INTELLIGENT ENTERPRISE SECURITY
Why firewalls are still an important element of organisational security
Innovative security architectures using firewalls to create zones may be a good approach , but selection of the right vendor is equally important explains Ian Kilpatrick from Nuvias Group .
In 2016 , we are subject to near constant headlines detailing the latest big data breach or hacking scandal . Many of us probably think we have a pretty good handle on the different types of security risks that can threaten our businesses . But the reality may be a little different .
The introduction of new technologies , the growth of cloud computing and changing employee working practices have all opened the door to a raft of new security vulnerabilities – often without us realising it .
The security perimeter that was once in place no longer exists . Bring your own Device , remote working or working across multiple sites , combined with an increasing reliance on cloud-based applications such as Office 365 and Salesforce , and public cloud services like Amazon AWS or Microsoft Azure , have contributed to a decentralised environment where company data and applications can be freely accessed from almost any device , on any network .
Without knowing it , many organisations have repeatedly punched holes into their once-secure perimeter , potentially leaving themselves not only vulnerable but fully open to attack .
However , because these changes have happened over time , in some cases several years , many firms have missed , or have under prioritised the potential risks they face . This in some instances has led to complacency regarding legacy security systems .
If something has always worked , and was secure in the past why mess with it ? But of course , this does not take into account the new wave of attacks coming from outside the weakened perimeter . One of a number of areas that this applies to is firewall technology , which has had to evolve to counter this next generation of security threats . The firewall that has done a perfectly good job over the past five years , may not be enough to protect your business in the future .
For example , firewalls deployed across a multi-site environment , should be able to offer extra features such as the ability to optimise and protect business , critical traffic from being swamped by less important network activities . So , ideally your active firewall
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