Ferrum Technology Services Blog

Your company’s network contains a gold mine of sensitive information that you need to protect at all costs. While it’s absolutely the case that you need to make network security a top priority for your business, thankfully, multiple aspects of your security can be covered easily enough by implementing a single, enterprise-level security solution.

Every consumer-grade PC comes with a basic firewall. Enterprise environments, however, require that the base infrastructure has a stronger security solution that provides greater controls, above and beyond the basic firewall. One solution that provides enhanced firewall capabilities is the Unified Threat Management system.

Companies that do their business online experience threats from all sides. Therefore, a comprehensive security solution is required. Without one, you’re at risk from malicious websites, spam messages, ransomware, and much more. Designed with the security needs of enterprises in mind, a Unified Threat Management solution can protect your business from every side.

The UTM is a unique tool that combines the top four security features that every business needs. Here is a brief overview of how a UTM protects a company’s sensitive information.

Firewalls
Every computer and device that connects to the Internet needs a firewall. However, the consumer-grade firewall that comes with a PC won’t cut it for the security needs of the average SMB. Instead, a UTM offers enterprises better protection with a strong firewall meant to safeguard an entire IT network. A UTM does this by analyzing the data flowing in and out of a network in order to recognize threats and keep them out. The advantage of having an enterprise-level firewall is that it keeps malware from spreading across your network, a risk that no business owner should have to take.

Antivirus
Antivirus software is also needed, should a threat ever make it past your firewall. Antivirus software works by eliminating any threats found on your network, which includes viruses, malware, spyware, and more. Antivirus software utilized by a UTM makes sure to regularly update itself with the latest threat definitions, and having it be centralized makes it easier to manage and more secure than having a separate antivirus solution for each and every workstation.

Content Filtering
A content filtering solution is a must for companies that have employees browsing the Internet in any fashion. This security tool works by blocking users from accessing websites that host malware. A content filtering tool also gives you the option to block websites you deem to be inappropriate or a waste of time, like social media or pornography. You can also set these limitations on a per user basis, which means responsible employees and management can have more freedom to access the websites they need in order to do their jobs.

Network security is an important, yet complex practice. For small and medium-sized businesses, it can be challenging to understand and implement solutions that cover such a complex subject. However, it doesn’t have to be. There are many security solutions out there, and they can generally be found in one convenient package.

The online world is full of threats that are waiting for you to let your system's guard down. Thanks to powerful security measures, you might not be worried enough to consider that hackers have found ways to get around your defenses. If you’ve grown complacent, you might be in for a rude awakening when a hacker’s phishing scam works on you.

Just like any other high-profile entity, a government should place great emphasis on its IT infrastructure. The U.S. government is moving through 2015 with an increased awareness of the state of cybersecurity, and with all of the huge security breaches that happen almost regularly, it qualifies cyber threats as important as other national security threats.

Doing business today is much different than it was in medieval times. Thanks to the Renaissance, modern businesses now have a technology-based economy, instead of one that's magic-based--this has been an especially difficult transition for wizards. Although, one medieval business practice that's still going strong is the idea behind guilds.

Working with technology can get pretty complicated and technical at times. We're here to help. We've got plenty of technology tips to share with the world, and we're going to unleash them on you once a week. For more helpful tech tips, search our previous blog articles. This week's tip will help you spot a nasty APT hack on your company's network.

As the top men's and women's collegiate basketball teams in the United States begin the 2014 NCAA tournament, there is a competition going on that doesn't get quite as much press. That is the competition for local market share. When that competition is stiff, as it always is in the NCAA tournament, you have to find ways to set your business apart. There are a lot of similarities between running an efficient business and the make-up of a championship basketball team.