When you first had your organization’s IT system installed, you may have enjoyed both advanced performance and state-of-the-art security. You were even careful to invest in sophisticated firewall protection for your precious drives and data. But times change -- and so do security threats. That’s why making any necessary updates to your firewall makes just as much sense now as installing that firewall did back then. Here are some thoughts on how and why you should step up your firewall protection, courtesy of your Austin IT support team at Gravity Systems.

Firewalls are aptly named. They exist to provide a safe barrier against threats such as viruses, keyloggers, Trojans and other forms of malware -- while still ensuring that the data you actually need and want passes through properly. A computer firewall achieves this goal by analyzing incoming data packets, making sure that they meet the right set of specifications to qualify for entry into your system.

Unfortunately, the packet checking methods of traditional firewalls can’t necessarily protect your IT system against all of today’s dangers. That’s partly because many malware exploits now occur at the application level, not the port/protocol level. Malware that has been encrypted through a Secure Socket Layer (SSL) can’t be stopped by a traditional firewall system -- and up to half of all Internet sites currently use SSL encryption. We can evaluate your firewall to determine whether you need to upgrade to a NGFW (next-generation firewall). NGFWs can manage both encrypted and non-encrypted incoming data packets, giving you the protection you need in today’s computing environment.

Even if you already have the latest and greatest in firewall technology, that firewall will only work as well as your maintenance of it will allow. We can help you keep your firewall secure through regular security updates and patches. Contact us today!