As technology evolves, so do the threats to businesses’ cybersecurity. Companies need to take proactive steps to protect their data and networks, and one essential component of a business’s cybersecurity infrastructure is the firewall. The growing sophistication of cyber threats has increased the complexity of IT infrastructure, making it challenging for most organizations to keep up with cybersecurity best practices. Firewalls play a crucial role in safeguarding networks and sensitive data from potential threats. In this blog, we explore how upgrading firewalls can help organizations stay secure against modern-day cyber threats and the key features that organizations must have enabled to stay protected.
Managed Services: Making IT Teams More Effective and Efficient
Managed services providers (MSPs) can help businesses optimize their IT operations by managing fundamental IT tasks, such as patching vulnerabilities, backing up data, and maintaining software subscriptions. By outsourcing these routine tasks, organizations can free up their IT staff to focus on strategic initiatives that can drive business growth and innovation.
Managed Security: Ensuring Complete Functionality to Protect Against Modern-Day Threats
When it comes to cybersecurity, it’s often necessary to engage with a managed security services provider (MSSP) to ensure complete functionality and protection. MSSPs provide specialized knowledge and skills that businesses can use to build and maintain a robust cybersecurity posture and protect against modern-day threats.
The Importance of Firewall Upgrades
Firewalls have evolved significantly in recent years, taking on a more extensive role in security networks by adopting various security services. They can now be deployed in cloud instances, and modern firewalls offer higher performance than before. Not upgrading your firewall can lead to various risks, including installer errors, misconfiguration mistakes, open vulnerabilities, bloat, wear and tear over time, and single points of failure.
Key Features of Modern Firewalls
When choosing a firewall, organizations need to consider their specific needs and requirements. Modern firewalls offer a range of essential features, including:
- Deep Packet Inspection: Examines incoming and outgoing network traffic for potential threats and malware.
- Web Filtering: Blocks access to malicious websites and content.
- GeoIP Filtering: Restricts network access to specific geographic regions.
- Application Controls: Monitors and controls access to network applications.
- Bandwidth Management: Manages network traffic to ensure optimal performance.
- Sandboxing for Zero-Day Threats: Provides a secure environment to isolate and analyze potential threats.
- High Availability: Ensure network uptime and availability in the event of hardware or software failure.
- SD-WAN: Improves network performance and reliability by optimizing traffic routing.
- Remote Access with MFA or Integration into Identity Providers: Enables secure remote access for employees and partner.
Risks of Not Upgrading Your Firewall
Hackers can exploit vulnerabilities in outdated firewall software, so it’s crucial to upgrade your firewall to keep your network secure. An outdated firewall can become bloated and slow, leading to decreased performance and productivity, which can be costly in terms of time and money. If your organization experiences a security breach due to an outdated firewall, the costs can be significant.
The Costs of Not Upgrading Your Firewall
In addition to the potential loss of sensitive data and the damage to your organization’s reputation, a security breach can result in regulatory fines, lawsuits, and other legal expenses. Upgrading your firewall may seem like a significant investment, but the potential risks and costs of not doing so are far greater.
Upgrading your firewall is essential for a strong cybersecurity posture. It helps protect your network and data, reduces costs, and minimizes the risks of a security breach. Outsourcing to an MSSP can help reduce costs and risks by providing expert knowledge and skills to build and maintain a tight cybersecurity posture. Your firewall, with the right features enabled, can become a critical component of your cybersecurity infrastructure, protecting your network and sensitive data from modern-day threats. To stay ahead, be proactive and prioritize upgrading your firewall as an essential step towards protecting your organization’s cybersecurity. Speak with one of our experts today to learn how we can upgrade your firewall and help you enhance your organization’s cybersecurity posture.
