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There are a lot, and we mean a lot, of various features to a firewall, which often makes choosing the right one for your business a daunting task.

For example, which features should you be focusing on? What do your systems/business actually need?

In addition, with cybercrime continuing to grow, you need to safeguard your business in the best and most suitable way.

The good news is we're here to help.

Our guide provides some of the key areas to look out for and features of a good firewall, and there's, of course, an array of information on our website – make sure to check our page dedicated to firewalls and SonicWall firewall support.

SonicWall firewall support

Firewalls monitor all incoming and outgoing network traffic and allow and deny entry based on the rules set up on the network.

Firewalls can be hardware, software, or cloud-based solutions, all with the primary aim of providing the first line of defence against online threats, preventing harmful traffic from infiltrating your network's systems, acting as a barrier, and responding to attacks quickly and effectively.

Small business firewall solutions

What are the most critical firewall capabilities to effectively secure your network and stay with you as your business grows?

Firewall speed

The speed at which traffic can pass through the firewall at any one time is known as firewall throughput and is important for internal network segmentation, as you manage and control the traffic between your internal networks.

This is an important feature to be aware of as, as a business avoiding bottlenecks in the systems network can be essential.

SSL VPN throughput

SSL VPN throughput supports employees who access your network and systems remotely, monitoring and managing traffic through external firewalls. Within this section, we advise you to think about bandwidth requirements and access to applications, as this will affect your traffic levels and, in turn, affect speed.

Do you require remote access?

How many people are working remotely? Can your firewall cope with the increase in remote connections? Do you have space for growth? Systems that can scale with you? Are you working with the best firewall for small businesses?

Are there risks to individual devices, too? How can you implement the right security solutions in these areas?

SSL inspection

How much traffic is the SonicWall firewall capable of scanning? Scanning, decrypting data, scanning information for malware, and then re-encrypting traffic.

Protect SaaS apps

Ideally, you need control over the usage of all software as a service apps; look for firewall features where you can implement granular controls such as download permissions, file transfers, etc.

Implement antivirus and intrusion prevention systems

Scanning for viruses and malware and protecting you from harmful cyber-attacks, antivirus, and intrusion protection systems limit traffic through your network and form incredibly important features of small business firewalls.

Within this area, you must consider connection speed, usage profile, etc.

Firewall Latency

How long does it take for traffic to pass through set up rules and firewalls? A good firewall is one that avoids bottlenecks by filtering traffic in less than a few milliseconds.

Volume of open connections

From web pages to apps, emails, etc. – your chosen firewall must support and protect all open connections.

Stop threats in their tracks

Does the firewall allow you to analyse traffic in real-time? Provide you with robust analytics that can also integrate with other security features in your network.

Allow additional connections

How quickly can your firewall allow additional connections and run these through the same security processes? You need to be up and running immediately with security high from the moment a new connection becomes part of your network.

Firewall management

How will you monitor and manage firewalls? For example, web access is more common, however, CLI management is suitable for more complex networks.

You will also need to consider if configuration will take place in-house or if outsourcing to a specialist would work best.

In addition, do you need single location firewalls or management of multiple firewalls across multiple sites from a single location?

Hardware vs. virtual

Whichever you choose, neither will reduce the level of security provided, but if opting for virtual, you will have to route your network traffic through a virtual environment.

Note: Virtual firewalls do require a high level of expertise.

Application visibility/web filtering

This feature is supported by most firewalls, with SD Wan allowing you to use a range of connections, multi-factor authentication, and geo-location, i.e., you can restrict network access to specific countries.

Do you have centralised visibility? Can you automate the onboarding of new firewalls?

Local Storage

Local storage gives you better reporting, increased responsiveness, and improved log capabilities.

Third-party certifications

Has the firewall been tested independently to prove its capabilities and level of protection?

Firewall for small business

Look for a firewall system that provides you with:

• Monitoring and alerting
• Access control options
• Protection of databases
• Protection of cloud-based solutions
• Virus protection
• Secure local networks, and
• Ability to verify remote connections.

Due to the nature of firewalls and their importance, it's essential that you do your research. Research into different vendors and the different types of firewalls available.

