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What is a Firewall?
When surfing the internet, there are many dangers in the form of malware and hackers. They all are trying to gain access to your computer. Just like a security fence protects your home from burglars and intruders, a firewall keeps cyber criminals from penetrating your computer systems. A firewall acts as a defense system for your local computer and protects it from viruses, Trojan, and other malware. It can take the form of software such as a security program or hardware such as a physical router. The function of both remains the same, i.e., scanning of every network traffic. These make sure that the incoming traffic is not blacklisted or contains anything malcious.
An introduction to a hardware firewall
A hardware firewall is a physical piece of firewall appliance that offers security from Cyber threats. This device works as a gatekeeper and protects the network and endpoints from viruses and other threats. Unlike a software firewall, it does not use the computer’s software or RAM, or CPU for the processes. The hardware firewall is usually put between the server and the external network through a cable to filter the total traffic that comes into and goes out of the network. The most significant feature of a hardware firewall is that it can protect all the systems connected to it through a single network.
Standard features of a hardware firewall include:
- Control of all devices through a single network.
- Timely up-gradation to keep the systems secure.
- Preventing threats from reaching the internal structures.
- Separate operating system for better security.
- Constant protection till someone chooses to turn it off.
Five reasons why a business needs a hardware firewall?
The hardware firewalls are physical appliances that can be fixed with your network and offer you the ultimate enterprise-grade security from cyber threats. Business, whether small or large, needs to have fully functional firewall security. Here are some of the reasons why your business needs a hardware firewall.
- Managing traffic: Using a hardware firewall helps in managing the traffic. You can control what should reach your network and what should not.
- Prevention of Intrusion: The firewall scans all the packets arriving into the system network. It checks for malicious files and takes appropriate action against them.
- Antispyware and Antivirus: We know that the firewall works against viruses that tend to corrupt the files. Except this, the firewall also works against the spyware that might enter the network and spy on the company’s confidential information.
- Running a VPN: A Virtual Private Network is one of the essential requirements of every company. It keeps the network and systems secure. The use of a hardware firewall provides you with another benefit of running a VPN, making it cost-effective.
- Device Control: The devices that a company uses include desktops, mobiles, and tablets, etc. All the devices nowadays are connected to Cloud. A firewall helps in managing the data going in and out of the devices wherever they go.
Top Hardware Firewall Brands
| Firewall Brands | Model | Basic Features |
|---|---|---|
| Sophos | Sophos XG Firewall | Exposes the hidden risks Stops Unknown threats Isolates the Infected systems |
| SonicWall | SOHO/ TZ series NSa series NSsp series | Available for small, medium, and large enterprises. Advanced threat protection. Multi-instance firewall. |
| Cisco | Cisco ASA 5500-X Cisco Meraki MX Series Firepower 1000 Series Firepower 2100 Series Firepower 4100 Series Firepower 9300 | High availability Comprehensive security Ease of management Advanced quality of service (QoS) for audio, video, broadcast, and other real-time applications. |
| Palo Alto | PA-220-ZTP and PA-220R-ZTP PA-820-ZTP and PA-850-ZTP PA-3220-ZTP, PA-3250-ZTP, and PA-3260-ZTP | Zero Touch Provisioning Front to back airflow Threat Prevention Throughput VPN throughput Routing Anti-malware Web threat prevention |
| Fortigate | FortiGate 1800F FortiGate 4200F FortiGate 4400F FortiGate 7121F | Protection against threats. Reduces threat surface Maintains energy efficiency. Access to only trusted applications. |
| Checkpoint | 1600/1800/3000 series 1500/1600/1800 series 6000 series 44000/64000 series | Available for mid-size enterprise, branch office and small business. Threat prevention. Protection against Gen V attacks. |
| WatchGuard | Firebox T15 Firebox T20 Firebox T35-R Firebox T40 Firebox T80 FireboxV Firebox M Series Firebox M270 & M370 Firebox M470, M570 & M670 Firebox M4800 & M5800 Firebox T Series | Enterprise grade security. Available for small to medium sized business. Multi-core processor for running security scans. |
| Barracuda | F12A F18B F80B F82A.DSLA F93A.R | Advanced Threat Protection Botnet and spyware protection. Intrusion detection and prevention Multi-factor authentication |
| Juniper | SRX series | Network security segmentation. Fully integrated Unified Threat Management (UTM) |
Conclusion
For any business to bloom and prosper, a minimum level of security is necessary. Security in terms of protection against cyber threats, malware, data breaches, and leakage of data. There are cases where the hackers are present at the end of the gateway and tend to steal important and confidential information from your computer by hacking into the network. This can not only lead to an economic loss but also may harm the reputation of the company. Therefore, to make the systems fully secure and threat-free, it is necessary to use a firewall appliance. The hardware firewalls are easily available with Wroffy Technologies. One can choose firewall solutions according to the need of the business or enterprise and make the whole network secure.
