You Need More than a Firewall to Secure Your Business

Whether or not you’re familiar with computers, there are a few terms that are thrown around commonly enough that chances are good that you know them. One such term is “firewall.” Unfortunately, there are often misconceptions as to what these terms refer to or what they do. Firewalls are a prime example, as many believe that a firewall is the only security they need.

Here, we’ll discuss why this isn’t the case, and introduce a few additional solutions that will be needed to properly secure your business.

Why a Firewall Alone Isn’t Enough to Secure Your Business

Very simply put, a firewall serves just one purpose that helps contribute to your overall security (namely, filtering through which websites and programs are allowed to connect your computer to the Internet), but doesn’t protect against the rest of the threats out there that pose a risk to your business.

Look at it this way: you could keep your front door locked at all times, but that won’t stop the cat burglar who climbs up to the open window on the second floor. Your firewall is like the front door - sure, it may have kept some people out, but not all threats will come in that way.

This is why your firewall needs to be just one piece of your larger cybersecurity strategy. As for the rest of it, there are a variety of other considerations that need to be addressed in a single, comprehensive approach. These considerations include:

Spam Protection

While spam messages rarely pose much of an actual threat to your business’ security, they do present a legitimate waste of time and distract from the messages you actually need. To respond to this issue, it is best to implement powerful spam filters, as well as to remind your users to remain vigilant.

Centralized Antivirus

Would you rather take the time to update the security on each of your business’ workstations, or update it once and have the effects pushed to all of them? This is precisely what a centralized antivirus does. Anytime you update the solution’s definitions, your entire infrastructure and network is that much better protected.

Data Backup

If you ever find your business in a tough spot where its data is concerned, you’ll want to have a data backup in place as your ace in the hole. Sometimes, the best solution is to start fresh, and a well-maintained and organized backup that has been kept up-to-date will make the process much less painful.

Virtual Private Networking

VPNs have proven to be an effective means of accessing files stored locally to a business while the person accessing them is in a remote location. Utilizing a VPN prevents direct remote access to these local files and resources, helping to maintain their security.

Phishing Awareness

Phishing is a significant threat today, scammers targeting people via email and text messages, posing as someone in a trustworthy or authoritative position in order to trick/scare them into handing over key credentials to accounts and other valuable data. While some attempts are stopped by phishing filters that email solutions have built into them, most will need to be spotted by your users if your business isn’t going to fall victim.

Of course, we aren’t trying to minimize the importance of your firewall solution, either - we just really want to emphasize how it is just one part of an overarching cybersecurity strategy. For help designing and implementing one for your business, reach out to SCW at (509) 534-1530.