Our team has years of experience managing and monitoring SonicWall business firewalls, offering comprehensive security solutions that suit a range of business needs.

Call 0330 1340 230 to see how we can secure your business networks further.

SonicWall’s most popular promotion has just been upgraded – the limited-time ‘3 & Free’ offer now includes more options for your unique business needs. Starting August 28, you can get a free TZ, NSa, or NSsp Series firewall when you upgrade from a competitor or legacy SonicWall appliance with the purchase of our 3-Year Essential Protection Service Suite (EPSS).

When you make the move from a competitor product or your legacy SonicWall appliance, you’ll gain the latest in next-generation security technology, anti-virus protection and content filtering plus SonicWall’s Capture Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) with our patented Real-Time Deep Memory Inspection (RTDMI™).

Datasheet: The Ultimate 3 & Free Promotion (sonicwall.com)

All products available

Perimeter security is your best defence against cyber attacks and online hackers, securing access to your system from the outside and preventing unauthorised access at all times.

Taking a high-level, operational view, we can think of perimeter security as a boundary, a wall of security guards surrounding your network.

And it is vital to have these boundaries in place, sitting alongside best practices that incorporate the SonicWall Firewall, to ensure individual and business data and information are protected.

Today, companies are now prioritising the security of their networks and systems infrastructure, which means implementing best practice controls.

Below, we provide some of the best practices we would recommend to enhance and continually ensure high network perimeter security.

Benefits of securing network systems

Perimeter firewalls and routers are the first line of defence for stopping cyber threats or malware from reaching your network.

The benefits these firewall systems offer include:

• Protection from cyber threats outside of the system perimeter
• Protecting individual and business data
• Providing the necessary security to stop an attack in its tracks
• Continuous monitoring that allows you to meet new vulnerabilities.

Business network perimeter security is designed to support your business. To provide structure, working with systems that offer scalable growth, making businesses more proactive in their approach to security, and keeping you compliant with UK guidelines.

Take a look at our recent post on Small Business Firewall Guide for the features to look for in a good firewall.

Network perimeter security best practices

Secure your network design

It's essential that you integrate security throughout your network design, which means deploying firewalls at all connectivity and entry points, maintaining firewall settings, opting for VPN for remote access, authenticating all users' access, ensuring encryption is in place, seeking out SonicWall firewall support, and more.

Monitor your network

Investigating any failed login attempts, analysing usage trends, and any other appropriate activity that might raise a red flag allows you to be proactive in your approach to security, fix vulnerabilities and put in place patches asap.

Carrying out regular management of system weaknesses highlights areas of risk, allowing you to implement the right solution. All risk or weak spots identified should be logged, allocated a level of prioritisation, and the outcome recorded, i.e., how it was resolved.

To support you in this area, you will find various monitoring tools available, all providing numerous benefits and features, for example, having the ability to audit your system and network in real-time can help you to make the most appropriate changes immediately.

Work on device security

Sometimes, it's not enough to secure the network and systems; you must also secure people's devices, because if these are compromised, then regardless of your network security, this will be, too.

Device security can include:

• Installing anti-virus software.
• Ensuring all updates are carried out.
• Updating all operating systems.
• Ensuring disk encryption and any software you install comes with user restrictions.
• Ideally, you want to apply good security practices across all devices and then manage these responsibly.
• Record all entry points

Entry points are the connection that allows traffic to and from external sources, and the more points of entry you have, the greater the chance of missing a vulnerability in the network.

To avoid this issue, you must implement full network visibility where you can see from one central point, a device's connection, firewalls, wireless access points, routers, etc.

Having all of this information available will then allow you to take reasonable steps to secure your network. Of course, firewalls and the SonicWall business firewall are key, filtering incoming and outgoing traffic, using VPNs to encrypt traffic, and installing and integrating security monitoring systems to run alongside these.

Restrict access to users

With more and more people working remotely, you must implement security rules such as every device that attempts to access the organisation's systems needs to verify their identity first.

Identities can be set based on certain data attributes, for example, work email address or job role.

You can also implement multi-factor authentication, creating network rules that ensure individuals only have access to what they need to have access to.

