Configuring Your Hardware Firewall

Editor's Notes

• #2: Firewalls play a key role in keeping cyber criminals from accessing your company’s network. In this webinar ‘Configuring Your Hardware Firewall’ we’re covering setup suggestions to keep your business safe.
• #3: Hardware Firewalls are important for your infrastructure because they monitor all inbound and outbound network traffic. This allows the device to identify and block any potential intrusions.
• #4: These potential intrusions can take many forms, such as someone trying to steal company data or someone using your hardware and bandwidth to host pirated software. Ensuring proper implementation of the device will help to ward off these types of threats and help keep your company data safe. Kyle Interjection Great point Chad! What kind of tips do you have for setting up the device?
• #5: It is important to ensure that the only ports open to the outside are ports required for important data communication. For example, port 80 allows internet access and port 443 will allow secure internet access (HTTPS). Closing these ports would disallow access by employees. Another important port to leave open is 25 (SMTP for emails).
• #6: While these are sufficient for email and browsing work, you will need additional ports for other applications Most enterprise software will open the port during the installation that is required.
• #7: Firewalls can also prevent employees from sending certain types of files or sensitive data outside of the network. They can also prevent users from accessing certain types of sites, such as social networking and shipping. Kyle Interjection That’s great information Chad, but what if I want to send a sensitive file to another employee?
• #8: While keeping transmission from outside is very important, it is equally as important to ensure that you are not disallowing data transmission from within the company Set up a Demilitarized zone (DMZ) within the organization so that sensitive data can still be shared from within
• #9: Using multiple appliances and configurations will allow you to also ensure that each employee has their own rights within the DMZ so that employees cannot share information with someone who should not see it When attaching these different devices, best practice is to name each device by an individual IP address as opposed to a name or URL. This helps ensure that if someone does gain access to your system, they are not immediately pointed to the device housing sensitive data Kyle Wrap-up & Close Thanks, Chad!
• #10: To our viewers, we want to point out the Advanced IT Services offered by Aventis Systems include network & security services such as firewall configuration and testing. Take a look at our full portfolio of services that we designed with the most pressing needs of small and midsize organizations in mind.
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