Glasgow Business . 49 www.glasgowchamberofcommerce.com


ADVERTORIAL www.virginmediabusiness.co.uk


DEFENDING YOUR BUSINESS NETWORK?


Fight fire with fire by using a managed firewall to restrict access to online material W


e all know the frustrating feeling of being denied or having limited access to IT applications on our


work networks. Despite Gartner predicting that by 2017, 25 per cent of enterprises will have their very own enterprise app store, messages like “sorry this page has been blocked, please contact the administrator” still remain a common sight for 22 per cent of British workers. But with Apple and Google app stores


becoming increasingly popular, UK businesses should embrace this trend in order to get the most out of it. So what role does a network provider play


in this, I hear you asking? Well, it can be summed up in one word: security. For CIOs and IT managers up and down the country, the biggest issue they face is how to protect their networks. More and more employees are bringing their own devices into the workplace and consequently using these apps on the company’s network. It can be a challenge to manage, but there is a solution. Our managed firewall puts CIOs in


total control, allowing them to choose which business apps and social media sites employees can access and when, without risking the network. While choice and freedom should be key


features of the firewall, security always remains at the heart, protecting businesses from malware, spyware and malicious URLs. With a flexible managed firewall, IT departments are given regular updates on the state of their network and are automatically protected against potential threats. All the while, employees are given more freedom to choose the tools that work for them. Tis is a recipe for one happy IT department and workforce! Why will this create a happier workforce? Well, more flexibility helps staff to do their


“Our managed firewall puts CIOs in total control, allowing them to choose which


business apps and social media sites employees can access and when, without risking the network”


jobs beter and that’s what we’re all trying to do, isn’t it? If sales teams need access to social media to reach potential customers, it’s simple to grant them this freedom while restricting the rest of your workforce. By allowing staff to access these apps and sites, this can only increase productivity and even improve customer service. With these new opportunities and


possibilities, businesses stand to become more productive by processing data in real time and working on the move. It means they can be more nimble and react instantly to customer queries or breaking issues. However, as the saying goes, a good offence is based on a good defence, highlighting how crucial it is to get security right.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52