If you own or operate a business, you take the necessary steps to protect the physical location of your company with a security alarm system. The problem is that these systems are reactive — they alert the police after someone enters your building.
But your company’s network and data also need to be protected. And you can’t afford to have a security system that only responds to threats as they — or after they — penetrate your system. And with managed security solutions, you don’t have to wait until the threat reaches this level, as network security solutions offer proactive protection that is easy to implement and affordable for most businesses.
Network security solutions are complete Internet security solutions. More than just a firewall device or a virtual private network (VPN) solution, a network security solution protects your networks and your Internet access, providing your company with the peace of mind that its data is secure and with increased employee productivity, says Thomas Merola, a sales engineer with Time Warner Cable Business Class.
“Any company that uses a network and/or the public Internet can benefit from a network security solution,” says Merola. “In this day and age, companies cannot afford to have their networks and data compromised.”
Smart Business spoke with Merola about network security solutions, the benefits they offer and why it’s so vital for companies to implement them in today’s business climate.
What benefits can a company see from a network security solution?
First, you get 24/7 monitoring and management, including e-mailed and Web-based management reports. You’ll always know what information is being passed through your network, enabling you to decide what needs to be changed or adjusted.
With content filtering, anti-virus, anti-spam and anti-malware services, you’ll be able to not only detect attacks and threat trends but also prevent them. Intrusion detection and prevention will protect your network by blocking backdoor file-sharing programs and controlling access to Instant Messaging (IM) and other applications.
Other features include a virtual private network (VPN) service, which provides a secure connection to remote networks. This allows you to transmit sensitive data across the Internet and securely access files in a safe environment. Also, demilitarized zone (DMZ) services give you the ability to securely host resources that need to be separate from your local area network.
