Cyberattacks cause numerous problems within organizations and cost people significant time and money. If you do not have the right cyber security tools for your company you could end up being a victim of a cyberattack.
The internet has become an increasingly vulnerable platform making network security one of the most important and fastest-growing industries.
Without taking network security seriously and putting the proper security tools in place, you could be at risk of a cyberattack without even knowing it.
Coeo has helped secure the networks of thousands of customers and knows how frustrating it can be to be a victim of a cyberattack. We want to make sure you have all of the information you need to make sure your network is constantly protected.
By the end of this article, you will know what a firewall is, the different types of firewalls, and how to determine the right firewall for your organization.
What is a firewall?
Firewalls work like a fence surrounding your network to protect it from outside malicious sources. A firewall is essentially the first line of defense when it comes to your network.
A firewall monitors incoming and outgoing traffic and decides to allow or block traffic based on a set of security rules. Firewalls establish a barrier between secured, trusted internal networks and untrusted outside networks.
A trusted internal network is usually a private network that is secured by various network security tools. An untrusted external network is a public network such as the internet which anyone can access from almost anywhere.
Contrary to popular belief, however, a firewall is not supposed to be set up once and forgotten about. Firewalls must be maintained and managed with updates and periodic upgrades to remain effective.
You can have a regular firewall, managed by you or your IT team, or a managed firewall managed by a service provider.
With a managed firewall, your service provider monitors and updates the firewall for you and suggests upgrades whenever necessary.
Types of firewalls
All types of firewalls have the same objective which is to secure and lock down the edge of a network. However, the way that firewalls execute this security varies among the different types of firewalls.
● Proxy firewall
A proxy firewall serves as the gateway between networks for a specific application. Proxy firewalls protect the application layers so every application that has a proxy firewall is secure.
● Stateful inspection firewall
A stateful inspection firewall is often known as a traditional firewall that blocks malicious data based on traffic’s state, port, and protocol. The stateful inspection firewall monitors all data traffic at the opening of the connection.
● Unified Threat Management (UTM) firewall
The UTM firewall pairs intrusion prevention and antivirus. The firewall may also include cloud management services and other add-ons to further protect and secure your network.
Coeo offers its own version of UTM as an additional component to SD-WAN. A UTM is an add-on to the next-gen firewall and takes traditional anti-virus software and puts it on the edge of the network locking down the network.
This allows the network to look at the data traffic in real time and determine whether or not it is harmful to the network.
● Next-gen firewall
A next-gen firewall is a firewall that has evolved to block more advanced modern threats such as advanced malware. Advanced malware can take the form of software viruses, ransomware, and spyware.
Coeo offers a next-gen firewall as another add-on security tool to the regular SD-WAN product. Our next-gen firewall can also be a web filtering security service ensuring that employees aren’t going on websites that could cause damage to the network.
How to determine which firewall is the right fit for your organization
Firewalls are beneficial to an organization regardless of the specific kind. However, some firewalls have unique features that benefit some organizations more than others.
1. Proxy firewalls are good for organizations trying to protect and secure their applications. If your organization has a focus on securing its applications on the network, a proxy firewall may be a good tool to have in your network.
2. If you are looking for a basic traditional firewall, a stateful inspection firewall might be the best fit for you.
3. A UTM firewall is good for an organization trying to package a firewall with antivirus software. If you already have antivirus software, you may not need to invest in UTM.
However, if you do not have antivirus software installed on your devices, a UTM firewall may be a good fit for you.
4. You may benefit from a next-gen firewall for more advanced protection.
With the constant advancement of technology, there are always new ways malicious sources can penetrate a network, and a next-gen firewall will protect your network from more advanced threats.
Next steps to getting the right firewall for your business
Protecting your network from malicious sources and cyberattacks should be a priority for every organization’s network.
Firewalls are arguably the most important network security tool and finding the best firewall for your organization is critically important.
Without knowing which firewall is right for your organization, you may not be able to make the most educated decision on your purchase.
Coeo knows how frustrating it is to be a victim of a cyberattack. Therefore, we want to give you all of the information you need to protect your network from malicious sources.
If you would like to speak with our team to learn more about firewalls or other forms of network securityor ask any questions you may have you can schedule an appointment. 
Read these articles below to learn more about network security:
