HARDWARE FIREWALLS W
ith the frequency of attacks on IT networks continuing to grow, and more Trojans and viruses
buzzing around in cyberspace than ever before, how your business connects to the Internet and vitally, protects itself, is now more crucial than ever before.
It’s easy to presume that your network is secure, but often this is far from the case. Yet getting it wrong in this day and age could be the difference between success and failure for your business.
WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF YOUR
IT NETWORK WAS BREACHED AND SENSITIVE INFORMATION BECAME VISIBLE TO THE OUTSIDE WORLD?
If your IT network was breached and sensitive information such as legal, financial or customer data became visible to the outside world, what would happen? If your critical information systems failed, how long could you continue to operate before your customers lose faith? Today’s organisations rely on
technology to do business, which makes security not just a strategic issue, but a basic operational requirement.
Is your router up to the job? In basic terms, organisations typically take one of three approaches to connecting to the outside world…
1. BASIC A router & software-based firewall All businesses connect to the
Internet using a router. But using a standard model means your defence against cyber nasties is left to a software-based firewall such as an anti-virus package, typically installed on individual client devices like laptops and PCs, or on a server.
IT’S A BIT LIKE LOCKING YOUR FRONT DOOR, BUT LEAVING ALL YOUR WINDOWS OPEN
Because in this instance the
firewall is software-based, it’s only protecting the individual computer, not the whole infrastructure, so it certainly shouldn’t constitute your entire network defence. It’s a bit like locking your front door, but leaving all your windows open.
Put simply, client device-based
protection is no longer sufficient to guard your network from a constantly growing number of malicious threats. It’s better to have a layered defence - and the more layers the better.
2. BETTER A router with in-built firewall Back to your router. Many
routers do come with a built-in firewall. Their primary function is to connect two or more networks and then filter network signals so that only desired information travels between them. While this does offer an extra degree of protection, it also has its limitations. True, it will stop some bad traffic but it doesn’t look at the finer detail of incoming or outgoing data packets. So, while it may scan an email and look at the type of file attached to it, it won’t necessarily open the email attachment and that’s where the virus could be lurking.
3. BELTS & BRACES A router and separate, purpose built firewall With hackers becoming ever more innovative, many analysts
WHAT IS A FIREWALL?
Think of a firewall as a virtual wall that limits online access to those with proper authorisation. It helps to protect a trusted environment, such as a corporate network, from a potentially untrustworthy one, such as the Internet.
22 TechKnow
bt.com/businessdirect
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TROJAN
TROJAN
VIRUS
BUSINESS PREMISES FIRE ALL W
BUSINESS PREMISES
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