This leads us to…

Segmenting networks

Segmenting your networks to create sub-networks allows you to add multiple layers of protection. For example, could you develop sub-groups such as virtual private cloud networks, security groups, groupings of IP addresses, access control groups, and more?

From here, you can then apply different layers of security and rules to each group.

Be proactive

Hardware should be appropriately configured and up to date, not just because you've been at threat of an attack, but because it's the right thing to do.

To help, look to install end-point detection response software to alert you to potential attacks before they happen. You can then isolate any suspicious activity and block it from further movement.

Maintaining high network security should be a shared responsibility throughout the organisation; there is no quick solution or one-click fix, simply a series of network security best practices.

Helping to plug the gaps in your systems perimeter security, call our team today on 0330 1340 230.

Got a question about perimeter security for your network? Email enquiries@sonicwall-sales.com.

Improving security within your business networks is a critical task if you want to overcome the various risks out there today for business owners. Network perimeter security is a term you may have heard used, and today we’re going to share our complete guide on this topic to help you understand why it’s so relevant for anyone looking to improve their security. Visit our page here to learn more about the SonicWall VPN firewall options we have on offer or to get in touch with our team to learn how we can support you with improving your security this year.

Network Perimeter Security – What Is It?

A network perimeter is a way of creating a dividing line that sits between an internal LAN and any external communication. This usually means it is a barrier for data that comes from the internet, but it can also support with VPNs, WANs, and other incoming communication. There are various ways to create a network perimeter, including routers, prevention systems, and firewalls. When you buy a SonicWall VPN firewall, you’ll find that you increase your network security and create this extra level of protection to filter the data that comes in and out of your network. Performance levels will still be high, but you’ll benefit from added security.

What is the Network Edge?

Another term you might hear used when discussing this topic is network edge. This is the point between your external and internal network, and usually this is a firewall or a router. You can have a software or hardware network edge nowadays, as there are many different options on offer to business owners. The network edge works to keep your network safe and is an important part of the network perimeter security policy. A VPN firewall is one of the best investments you can make for your company no matter what type of business you operate. Adding this security solution will help you to become more in control of your security in the future.

The Benefits and Drawbacks of Network Perimeter Security

Perimeter network security offers benefits to anyone using the internet or working with a large network in their workplace. Regardless of the size of your business, there are threats to every company today, which could leave you bankrupt or result in a huge loss of data. These are a few of the benefits of network perimeter security and why every business owner needs to have something in place to support their security.

Network perimeter security acts as an extra layer of defence for any network. You’ll be able to monitor the data that’s coming in and out of the network, using security tools which allow you to control what is allowed to pass in and out. This boundary will inspect the data that comes in, allowing you to see any threats to your network and stop them before it’s too late. You can set the boundaries yourself based on the unique requirements you may have as a business owner. Keep in mind that you’ll want to work with our team first to find the right security solution based on your unique needs and the size of the business you are operating. We can support you in choosing a firewall that’s designed for the current security concerns you have.

Of course, as with almost any security solution, there are some drawbacks to keep in mind. When you rely too much on your network perimeter security, then you may find your employees become complacent about monitoring security threats. Make sure you keep educating them about the potential risks to your company, so that you are able to identify any risks that do slip through. You can’t trust absolutely everything that passes through this perimeter, as sometimes errors occur with even the most advanced technology.

As well as educating your team, you can employ other tools and security solutions that will help to add even more layers of protection. We recommend security software for individual networks and programs and micro segmentation as two solutions that could support network perimeter security. The more measures you have in place to improve security, the easier it will be to support your business and employees in the future.

Network perimeter security is something that every business owner needs to consider in this day and age. With the increase in security threats and more advanced hacking ploys in the last few years, it’s time to ensure that you don’t lose your business and future to cybersecurity threats. Our team will be here to support you when it’s time to improve your network perimeter security or invest in a new firewall. Take a look through our full selection of products on our site today and don’t hesitate to get in touch with our team for more information.

Over recent years, cyberattacks have become more complex and advanced than ever before. As a proud stockist of the SonicWall firewall range of products, we work hard every day to help companies stay secure. Advanced persistent threats are a huge area of concern for many business owners today, with cyberhackers working to get into your system and target sensitive data. Keep reading to discover the advanced persistent threat definition and how you can work to avoid this issue in the future.

What is an Advanced Persistent Threat?

An advanced persistent threat is a term used to describe an attack on your system where the aim is to create a long-term impact and access your highly sensitive data. These attacks primarily concern larger business or government organisations and require a lot of research and planning before they can be undertaken. They might be looking to steal a patent, compromise a database, or completely take over a site. As you can imagine, the consequences of an advanced persistent threat are massive, leaving companies in complete disrepair. They often realise they’ve been the victim of this type of attack once it’s too late, which is why every business should have a SonicWall VPN firewall in place to avoid these types of issues.

An APT requires more resources and planning than a typical cyberattack and is usually carried out by very experienced cybercriminals. These attacks can even be funded by the government or used as warfare weapons within the cyber world. Compared to many other types of cyberattack, the aim is to spend time in the system and try to get as much information as possible. APTs are manually executed and usually have a large range of targets, working to take over your entire network.

The Stages of an APT

Now you know what advanced persistent threat detection is, you’ll want to discover the different stages of this type of attack. These can be broken down in many ways, but we’ll keep it simple by focusing on the three main parts of the attack.

Network Infiltration

The first stage of an APT is network infiltration, which involves the compromising of either web assets, authorised human users, or your network resources. These can typically be achieved via phishing, malicious uploads, or other types of social engineering attacks. Cyberhackers may work to create a sort of distraction that will confuse the network personnel and weaken the security systems in place, which helps to make it easier to continue with the next parts of the attack. Once this access has been granted, attackers then use malware to gain further access and continue onto the next stage of an APT – expansion.

Expansion

Once a presence has been established within the network, the next stage of the APT attack is to expand their presence within a network. Hackers work their way up through the hierarchy of an organisation, working to gain access to sensitive data that’s held by top employees. This might offer them employee data, financial information, or information about the range of products and services on offer. There is likely an overarching goal in place for this whole operation, and the advanced persistent threat list could be sold to a competitor or used to destroy a whole organisation. These attacks are naturally quite nasty and require a lot of time and effort to meet their end goals.

Extraction

The third and final stage of an APT is to extract the data and information that has been found throughout the attack. Stolen information is usually secured within a secure location inside the network, and then the cyberhackers work to extract all of this information without getting detected. They may use various tactics at this point to try and distract anyone who has noticed anything suspicious going on in the system, such as with a DDoS attack. Once this stage is completed, the data can be sold or used to bring the company down as planned.

As you can imagine, a lot of time and planning goes into an APT. As a business owner, you need to do all you can to ensure you have security measures in place that will protect you from any type of advanced attack. A VPN firewall is one of the best protection options on offer, helping you to secure your network and stop unwanted visitors from gaining access to anywhere in your system.

Are you looking to improve your security within your business this year? If so, we recommend you buy a SonicWall VPN firewall and work with our team to find the best option based on your current security concerns. Take a look through the full selection of products on offer on our site or contact our team today for more information about how we can protect you from APTs.

No matter what type of business you operate, finding ways to protect your network is critical with the increased number of cybersecurity threats today. As a business owner, when you buy a SonicWall VPN firewall, you’ll offer yourself an additional layer of protection to keep your business running smoothly for years to come. You’ve no doubt come across a variety of terms which describe the various protection options, and today we’re going to discover what is network segmentation and the benefits it offers to you as a business owner.

What is Network Segmentation?

Network segmentation is a technique that’s used to divide a network up into smaller subnetworks. These allow you to control each of the areas separately, which can improve security and help to reduce risk to the entire network. In order to achieve network segmentation, a partition is placed in the network to create subnetworks based on various criteria. This then makes them more manageable, and you can choose the controls you need to apply to each of these segments. There are various network segmentation best practices to keep in mind, which will help you to receive all the benefits of this security technique.

