Top 7 Reasons Why Your Business Needs a Strong Firewall

2022-09-12 13:10:49

The pandemic has caused many businesses to adopt a remote working model. However, most companies were unprepared for the security challenges associated with remote work. As a result, the frequency of cyber-attacks has increased by nearly 3 million in 2022 so far.

While firewalls are a handy security solution for businesses, too few of the people talking about cybersecurity for businesses are answering the question, "what is a firewall?".

A firewall is hardware or software that protects a computer or a computer network from security breaches. It is your computer network's first line of defence, and a good firewall will detect and stop unsolicited access to your computer network, thus protecting your data.

Upgrading your firewall may seem unnecessary when you've not yet experienced cybersecurity threats. But, your business could benefit greatly from a solid firewall, and this article will unpack the top seven reasons for this.

7 Reasons Why Your Business Needs a Strong Firewall:

 

1. To Stop Viruses

People with malicious intent write viruses designed to destroy computer systems or steal data. These viruses can wreak havoc on your computer system, with some replicating once they gain access, making it exceptionally difficult to get rid of them. They corrupt files, control programs, and may even permanently destroy your hardware.

Resolving the damage caused by viruses is costly and often causes downtime in productivity. Therefore, it is important to establish measures to secure your computer systems.

Antivirus software is probably already installed on your computers, but without a strong firewall, the antivirus software may not work as effectively as it should. 

It is here where firewalls play their role. They monitor activities on computers and log anything suspicious. For instance, whenever somebody clicks on a suspicious link that initiates a download, the firewall sends an alert and stops the download.

Thus, although a firewall cannot find and remove viruses on a computer, it prevents them from invading the device.

 

2. To Block Unauthorised Access

Did you know that 43% of cyber attacks target small businesses? Whenever an unauthorised party accesses your system files, you risk becoming a victim of a cyber attack.

Hackers are particularly clever, gaining entry to computer networks by tricking users into giving them access to information.

Such unauthorised access to a computer system results in data loss and the leakage of private information, which may lead to substantial financial losses, legal liability, and reputational damage. Such attacks also often compromise business continuity, leading to various other problems for a business.

Many business owners install Network Address Translation (NAT) to track external IP addresses; however, NAT does not block unauthorised traffic. Therefore, NAT alone is not an effective security measure against network breaches.

A strong firewall, however, alerts you whenever an unauthorised person tries to access your network and blocks that person's access. Therefore, you have the reassurance that your systems are secure from cyber threats.

 

3. For VPN Services

A Virtual Private Network (VPN) is an encrypted network connection that allows private connection to various sites. Thus, using a VPN enables you to secure the communications in your business.

You can configure a firewall to allow only specific traffic on the computers on your premises when they access the internet. By doing this, it ensures only the selected computers can communicate, thus facilitating information security.

A business can also use firewalls to encrypt data sent from your office to remote locations. This extra security layer is beneficial if your company operates in multiple locations.

 

4. To Block Access to Inappropriate Websites

A firewall is an excellent solution if you do not want your employees browsing inappropriate sites at the office by allowing you to block access to various specified websites. Most businesses set their firewalls to block social media sites and others with inappropriate content.

Furthermore, setting such restrictions ensures employees remain focused on work when in the office, thus increasing productivity. Malicious sites that install malware onto devices when users click on them are blocked by a firewall, denying users access to websites that threaten network security.

When you have a strong firewall protecting your computer network, you're also protecting your employees from phishing, which uses websites to direct computer users to malicious websites. But, a firewall alerts and blocks users from entering those malicious sites.

 

5. To Boost Security

A firewall is an effective tool for monitoring your security system's robustness through its configuration settings that instruct them to alert you whenever there is a security threat. You can thus trust a firewall to give your computer network the extra security it needs. 

However, if your firewall security keeps alerting you of threats, it is an indicator that it's time to upgrade your network's security. You'd be wise to develop a cyber-attack mitigation plan if you keep receiving security alerts.

When combined with other security tools such as antivirus software and password protection, a firewall renders your computer network almost impenetrable. Thus, improving your overall network security.

 

6. To Limit Bandwidth Usage

Firewalls can limit network bandwidth to ensure focus on business-related traffic only. Limiting your network's bandwidth usage does not block access to anything on the internet. Instead, it limits the extent to which users can utilise the internet to watch videos, search for music, or view photos. Doing this ensures that non-business-related content does not slow your network.

Limiting bandwidth usage for non-work-related videos and audio files also ensures productivity. In addition, your data speed increases when you've limited bandwidth usage to priority networks, enabling you to do more in a shorter time.

 

7. To Protect Your Data in the Cloud

A firewall is a must-have IT security solution if you host your data in the Cloud instead of on a server on your premises. Cloud computing solutions save companies the infrastructure costs associated with hosting their own data.

Cloud hosting places your data on a server you have no control over. Thus, your data security relies on the business IT resources you use for cloud storage. However, a strong firewall reduces the risk to your data.

A strong firewall also secures remote connections from hackers. It checks every bit of data travelling through your network to prevent malware from gaining access.

 

Secure Your Business With a Strong Firewall

Installing a firewall network improves your business's cybersecurity strategy substantially, and a firewall management service provider can help you pick a solid firewall to fulfil your security needs.

 

At Daisy Business Solutions, we offer managed services and IT solutions to protect your business from cyber-attacks. Contact us today for more information on our cybersecurity tools.