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Argentum IT LLC has been serving the Louisville area since 2010, providing IT Support such as technical helpdesk support, computer support, and consulting to small and medium-sized businesses.
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What a Firewall Does and Doesn’t Do, and Why it Matters for Your Business

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Dean Lause
Tuesday, 28 February 2017
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What a Firewall Does and Doesn’t Do, and Why it Matters for Your Business

So you keep hearing about the need for a firewall, but maybe you’re not exactly sure what it is or even what it does. As a business owner, you don’t need to fully grasp the complexities of network security in order to effectively manage your company. Although, it is beneficial for every business owner to understand the basics of what a firewall is, along with a working knowledge of how it protects an organization’s IT infrastructure.


What a Firewall Does
In its simplest terms, a firewall is software that analyzes data flowing in and out of your network. Before allowing the data through, the firewall makes sure that it doesn’t pose a threat to your system. If the data in question meets the criteria of a threat, it doesn’t get through--similar to how a roadway checkpoint works. Plus, in order to safeguard your system from the latest threats, firewall software routinely updates itself via the Internet with the latest threat definitions.

A firewall is most commonly used to analyze threats from Internet traffic, but it’s also useful for discovering threats from the traffic of your in-house network. They are also helpful for validating connection and data packets, checking for legitimate application data, and performing cavity searches on all messages going to and from your network.

You also need to know that firewalls come in varying strengths. For example, an operating system for a home PC comes pre-installed with a firewall. However, a consumer-grade firewall is woefully inadequate to handle the traffic of a company network. Therefore, businesses need an enterprise-level firewall solution that can adequately safeguard all of its servers and workstations, like what you’ll find with a Unified Threat Management solution. Another advantage of a UTM is that the included firewall is just one of its security tools; spam blocking and content filtering are additional UTM tools that are included in order to provide your business with a comprehensive approach to network security.

What a Firewall Doesn’t Do
While it’s crucial for every business to have a firewall, it’s equally important for business owners to have additional security measures in place so they’re not solely reliant on their firewall solution. This means taking additional preventive security measures like backing up data, actively monitoring the system for threats, and applying security patches and updates. For your convenience, these tasks and all of your security needs can be outsourced to Argentum IT.

Companies also need to be mindful that having a firewall solution doesn’t give employees a pass to browse the Internet irresponsibly. Too often, users will think they can click on every link and download every email attachment because they’ve got a firewall in place to block malicious content. While it’s certainly helpful to have a firewall, the fact remains that a user who’s intent on downloading a certain file can bypass the restrictions put in place by their firewall. Therefore, a firewall is most effective when users are educated with security best practices, like knowing what a scam or a malicious link looks like, so they can avoid it altogether.

Now that you know what a firewall does and doesn’t do, your next step is to equip your business with a firewall solution that’s right for your needs. Not all firewall solutions are the same, therefore, you’ll first want to take an assessment of your network’s size, traffic patterns, and number of users before selecting a model of firewall that fits your organization. To that end, Argentum IT can assess your network’s security needs and equip your business with a firewall solution that protects you from the worst of the web. To get started, call us today at (502) 473-6407.

Tags:
Network Security Firewall Internet

About the author

Dean Lause

Dean Lause

Dean Lause is a technologist to the highest degree. When he was in middle school, he learned and developed small programs using BASIC programming code on his Commodore 64. He was one of the first to post to bulletin boards on the newly emerging “Internet” and built a mini-network in his home. He competed in his senior year of high school, placing 1st regionally, 2nd in State and 17th Nationally in computer specialist competitions. Today, he enjoys technology as much as he did then. In fact, he has a “Smart Home,” with connected devices controlled by A.I., mobile apps, and voice commands. When he is ready to go to sleep, all he needs to say is “Good night,” and Voila! all of the lights in the entire house turn off, the doors lock, the TV/DVR turn off, the house alarm is set and the alarm clock for the morning is ready to go! After a 4-year stint in the Army as a computer specialist, Dean spent the next 20 years in Fortune 500 Enterprise IT environments. He quickly building his IT skill set, becoming an expert in VMWare and Citrix and various other technologies. Dean served as the Director of Network Infrastructure & Security of North American Operations in his last role before joining Argentum IT and completing his MBA with a specialty in Accounting in 2011. Dean understands not only the technical side of how devices work together and integrate within an environment, but also understands and designs the environment from a business point of view for productivity. He strives to provide cost-savings, efficiency and practicality to solve the real issues that are present for each individual client he works with. Leveraging his 20+ years’ of enterprise-level experience, for the past ten years, Dean has consulted with numerous Fortune 500 companies across the country on issues relating to network infrastructure and security, Citrix XenDesktop, VMWare implementation and capacity planning, Office 365/Exchange Email Migrations as well as Mobile Device Management and Disaster Recovery Planning. He has also been engaged to develop and improve technology processes as well as accomplish technology projects on time and budget. Today, Dean uses all of these skills and more to aid small to medium-sized businesses to utilize technology to run their companies more profitably and efficiently. As Chief Technical Officer of Argentum IT, LLC for the past ten years, Dean has supervised a proactive service desk who educates clients on technology best practices, designed multiple infrastructure environments for clients (both big and small), to fit their needs and built a sizeable hosted infrastructure environment – including VMWare and Citrix “products”. Dean’s breadth of experience affords him a unique view of IT and business challenges, which allows him to help customize and develop unique solutions to solving IT and Cyber Security challenges.