Network Segmentation Benefits

There are many benefits of network segmentation, which is why companies of all shapes and sizes use this technique alongside a SonicWall VPN firewall to offer them extra protection. With concerns about security threats such as APIs, the need for more protection has never been greater. The main benefit of network segmentation best practice solutions is that you’ll have more control over the traffic that’s coming in and out of the network. Your security will be greatly increased, as the more open your network is, the greater the chance of a large surface attack. When you have these smaller subnetworks in place, traffic can be isolated, and you’ll have more control over the movement between areas. Attacks can be isolated in one area if needed, so that malware can’t take over your whole network.

As well as benefitting your security, you’ll find that network segmentation helps to improve your network performance. Segmentation will reduce the amount of congestion throughout the network as it removes any unnecessary traffic that’s not needed in one area. This makes it ideal for large businesses with a lot of traffic that want to speed up performance for specific areas. Fewer hosts are needed in each subnetwork, so you can be sure your system will also run more effectively. When you buy a SonicWall VPN firewall, you’ll also find that your performance and security improve in any area.

How to Set Up Network Segmentation

When discussing how to set up network segmentation and use a VPN firewall in this area, you’ll want to think about which solution for the setup is best for your needs. These options all have the same overall benefit, but they can offer different advantages to business owners. Perimeter-based segmentation will create internal and external segments. It uses trust to decide what can come in and out of the segment, minimising restrictions on your internal resources. The filtering takes place at specific points, and you need to have policies in place to ensure you are meeting your end goals. A network firewall is one of the best ways to put this practice into place and ensure that you enjoy the benefits of network segmentation.

Another option is network virtualisation, which is used by many modern and large businesses today. Specific functions help to maintain network points and offer varying trust levels. Because many companies now find perimeter-based segmentation to not be effective enough for modern security threats, this option is becoming more popular. It gives you the chance to achieve improved security and performance and keep security services separate from your physical infrastructure. It’s a very efficient option that can help you to keep areas of your network separate and reduce the risk of advanced threats from taking over your network. We all know that there have been a huge number of security issues over recent years, so the more measures you can put in place to protect yourself, the greater the chances that you’ll enjoy peace of mind for years to come.

Network segmentation is a tool that many companies are using to offer extra protection to their business network. Our team knows that a firewall is one of the best security solutions for companies of all shapes and sizes, and we’ll be here to help you find the right option based on your current concerns and needs. We encourage you to check out our full range of SonicWall products, all of which are designed with modern businesses and their needs in mind. Contact us today for further information about any of our products or how we can help you to improve your network security.

A firewall is an essential investment for business owners of all sizes and types. When comparing the firewall options on the market today, you might hear the term virtual firewall used. Check our firewall page here to learn more about some of the best options on the market today or keep reading as we discover what a virtual firewall is and whether it’s an option that’s suitable for your current security needs. We’ll be here to support you in finding the best type of protection for your company based on your individual circumstances, so don’t hesitate to contact us today for more information and support.

Virtual Firewalls – The Basics

A virtual firewall, which might also be referred to as a cloud firewall, is a type of network security option that’s suitable for business owners who are unable to deploy a hardware firewall. While there are many advantages of SonicWall TZ firewalls, some companies are unable to use these at the current time and so opt for a virtual firewall instead. Public or private cloud environments might opt for a virtual firewall. The good news is that either of these options work with the same aim in mind. They either reject or grant access to your network when traffic comes through. A virtual firewall is a type of software that will secure any virtual environment and won’t need a physical storage unit in the same way that a hardware firewall would in your workplace.

Over the past few years, you’ll find that the virtual firewalls have become even more advanced. When looking at the question of what is virtual firewall and what are the benefits of this solution, you’ll find they are just as advanced as many hardware options today. It’s a great solution for anyone working remotely, which is something that more companies are still opting to offer to their employees following the recent pandemic. Of course, we encourage you to learn what is a virtual firewall and compare it to some of the top SonicWall firewall options on the market today to discover which would be the most advanced and reliable option for your unique business needs.

The Benefits of a Virtual Firewall

While the SonicWall firewall features will vary from model to model, you’ll find that virtual firewalls all share a similar range of great benefits for users. One of the top benefits of this solution is that it can be a more cost-effective option than a hardware firewall up front. That being said, you’ll likely have to pay a subscription or upgrade the firewall each year, so in the long run, it might not always be the cheapest option. These firewalls are designed with the unique risks of the virtual environment in mind. They are a great option for modern businesses with remote employees who are looking to remain working from home for the time being.

