Something we get asked a lot, do I need a firewall in 2022?
Without a firewall your network is open to threats.
Would you leave your front door wide open when you leave your house? A network firewall is essential for businesses because it can stop hackers from accessing sensitive information and disrupting operations or holding the company ransom for its own data (aka a ransomware attack).
A firewall monitors inbound and outbound activity and detects suspicious activity – blocking items that are considered dangerous based on a set of security rules.
Please note, a firewall is just one part of a company’s cyber security strategy – albeit a key aspect. Industry professionals recommend a dedicated firewall to protect your network rather than a basic firewall included with the computer.
Reasons why Firewall Security is important:
- Allows you to block your users’ access unapproved websites – i.e. potentially harmful or unsafe websites and inappropriate or non-work-related websites
- A Firewall can provide VPN connections to your network – sometimes referred to as a “tunnel” – a VPN (Virtual Private Network) allows encrypted traffic between two parties across public networks (the internet).
- Stops Virus attacks – the best place to stop virus attacks is at the entry point to your network and this is where your firewall is located.
- Protects your business from hackers – prevent hackers from gaining unauthorised access to your data, emails and systems.
What are the different types of Firewalls?
There are currently hundreds of different manufacturers of firewalls with lots of different features but, in the main it is split into two main categories; Static Firewalls and Dynamic Firewalls.
Static firewalls are the type you usually get for free when you sign up to an internet connection, this can be at home or at your business and usually comes through the post for you to plugin. Static firewalls are just that, they have a set of predefined rules that it sticks to and nothing changes. For example a static firewall might have a rule to block anyone trying to connect to a device on the internal network using VPN.
Dynamic firewalls are as the name suggests Dynamic. The have the same rules as the static firewalls however they take new rules and instructions from the manufacturer as new threats are found. Dynamic Firewalls should be present at every business so they change and adapt to manage new threats. Unlike the static firewalls that you get free from your Internet Provider Dynamic Firewalls usually come with a subscription service (just like Netflix) that keeps the firewall constantly up to date from the manufacturer.
How much should I pay for a Firewall?
Firewalls now days tend to be sold with a subscription as mentioned above to keep it up to date with all the latest threats and change accordingly. When you purchase a firewall it may come with a one off cost and a monthly charge or alternatively it might just come with a monthly subscription and the firewall cost is built into that.
Firewall costs usually depend on the number of users (or staff) within your business and scale up accordingly. Below is an example of a firewall for a 20 and 80 user business:-
20 Users Business
One off Firewall Cost : £195.09
Monthly subscription cost : £22.25
-or-
Subscription cost only (12 months) : £39.62
80 User Business
One off Firewall Cost : £631.47
Monthly subscription cost : £71.17
-or-
Subscription cost only (12 months) : £126.43
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