Fight Fire with Firewall!

Protection of private property is a fundamental right protected in a strong democracy.  

  -Jim Ryun 

In today’s world, data is extremely important to the wellbeing of every individual. It is also the lifeblood of any organization. Therefore, it is of utmost importance for organizations of all types and sizes to protect their data and that of their employees, customers and business partners. Theft and malicious use of data can have dire consequences for the victims – identity theft, loss of intellectual property, legal troubles and even financial ruin. 

Contrary to pop–culture depictions, hackers, crackers and other cybercriminals are not all-powerful and do not permeate all aspects of our society. In truth, it isn’t hard to become a victim of cybercrime. The first line of defense is teaching the users to be alert and vigilant (some of that was covered in my earlier articles). The second line of cyber defense is the network firewall. 

There are two types of firewalls – personal software firewalls and security appliances. The personal firewall works best for those users who are mostly working remotely and do not have the ability to be protected by the corporate firewall. For all other users, the security appliance is the primary defense online mechanism. 

A modern security appliance is capable of performing many security functions. Some of the most common are: 

• Rules-based firewall 
• Redundant ISP gateway (failover) 
• VPN gateway 

• GEO-blocker 
• SPAM-blocker 
• Content filter 

Comparing a full range security appliance to an ISP-provided internet router is like comparing a basic screen door to a metal fire-retardant security door with a latch, deadbolt and an alarm. Yes, it really is that much more secure! The real trick is finding the right combination of services that adequately protects your company data at a reasonable price. 

Since manufacturers offer different models and a multitude of security subscription, it pays to do your research. At CDML Computer Services, we predominantly offer SonicWall devices because we feel that they offer the best price-to-performance ratio. 

We will be happy to answer any questions you may have regarding security appliances and other firewall solutions. Please feel free to contact us at (718) 393-5343 or at [email protected].