Managed Network Firewall

The complexity of cybersecurity threats means that even for small businesses, a basic firewall is no longer sufficient. The most straightforward function of a firewall is to block outside network intrusions to your business network based on predetermined security rules. But in an environment of increasing sophistication, your network firewall must also be capable of configuring rules to permit or deny traffic based on criteria such as the source or destination IP addresses. Having a content-aware security appliance means not only gatekeeping your network, but also examining the traffic on your network and filtering malicious web content before it even reaches your computers. Better to stop the bad guys at the door than in your living room.

The cyber-attacks we read about often go on for days, weeks, or even months before they are detected so it’s critical that your IT team is alerted to suspicious activity. A managed network firewall reports network interruptions and intrusions to your IT provider immediately. A firewall that is adequately protecting your IT infrastructure is one that can be managed either inside the network or remotely through a web-based console so that problems can be diagnosed and remedied quickly. An otherwise capable firewall that is not quickly accessible to your IT resource wastes precious time when outside attacks and network problems bring your business to grinding halt.

Just as importantly, a managed firewall is the means by which a business can allow controlled remote access through a VPN connection to your network. When your business has multiple physical locations and work-from-home employees that share resources such as a file server or application, managed network firewalls are the pathway for allowing secure access.