The number of security concerns has one increased over recent years, and if you are working remotely, you still need to protect yourself in the same way as you would in an office. A virtual firewall can help you to enjoy consistent network security which will allow you to provide your service in a timely and effective manner. It can help to protect both private and public clouds and ensure you remain competitive in your marketplace without security threats stopping you from getting your work completed.

Is a Virtual Firewall the Right Option for My Business?

Our team is passionate about supporting businesses in finding the best security solutions for their unique needs. We offer a range of SonicWall firewalls to support businesses of all shapes and sizes, but we know virtual firewalls are becoming more popular for companies to use. One thing to compare is the features of the firewall you are looking to invest in. Many hardware firewalls have more advanced features, which can offer you additional layers of protection that are well worth investing in.

You no doubt have a range of security concerns based on the type of business you own and operate, so it’s all about finding a solution that will protect you over the upcoming years. A virtual firewall is a good option for anyone operating in the cloud, but if you are looking to protect your physical network and workplace, then a traditional hardware firewall might be a better option.

Are you looking to improve your network security this year? If so, our team will be on hand at any time to support you with finding the right firewall for your needs. Virtual firewalls are a great option for modern businesses working in the cloud, but we’ll be excited to show you our range of SonicWall firewalls. Contact us today to learn more about the best option for your business or browse through the range of firewalls on our site now.

SonicWall’s bi-annual Cyber Threat Report explores the top attack trends. Join and gain insights on the emerging threat landscape for 2023.

SonicWall delivers real-time cyber threat intelligence to our partners, customers and the global cyber intelligence community. Our twice-yearly threat reports are cited by leading news organizations globally used by companies and government agencies to strategize and plan their cybersecurity.

Know the threats and build a strategy to keep your organization and assets safe. Download our report today.

Mid-Year Update to the 2023 SonicWall Cyber Threat Report | Threat Intelligence

We are always excited to see additions to the SonicWall range of firewalls. The SonicWall TZ firewalls offer a modern security solution for businesses of all shapes and sizes and many companies are upgrading to these firewalls thanks to the many benefits the SonicWall tz300 and other models offer over other firewalls on the market today. Here we’re going to discover some of the top reasons to upgrade to the latest SonicWall Gen 7 TZ firewall to help you decide if this is an investment that would be worthwhile for your company this year.

Improved Storage

The SonicWall TZ firewalls come with expandable storage and a secondary power supply. This means you’ll have business continuity if you do find your SonicWall firewall fails, although this is very unlikely to happen. At the bottom of the device, you’ll find an expandable storage slot that you can add up to 256 GB to. This is a big improvement over the Gen 6 SonicWall firewall features. It’s a great option for medium-sized businesses that may be looking to expand or require extra protection in the future.

Performance Levels Improved Over Gen 6

If you have one of the Gen 6 firewalls, you might be wondering if it’s really necessary to upgrade to the new SonicWall TZ range. We think that many companies would benefit from this upgrade, as the SonicWall TZ370 and other models now have improved firewall inspection, higher DPI performance, and IPSec VPN performance. This faster performance will allow you to enjoy greater capacity and quicker internet speeds. Especially if you have users working remotely, this can offer them more support and protection no matter where they are working from. Compared to the previous generation, this series of firewalls has three times improved performance, which just goes to show the effort the company has put into designing the SonicWall TZ670.

Scale to Fit Your Current Needs

One of the most common questions we receive from business owners is about scaling their firewall protection to fit their growing or shrinking company. We know the past few years have presented many challenges to business owners, so if you find your company’s needs changing, then the TZ370 could be a good option for you. You’ll find that onboarding is very quick and easy, and you can deploy the Gen 7 TZ firewalls at scale. Users can quickly increase the scale for the coverage or reduce it complexity based on your needs at this moment in time. You won’t need to employ extra IT support for this reason either, as you can use the Zero-Touch Deployment to make this task simpler than ever before. It’s a very versatile solution that’s ideal for businesses of all shapes and sizes.

