When it comes to cyber security for businesses, firewalls have long been one of the main measures used to keep unwanted viruses and other attacks at bay. But times have changed over the last decade or so, and if you’re still using just a firewall, you may be leaving your business open to online threats.
Collateral damage from a cyber attack can run in the millions of dollars. And it’s not just the immediate loss of data that takes a toll. Lost worker productivity, missed sales opportunities, costs to recover what was lost, and potential settlements for stolen customer information all add up and continue to cripple companies for years afterwards.
According to Forbes, it’s estimated that 85% of a company’s assets are now in digital form. Cybercrime is projected to cost approximately $6 trillion per year through 2021. It’s a rising criminal enterprise that doesn’t just go after large companies.
Nearly 50% of small businesses have experienced a cyber attack and as many as 60% have gone out of business within 6 months after an attack.
In this day and age, firewalls just won’t keep you fully protected anymore. That’s why companies are moving to Unified Threat Management (UTM). Our Cyber Security Team at Technology Visionaries helps companies make the switch all the time and we’ll give you a run-down below of why you need a UTM.
Firewall vs UTM, What’s the Difference?
When you hear terms like NG Firewalls, UTM, IP to IP traffic, and network layer, it can get confusing. All are pieces of the puzzle that make up secure network protocols, but what does that really mean for your office data protection?
To understand the difference between a firewall and Unified Threat Management (UTM), we’ll use another security example.
Image securing a warehouse with key code locks on all the doors. That is one measure of security that will keep thieves out. But what happens if they break a window?
A different warehouse owner decides to hire a security company that not only installs key code locks on the doors, but they also put in an alarm system on the windows, install video surveillance, and incorporate a rotating passcode system.
Which one is more secure?
The firewall is like those key code locks, one measure of security. And the UTM is like the security company that provides several layers of security for more robust protection.
What a Firewall Does
- Filter network and internet traffic based upon applications or traffic type using a specific port
- Malware detection
- URL blocking
What a UTM Does
- Filter network and internet traffic based upon applications or traffic type using a specific port
- Malware detection
- URL blocking
- Antivirus and Anti-spam
- Email and attachment filtering and blocking
- Phishing protection
- Wireless network protection
- Web server protection
What Are the Main Cyber Threats to Corporate Networks?
Not all cyber threats come in the same form. Some are sent to your employees’ inboxes as Phishing emails, which disguise themselves to trick the recipient into clicking a link or downloading an attachment with a virus or malware.
Others are hacks meant to get into your system and steal sensitive credit card or bank information on your and your customers.
At Technology Visionaries, we help to protect our clients’ systems and livelihoods from cyber crime every day. We use the best UTM in the business, WatchGuard, and provide free security assessments for businesses.
So, what type of threats is your network facing daily?
Cyber Threats to Company Networks
- Phishing scams
- Domain Name System (DNS) attacks
- Distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks
- Ransomware
- Web and scan attacks
- Worm and malware
- Malicious websites
- Secure Sockets Layer/Transport Layer Security (SSL/TLS) attacks
So, what Is a UTM, Exactly?
Like that security company handling multiple types of protection devices, a UTM is a single appliance that includes multiple security technologies that are fully integrated. All cyber security methods can be managed from a single console.
A UTM is also designed to allow additional security services to be added in the future, so you can always stay a step ahead of the cyber criminals and malicious threats out there.
We only sell the top products that keep our clients protected and WatchGuard is our “go to” UTM security appliance. It’s powerful, flexible and scaleable from a single office to multiple locations.
Here are a few of the things this UTM offers:
- Standard Intrusion Prevention System (IPS)
- URL filtering
- Gateway Anti-Virus (AV)
- Next Generation (NG) Firewall protection
- Application control
- Anti-spam
- Services for combating advanced threats such as file sandboxing
- Data loss prevention
- Ransomware protection
- Award-winning network visibility platform (easy to read reporting)
- … and more
Get a FREE Security Assessment Today!
Is your business technology secure? Find out with a free security assessment from our experts at Technology Visionaries. No strings attached! We’ll do a thorough security audit/review and give you our recommendations. Contact us today to get it scheduled.