Firewall Appliances

Recent attacks from the Internet could compromise the security of your network and violate the data within your computers. The Joseph Company can provide you with the latest in Security Technologies to help prevent such threats.

An “always-on” or permanent connection to the Internet is an open invitation to unwanted guests if it is not properly protected and secured. Even using a dial-up modem can expose you to hostile traffic and people who may rifle through your personal data or use your computer's or network’s resources to attack other people’s networks and computer systems.

What Is a Firewall?

A firewall is a device that is designed to prevent unauthorized access to or from a private computer or network. In the case of a firewall appliance, it is a router that forwards or discards packets of data based on certain security criteria. The firewall inspects the traffic and based on its source, destination, and makeup decides whether the traffic should be routed to its destination or discarded.

Why Do I Need a Firewall?

A firewall can screen out malicious Internet traffic such as hackers, worms, and certain types of viruses before they can cause problems on your system. In addition, firewalls can help keep your computer from participating in attacks on others without your knowledge. Using a firewall is especially important if you are always connected to the Internet, such as, when you have a broadband cable or digital subscriber line (DSL) connection.

How Net Intruders find you?

Every computer or Network that accesses the Internet can be identified by its ip address whether you have a permanent connection such as a Cable Modem, DSL, or a T1. Even if you are utilizing a dial up connection, all can be identified by an ip address. You can think of an ip address as a street address. The Post Office uses street addresses to route mail to and from people and places based on their address. The Internet works the same way! Each computer or network has an ip address, which is used to route traffic back and forth between them like email, streaming video, instant messaging, etc.

Malicious people and programs scan ip address ranges in order to look for vulnerabilities in computers and networks that access the Internet. If you have a firewall, then your ip address can actually be masked from the outside world much like a person who has a phone number with an anonymous number. It’s like you don’t exist. You’re still able to access the Internet, but it’s like flying along in a stealth aircraft.

 

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