For many of us, it’s automatic to keep our doors and windows locked while running an errand or at work in order to prevent burglars from gaining easy access to our homes. These locks serve as safeguards that protect our assets.
When it comes to your network, it’s important to use similar care to keep unauthorized people from accessing your critical business information. Just like a door has its locks, a network can be protected by firewalls and intrusion detection and prevention systems (IDPS).
Typically, networks have hardware- or software-based firewalls that serve as gatekeepers for traffic. This technology analyzes information to determine whether it is allowed to enter or exit a secure network. A network lacking a firewall could easily become infected with malware, viruses or other damaging programs that serve to steal information and slow down networks compromising their integrity.
Firewalls, however, are not the end-all be-all when it comes to network security. They allow traffic into your network based on some basic principles; port, protocol, IP address. They also eliminate the ‘noise’ of the internet, but do very little actual protection because they do not ‘inspect’ traffic. This is why it’s important to take your security a step further and integrate an IDPS into your network. Such systems act as a further layer of prevention against unwarranted access and attacks. With a capable IDPS engine, monitored 24/7/365 by trained security engineers, you have full visibility in to the traffic allowed in by your firewall.
A network is only as secure as its most vulnerable point. With that in mind, a strong IDPS will detect threats and determine their intention, analyzing information in order to strengthen the network and prevent similar subsequent attacks. Generally, IDPS detects attacks, records them and analyzes them in a historical perspective to determine persistent offenders. IDPS can play offense, squashing attacks before they breach your network.
In today’s fast-paced business world, you simply cannot afford to have your data compromised. With so much on your plate, you don’t have the time to worry about intruders in your network and the damage that can be done to your business information and your company’s reputation. Arm yourself with an IDPS behind a strong firewall – give your network the weapons it needs to fight off attacks and function as intended.