Every Network Security Plan Needs to Cover These 4 Components

Network security is an important, yet complex practice. For small and medium-sized businesses, it can be challenging to understand and implement solutions that cover such a complex subject. However, it doesn’t have to be. There are many security solutions out there, and they can generally be found in one convenient package.

We’re talking, of course, about a Unified Threat Management (UTM) solution. It’s a well-known and exceptionally helpful security tool that manages to take care of most threats that can access a network. However, unlike some other security solutions, the UTM not only focuses on eliminating current threats to your infrastructure, but also preventative measures designed to keep your system safe and secure.

We’ll discuss the components of a quality UTM, so that you can know what to look for when shopping around for a security solution.

Firewall
A firewall is a basic security measure that anyone who uses a computer should be familiar with. You can think of a firewall as a virtual bouncer that keeps the bad data from entering your organization’s network, while still allowing good data through. A firewall, however, needs to constantly be updated with threat definitions in order to remain effective, and some seemingly-benign data might still get through.

Antivirus
An antivirus solution works well alongside a firewall; it can detect and destroy potential threats before they can do harm to the infected system. Alongside a firewall, antivirus software is a critical component of any computing infrastructure--particularly in the business sector.

Spam Blocking
Spam is one of the preferred modes of transportation that hackers use for their malware, and there’s a very good reason for that. It’s because spam allows users to “go incognito,” so to speak, and mask their identity through the use of email spoofing and other methods. Hackers commonly use what are called phishing attacks to trick users into downloading malicious files or accessing suspicious websites. A spam blocker can keep the majority of spam out of your inbox, eliminating this threat. Plus, spam is just annoying in general, even if it’s not malicious.

Content Filtering
Not all web content is safe to browse, and even a good employee could accidentally visit an unsafe website that contains malicious code. In instances like this, a content filter keeps your infrastructure safe. Also of note is that content filtering can restrict access to specific sites on a per user basis--perfect for the problem employee who can’t seem to stay off of social media.

To learn more about UTM solutions and other security measures, be sure to reach out to us at (217) 428-6449. Our professional technicians can work with your business to assemble the ultimate security package.