know for many people it seems improbable that you would be hacked or have your data locked and held for ransom, but it happens all the time and the built-in protections that come on your computer or phone are just not going to cut it.

The first space you should have protection on your network is where the internet comes into the network, right? This is called a hardware firewall. It\’s a box that connects directly after your internet provider box and scans all the traffic coming into your network before it gets to your devices. The great thing about this tool is that rules or policies can be created to allow only what you want on your network. For instance, don’t want your employees using social media while on your network, you can block that traffic.

There are several brands of firewall, such as WatchGuard, Cisco-Meraki, SonicWall, etc. and while they each may have different strengths they focus on, they all work on the same principle of keeping unwanted network traffic out of your local network.

Firewall systems are a crucial piece to any business network. With ransomware continuing to be a very clear and present danger for anyone on the internet, having this first line of defense can give you peace of mind.

Act now on protecting your network, don’t re-act after something bad happens.

Is your network protected against an entire worldwide internet worth of danger? 

If you need any information on this subject, please let North Tech Group know by visiting our website ntgak.com. Thanks for joining me, Lester Steward for your Two Minute Tech Tips, helping you keep safe in your cybersecurity world.

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