How Does A Firewall Improve Network Performance?

There has been a common misconception that firewall is for large-scale companies or financial firms that are at high risk of a cyberattack. The truth is every business, irrespective of its size and nature, requires firewall protection. It acts as the first line of defense mechanism against all cyberattacks, including malware, ransomware, and viruses.

A report by Forbes shows that 51% of companies surveyed said they were not prepared to repel a ransomware attack. Sadly, most cyberattacks target small companies, as they lack the latest security tools, leaving them vulnerable to security threats.

The worst part is small businesses can’t survive a cyberattack, which is why most businesses are considering IT help desk service providers to manage their security operations. Implementing a firewall is the first step to improving your workplace security.

A firewall is a set of hardware and software designed to protect your network from unauthorized access. This network security system blocks unrecognized traffic, protecting your network from hackers. It’s also good at detecting malicious codes that might give outsiders access to your network.

A firewall comes pre-installed on most security tools and your operating devices. You only have to enable them and configure them to update automatically. You can also invest in additional firewall programs to boost your network security.

A system with a firewall monitors the incoming and outgoing traffic and filters it based on a pre-determined set of protocols. It alerts the user about unusual traffic trying to access their system.

A firewall is available as a FaaS (Firewall as a Service) — a cloud-based, scalable solution that grows with your business and can be integrated with the software and hardware firewall to improve your network performance. But how does it affect your system’s speed?

Some organizations complain about the reduced speed and increased downtime after installing firewalls. This happens when you choose the proxy firewall or stateful inspection model. These high-end firewall protection programs don’t just filter bad traffic, but they come with AI capabilities. They check the traffic against the previous attack patterns.

The increased level of protection with superior security tools combined with continuous change in your organization’s security policies can take a toll on your network speed. That’s where the next-gen firewall steps in. They are engineered to offer consistent speed without compromising your security requirements.

Keeping your network safe from hackers requires a proactive approach. You can’t wait for them to succeed at their phishing attempt and access your network. That’s what firewall protection is for.

It’s a feature-packed security service that forms a defense layer over your company’s software and hardware devices, keeping hackers out.

Here are the 5 ways a firewall protection system can boost your network performance.

• Monitors Traffic
• Sends Alert About Malicious Activity
• Protect from Network Crashes
• Protection from Phishing Attempts
• Filtering out Content

It’s not hard for hackers to discover new opportunities to access a private network. However, it’s difficult for an organization to monitor and detect bad traffic manually. You can’t say whether the website requesting access to your network is legitimate. A firewall does that for your business.

It comes with pre-established rules and filters that determine which traffic is safe for your system and which might be malicious. The level of protection varies depending on the type of firewall you’ve installed. You can add your own security rules based on past attack patterns for added security.

You need a security system that notifies you when it detects any malicious activity around your network. For instance, an attacker sending a malicious link to one of your employees through email is not a small threat. It’s a sign a cybercriminal is trying to access your network.

The firewall tracks the IP addresses and monitors their activity. It can detect DDoS attacks and other risks quickly. This kind of traffic is blocked immediately, and the organization is notified about the attackers’ attempt. These alerts allow your IT service desk companies to take action to neutralize the threat immediately.

Firewall doesn’t just prevent downtime, but it can save your network from getting shut down permanently. An attacker can invade your network with a purpose of stopping it for good.

Disabling your firewall or not having one in the first place can put your system vulnerable to serious attacks. And if your network crashes, recovering the data and having your systems running again can be very tricky. As a business owner, you won’t want to invest your resources in recovering data which wouldn’t be lost if you had robust security protocols in place.

Phishing attempts are on the rise. Research shows that email phishing has increased by a whopping 667%. Attackers have impersonated the US Government, World Health Organization, and other reputable names just to trick people into giving them access to private networks.

Business-grade firewalls have an email filtering feature that checks all the emails and detects red flags. These emails are stored in the spam folder. Using this feature, you can ensure that shady emails from hackers never reach your inbox.

The firewall improves your business performance by implementing content filtering practices. It restricts your employees’ access to certain sites and apps that could be malicious. This improves business efficiency and employees’ productivity.

Have you ever received an “unsafe to visit” error while browsing the internet? That happens when you have enabled content filtering feature in your firewall program. It automatically blocks the site that can reduce your business’ efficiency or impact your network security.

Although your PCs and routers come with a pre-installed firewall protection, these are often not enough for businesses. With so many computers connected to the same network and sharing confidential data, you need a robust firewall program packed with advanced functionalities.

Your organization, especially a company that’s dealing with sensitive data, requires a firewall that does more than just keeping the bad traffic out. If you can’t choose, consult your outsource help desk services. They will recommend the most suitable firewall plan for your business.