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News & Updates

On A Mission To Simplify IT, Dean Lause Turned His Parents IT Struggles Into Inspiration And Became The Premier IT Solution For Small and Medium Sized Businesses in Louisville, Kentucky

Back in the 1980’s, despite owning one of the first home computers, the Tandy TRS-80, society found technology more of a hindrance than a help. But Dean loved technology and from an early age understood it could help.

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8914 Stone Green Way
Louisville, Kentucky 40220-4072

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  • Home
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    • My Support Portal
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    • Downloads
    • Billing Portal
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    • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
    • Who We Are
    • Our Difference
    • IT Industry Secret
    • Testimonials
    • Employment
    • Video Gallery
    • Refer a Colleague or Friend
  • IT Services
    • Managed IT Services
      • Managed Services
      • IT Consulting
      • Comprehensive IT Support
      • Remote Monitoring & Maintenance
      • IT Vendor Management
      • Co-Managed IT
      • VMware
      • 24/7 Help Desk
      • Microsoft Hyper-V
      • Desktop Monitoring and Management
      • Infrastructure Support Services
      • Professional Server Support
      • vCIO
      • Business Computing Assessment
    • IT Security Services
      • Barracuda Total Email Protection
      • Cisco-Certified Solutions
      • Fully Hosted Security as a Service
      • Enterprise Mobility Management Solutions
    • Cloud Computing Services
      • Cloud IT Solutions
      • Hosted Server
      • Hosted Desktop
      • Hardware Virtualization
      • Cloud Backup & File Sharing
      • Microsoft Azure
      • Cloud Hosted VoIP
    • Industry Specific
      • Healthcare IT
      • IT for Law
      • Manufacturing IT
      • IT for Accountants
      • Retail IT
      • IT for Engineers and Architects
      • Supply Chain and Logistics
      • eManagement Solutions
      • IT for Nonprofits
    • Data Services
      • Business Continuity
      • Data Retrieval
      • Disaster Recovery as a Service
    • Hardware Services
      • Hardware as a Service
      • Computer Repair
      • Cabling and Wiring
      • Wireless Services
      • High-Speed Internet Consulting
      • HP Official Dealer
      • Printer Management
      • Lenovo Official Reseller
      • Printer and Copier Support
      • Server Migration
    • Software Services
      • Microsoft Office 365
      • Microsoft SharePoint
      • Microsoft SQL Server
      • Microsoft Partner Network
      • Document Management
      • Identity Management
      • Intranet Solutions
    • Business Communication
      • VoIP
      • Mobile Solutions
      • Fax Server
      • Conferencing
      • Unified Communications
      • Conferencing and Collaboration
    • Media & Internet Services
      • Website Design
    • Cybersecurity
      • Cybersecurity Overview
      • Network Security
      • Business Security
      • Unified Threat Management
      • Endpoint Security Solutions
      • Asset Tracking
      • Mobile Device Management
      • Email Encryption
      • Multi-Factor Authentication
      • Spam Protection
      • Content Filtering
      • Phishing Simulation
      • Dark Web Monitoring
      • Penetration Testing
      • Compliance Standards
    • Surveillance and Access Control
      • Access Control Solutions
      • Security Cameras
  • Understanding IT
    • Blockchain
    • GDPR Compliance
    • Automation
    • Ransomware
    • Shadow IT
    • Your Virtual Identity
    • The Modern Office
    • IT Threat Glossary
    • Business Continuity
    • The Internet of Things
    • Network Security
    • SOX
    • BYOD
    • PCI DSS
    • HIPAA
    • Cloud Computing
  • News
    • News & Press Releases
    • Our Newsletters
  • Blog
  • Support
    • How to Request Support
    • Help Desk
    • Remote Support Tool
  • Contact us