Better VPN Connectivity

More companies than ever before rely on VPNs for their business needs, especially with employees still working remotely following the recent pandemic. If that’s the case for your organisation, then the improved VPN connectivity with the SonicWall Gen 7 TZ firewall range will be a huge benefit to you. You can create a higher number of site-to-site VPN tunnels than with other options on the market today, increasing by eight times from what was offered with Gen 6. This is a great solution for people who aren’t willing to force their employees back to the office anytime soon but are concerned about the risk of having employees spread around the globe working from home or remotely.

The New SonicOS 7.0 Support

Whether you are investing in the Gen 7 firewall series or a virtual firewall, you may find that you need support at some point to ensure it is working to the best of its ability. The new SonicOS 7.0 operating system offers much more support than the Gen 6 series. You’ll find you can enjoy enhanced policy, advanced management capabilities, and topology view as standard. This new generation enjoys BGP support with every purchase and Stateful HA support on top of that. We are really impressed with this new upgrade to the Gen 7 TZ firewall and see that it will help business owners of any shape and size to use their new firewall with greater ease.

With so many reasons to upgrade to the latest SonicWall Gen 7 TZ firewall, it’s no surprise that business owners around the world are looking to invest in this new series. This series of firewalls is one of the most impressive launches to date from SonicWall, and we are excited by the new technology and features on offer from the company. Are you looking to improve your network security this year? If so, browse through our full selection of SonicWall firewalls today or get in touch with our team to discover which firewall would be the best option for your needs.

Most business owners are aware of the benefits of firewalls to their operation. As a provider of SonicWall firewalls, we are always excited to learn about the new technology on offer and the best ways to improve our digital security. An SPI firewall offers many advantages over other firewalls, but it’s not necessarily going to be something that everyone needs to invest in. Today we’re going to discover what an SPI firewall is, how it works and whether it’s better than the other options on the market. Our team will be here to support you at any time and help you choose the best firewall for your business needs.

What is an SPI Firewall?

Before we can look more at the SonicWall firewall features which make this type of firewall so popular, it’s important to understand what is SPI. SPI is an abbreviation for stateful packet inspection and is a type of firewall that is considered to be context-aware. You might also hear this type of firewall referred to as a smart firewall or dynamic packet filtering. It has a more flexible set of rules when it comes to filtering data packets, working to look at the context of the data packets as they enter the system and check whether they correspond to any of the active connections you have. It also has the ability to recognise patterns and stop attacks from occurring due to these repetitive actions.

An SPI firewall will be able to notice if you are getting many packets from one IP address. It will see that this is abnormal and close off the opened communication ports in order to stop a data breach. As you can see, that’s a huge advantage for business owners of any size, and it’s what sets this type of firewall apart from stateless packet inspection options. It can help to offer an additional layer of protection, and it’s one of the many reasons to upgrade to the latest SonicWall Gen 7 TZ firewall. Of course, this level of protection may not be necessary for some smaller businesses, but SPI firewalls are becoming an option that many small and medium-sized business owners are considering too.

The Benefits of an SPI Firewall

As you can probably already tell, this type of SonicWall firewall offers many benefits over older models that don’t have such advanced technology. SPI firewalls are typically much stronger for companies to use than stateless firewalls. They will be able to examine the content or context of the packets as they come in. This technology is able to spot more threats and anomalies than more basic firewall models. SonicWall TZ firewalls are a great option for business owners of all types and are one of the best options on the market today for anyone investing in their first firewall. Some companies do still prefer to use stateless firewalls as they can be faster and cheaper. However, when it comes to enhancing the security within your business, we always recommend investing in the best equipment and software you can.

How to Install an SPI Firewall

You have a few different options when it comes to buying an SPI firewall for your business or personal use. The first option is to invest in a router with an SPI firewall. Most outers naturally come with a built-in firewall, with most of these today being stateful firewalls. The good thing about using a router is that it won’t just protect one device. Instead, it will protect your whole network and keep every device in your workplace safe.

