What Is a Firewall, and Does Your Business Need One?

What a firewall does

A firewall sits between your network and the internet and decides what traffic is allowed through. At its simplest, it blocks unwanted connections from the outside while letting your legitimate traffic flow.

The router firewall you already have

Most internet routers include a basic firewall. It is better than nothing, but it is designed for a home and does little beyond blocking obvious inbound connections. For a business handling customer data, that is a thin layer of protection.

What a business firewall adds

• Intrusion prevention that spots and blocks known attacks
• Content and web filtering to keep malicious sites off your network
• Secure remote access (VPN) for staff working off-site
• Network segmentation to separate guests, staff, and sensitive systems
• Logging and visibility so problems can be investigated

Do you need one

If you have more than a couple of employees, handle sensitive data, or have staff working remotely, a proper business firewall is one of the higher-value security investments you can make. It is quietly doing its job every day.