Don't Lose Sight: What you need to know about your business network: Part II - Your Firewall

Part 2: YOUR FIREWALL

In part 1 of our focus on business networks, we discussed routers vs. modems.  In this post we will talk about your firewall.

It is important to pay attention to the security of your information and business resources.  The network feature required to protect you is called a Firewall.  It is an integral part of protecting your data.  Without one, it is like leaving your front door open.

WHAT IS IT

This network device barrows its name from the construction industry. In buildings or cars, the firewall is a physical barrier designed to stop the spread of fire. 

​In the late 1980s the term was applied to network technology.  You may have heard the term for the first time in the movie WarGames.  

In networking terms, it stops undesirables from accessing your information. While a building firewall is a physical barrier, a network Firewall is a digital barrier that is very selective about what information it allows to pass to and from your network.  It keeps outsiders from accessing information you don't want them to and employees from watching movies like WarGames during company time.

For you trivia buffs... The first commercial  firewall, DEC SEAL, shipped in 1992 and included proxies developed by Ranum.  Get more history here.

​There are two basic types of firewalls: hardware-based and software-based.  Routers can include a hardware firewall.  Data travels through the router firewall as it travels between the computer and the Internet modem.  Software firewalls are installed on your computer and monitor the information requests. Using both offer the highest security level.

CLOSE THE DOOR

In part one we talked about cable modems functioning as a gateway to the Internet. Many cable modems also run Firewall software.

Unfortunately, not all firewall software is created equally. In fact, most of the firewall software provided with a standard cable modem only provides a minimal amount of protection for your information. Some even come configured with a standard and well-known password. Meaning that anyone could easily look up that information and use it to gain unauthorized access to your business information.​  It is like closing the door but leaving the key in the lock.

The firewall feature of a cable modem can also become overrun with usage, causing the modem to freeze or lock up and disconnect you from the Internet. ​To account for both the stability and security shortcomings of the firewall feature within a cable modem, it is best to install a purpose designed business-class Firewall. These will be designed for higher usage levels (number of computers concurrently connected on your network LAN accessing the Internet) and designed with better security features. ​​

Learn more about the difference between business-class and consumer-class firewalls.

The best firewall solution will have an annual subscription from the manufacturer that provides regular updates to the software to keep it secure against evolving threats. 

Additionally, someone needs to be in charge installing those updates when they are released by the manufacturer.  If you don't have a dedicated employee to make sure to keep up with updates, you may benefit from an Integrated Service Provider who can perform updates and proactively protect your data. ​

AM I SAFE

Worried about your firewall?  There are free online firewall probes, like HackerWatch, that you can use to test your security.

You can check to see if you already have firewall capabilities at the router level in your network by logging into your router to see if there are any settings for Firewall or Security.

You can also contact an Integrated Service Provider (Hey, Leeward Business Advisors is an Integrated Service Provider!)  We prefer Fortinet's hardware-driven firewalls and Bitdefender's software firewall.

In Part 3 we will discuss your network switch.  
Please leave questions or comments below and you can tell me what you want to learn more about in the "Ask Me" section at the top right of the blog page.