Firewall software is a good option for anyone who is looking for a quick and easy way to improve their digital security in their workplace. You can install third-party software on any device, but remember that you’ll need to have a subscription for each device you are using. It’s typically very easy and quick to set this up, but you’ll have to pay to renew it annually or on a regular basis. Finally, many antivirus software options now come with an SPI firewall. This can be another simple way to improve your digital security while also offering you antivirus protection as well.

As you can see, an SPI firewall could be a great investment for your business if you are looking to improve your digital security. Our team will be here to support you in finding the best option for your business based on your current needs and security concerns. No matter the shape and size of your company, having firewall protection in place is something everyone needs in this day and age. Take a look through our site to see our full range of SonicWall firewall products or contact our team today to discuss any questions you have about the best firewall for your needs.

Protecting your workplace systems comes with a variety of options today. Next-generation firewalls and unified threat management are two modern solutions that offer many benefits to business owners. Today we’re going to look at these different types of firewalls and the protection they’ll offer you. Our team will be here to support you in finding a SonicWall firewall that will keep your network safe, so keep reading to discover more about these popular options and which would be the best choice for you.

What is a Next-Generation Firewall?

When looking at the types of firewalls on offer today, you’ll find that next-generation is a more advanced solution compared to traditional firewalls. They are the third generation of his type of technology, which offers more features than ever before. A Soho firewall can offer you protection in many ways, and our team recommends a firewall for businesses of any shape and size. A next-generation firewall will provide you with cloud-delivered intelligence about threats, deeper visibility, and VPN. You’ll also benefit from antivirus and application control, helping you to maintain a safe network.

Next-generation firewalls are designed to stop malware and other threats to your system. They stop these modern threats that have developed over recent years, which a traditional firewall may not be familiar with. These deep-packet inspection firewalls offer all the features of your basic firewall but take this to a new level with the advanced additions to the newer models. When looking at NGFW vs UTM, keep in mind that your next-generation firewall could be part of your UTM firewall system, which we’ll explain further now.

What is Unified Threat Management?

As you start to learn about the features of UTM, you’ll soon see that the best UTM firewall system doesn’t just include a firewall. In fact, this management system combines various security tools within one appliance to offer you the full protection you may need as a business owner. This is the main difference between a UTM firewall vs NGFW, as UTM offers a more comprehensive system which could include other features and products too. It’s still designed to fight off security threats, and you may find that you have both an NFGW and UTM in your workplace. This all-in-one product was first launched back in 2003 and is now becoming more popular than ever before.

A unified threat management firewall can help to deploy a variety of software and hardware to offer you the best UTM firewall. Although this may be more costly for some businesses, it’s typically a great option for larger companies. You will work with one provider to ensure that your network security is of the highest standard and protects you from cyberattacks. An all-in-one management interface makes this ideal for administrators of large companies who are looking for peace of mind and ease when setting up a cybersecurity system. It can even be beneficial for smaller companies, who may find this an affordable way to enjoy more protection instead of investing in everything separately.

Which is the Best Option for Your Business?

As you compare these two options for your business, you may come to realise that they can work hand-in-hand to support your cybersecurity needs. A next-generation firewall may come as part of a UTM package, but you’ll need to ask carefully to make sure this is the type of firewall that’s included. While UTM can be more costly for businesses, it offers you easy setup and can reduce the time and hassle involved in buying all of these products separately.

When choosing the products you’ll have as part of your UTM, you can choose as few or as many as needed. A firewall, VPN, and antivirus software are common additions to UTMs, but you’ll find there are extra add-ons to provide you with a more comprehensive service. Our team can guide you through choosing the right firewall if this is all you are after and ensure that you have the necessary cybersecurity protection for years to come.

Our team knows the many benefits of both next-generation firewalls and UTMs. They can work together to offer your business a comprehensive security system that will protect your network. We’ll work with you to discuss the concerns you currently have and find an easy-to-use solution that will be quick and easy to set up. Keep in mind that it’s never too late to set up a firewall in your workplace, and it’s something that every business needs to have in this day and age. Contact us today to learn more about the firewalls we offer, or take a look through our full range of products on our site. We’ll be happy to answer any questions you have on this topic and work with you to protect your network.

Read the next article: What is SPI Firewall?

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