What Does a Firewall Do, and Does My Business Need One? Business
We've got some great deals going on right now exclusively for our online customers... chat now to hear more! What does a firewall do, and does my business still need one?,Author: Sue Poremba,Firewalls have been the default cyber security tool for many years. Even today for many companies, their firewall and their endpoint anti-malware remain their primary or only IT security. Despite security tools becoming increasingly sophisticated, firewalls remain popular, with the global firewall market to reach $8.6 billion by 2026. Yet small business owners, already facing rising costs amid a global pandemic, may have questions about the value of firewalls as a service. What does a firewall do and is a firewall really necessary? Before answering the crucial question "what is a firewall in a computer network?" it is important to consider the cost of cyber attacks on small businesses. The impact of cyber crime on small businesses,The notes the cost of cyber crimes reached $4.2 billion in 2020, and while the Small Business Administration (SBA) cyber attacks are a growing threat for small businesses, Intrusion, Inc. projects that annually by 2025. According to the , 71% of cyber attacks occur at businesses with less than 100 employees and the average cyber attack costs a small business an average of $34,604. It takes an average of 191 days for a small business to become aware of a cyber attack, and nearly 60% of companies go out of business within six months of a cyber attack. The SBA says small businesses are attractive targets because they have information valuable to cyber criminals, without generally having the security infrastructure or access to the required resources of larger businesses. A recent SBA survey found 88% of small business owners felt their business was vulnerable to a cyber attack. Yet many businesses have few, if any, skilled resources, limited knowledge of appropriate tools, minimal time to devote to cyber security, or simply don't know how vulnerable they really are. What does a firewall do?,So, what does a firewall actually do? The goal of is to protect your network from unauthorized access. A firewall monitors both incoming and outgoing network traffic, allowing only permitted packets to get through. The firewall helps prevent intruders from accessing your systems when you are online as people with malicious intent can invade your computer to delete or corrupt files on your system, hunt down personal information stored on your computer, or even read your email. A firewall may be one of the more well-known cyber security tools, but how it works has changed as the technology and the attack vectors has become more sophisticated. This is why it is important to understand not only what a firewall does, but also how a firewall fits in an overall computer network architecture and how a firewall can be a part of a solution. How does a firewall fit a computer network?,A firewall can be a piece of hardware (often called a security appliance) with specialized software installed on it, or it can be simply an application installed on a system, or it can be a virtualized system deployed in a cloud. Some organizations may find that they need a combination of firewall type services. A hardware firewall is a device that is installed at the edge of a company's network, acting as a barrier between the organization's internal networks and its internet connections. A software firewall is typically installed on each individual device and can offer protection down to individual applications. A cloud based firewall can allow companies to central the firewall and security functions and reduce overhead. Within those offerings, these are the most common types of firewalls:,Safeguarding your network, data and business,While firewalls in some form or another have been around since the 1990s, firewalls remain a crucial element of modern cyber security. Here are a few reasons why:,Firewalls as a Service and SASE,SASE takes firewall and other security functions to the next level. Combining wide-area networking () with to help provide more efficient and better performing secure network services to distributed WANs. Think of SASE as essentially a firewall as a service, and like other cloud offerings, it can provide a scalable, affordable solution wherever it is needed. Through a managed service provider, SASE can reduce IT complexity and cost, reduce risk, and improve application performance and user experience. Given the threats of cyber crime to small businesses, it's important to have an understanding of what a firewall does and what a firewall is in a computer network. However, with limited time, expertise, and resources, it can make sense for small business owners to make the most of managed security services from a trusted provider. Learn more about what firewalls do, what firewall is in a computer network, and how Verizon can help . If you'd like to receive new articles, solutions briefs, whitepapers and more—just let us know. . * Indicates a required field. We will follow up from your contact request using the information provided. Choose your country to view contact details. Manage your account or get tools and information. These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work. 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