As we mentioned in a recent post, a firewall is your first line of protection against malicious presences on the internet. A firewall is the gatekeeper to what’s entering your network or device, keeping the bad things out while letting the safe information in.
At least, that’s what it should be doing. But as malware, viruses, and hacking techniques evolve, the tools that protect against them need to evolve as well. A traditional firewall might not be enough to protect you.
For example, once upon a time, malware and hackers exploited holes in networks and security systems. Now, however, most exploit weaknesses in applications, which make them harder to flag and block.
That’s where Next Generation Firewalls come in.
What Makes a Firewall “Next Gen”?
A next generation firewall (or NGFW) isn’t simply the newest version or model of firewalls on the market. It’s a complete evolution, redefining how a firewall operates and what it protects you from.
Yes, a NGFW performs all of the traditional functions of firewalls, filtering traffic based off port, protocol, preset admin filters, etc., but that’s only the beginning.
The exact capabilities of a NGFW can vary, but they all must meet certain criteria. Gartner, one of the most senior authorities in IT, defines them as deep-packet inspection firewalls that move beyond port/protocol inspection and blocking to add application-level inspection, intrusion prevention, and bringing intelligence from outside the firewall.
In many ways, NGFW combines the features of traditional firewalls with features found in additional security tools, combining them into one efficient, streamlined package. This reduces complexity while enhancing control and improving performance.
For businesses where data security and system integrity are top priorities, having a NGFW is a must.
Do Small Businesses Need Next Generation Firewalls?
There’s no question that every business should have firewalls in place, no matter the size. But do small businesses benefit from the power of next generation firewalls? Absolutely. The level of control and security featured in a NGFW is something traditional firewalls simply can’t compete with.
That said, it can depend on what type of data you’re storing online and within your internal system. For certain smaller businesses, it could be overkill. Then again, when it comes to digital security, it’s always better to be safe than sorry when it comes to properly caring for your customers data.
Ultimately, it doesn’t hurt to talk to a professional team about what level of firewall you should have in place for your business. As it happens, we are a professional IT team that would be happy to answer those questions for you. Our Discovery process is a perfect health check for your security level while getting a great picture of your IT environment.
At DataYard, we provide IT consultation in addition to private cloud hosting, cybersecurity, colocation in Dayton, Ohio, and more. Big or small, we can scale our services to meet your needs on a reasonable budget.
Contact us today!