Network Solutions Unlimited Blog

Every consumer-grade PC comes with a basic firewall. Enterprise environments, however, require that the base infrastructure has a stronger security solution that provides greater controls, above and beyond the basic firewall. One solution that provides enhanced firewall capabilities is the Unified Threat Management system.

As useful as the Internet is with helping a workforce complete their daily tasks, it is just as capable of having negative effects for your business. There is plenty of content online that has no place in the workplace, including plenty that serves as unwanted distractions. Fortunately, you can prevent your employees from lollygagging on the job with a fairly simple solution: web content filtering.

Some terms are thrown around like everyone knows what they are. This is especially the case with IT and technology solutions. Perhaps it’s a result of them being around for quite some time in professional environments, but it doesn’t help those who are unfamiliar with the technology. One term that we should all understand is “firewall,” as it’s omnipresent in the business sector, but it’s far from the only security solution you’ll need to guarantee safety.

One of the ways which businesses benefit most from technology is through using Internet-connected devices. Yet, the Internet is a dangerous place filled to the brim with threats and security concerns. Considering how diverse online threats can be, there’s something to be said about having enterprise-level security protocols put into place.

Due to the immense threat level on the Internet, organizations cannot afford to be online without some sort of preventative security solution. Fortunately, there are solutions designed with the enterprise in mind that can help even small businesses protect themselves from the gratuitous amount of danger on the Internet. Specifically, these solutions are content filtering and firewalls. In a sense, content filtering and firewalls work as opposite sides of the same coin.

A content filtering solution is a program that checks web pages for threats. The solution uses predetermined rules that can block either entire portions of websites, or only specific parts. In comparison, a firewall solution is the part of a network that scans incoming and outgoing traffic from a network for any suspicious entities. It acts as a bouncer, keeping only clean data entering your network, and preventing threats from entering your system. In this case, your organization can promptly eliminate the threat before it causes trouble for others. Depending on the configuration of your system, a firewall or content filtering solution could be an external piece of hardware, a software application, or a combination of the two.

It’s a common best practice for businesses to use both content filtering and firewall solutions. In fact, content filtering helps with other aspects of your organization, such as keeping your staff productive even when they don’t want to be. Distractions like Facebook and YouTube can be blocked on employee devices so that they have no choice but to perform their duties. Firewalls work in a more traditional manner, keeping your workstations and network components free of any inefficiencies that could reduce productivity.

Network Solutions Unlimited offers what’s called a Unified Threat Management (UTM) solution that combines four essential pieces of network security solutions into one convenient package. With a firewall, antivirus, spam blocking, and content filtering solution, you can achieve optimal preventative security status. To learn more, reach out to us at (217) 428-6449.