Share:

Today, businesses must provide their employees with internet access to perform research and connect with clients, suppliers, and strategic partners. However, when you enable online access, you must also teach your team about appropriate cybersecurity measures and the different types of firewalls. Without an understanding of how these work, a team member might involuntarily allow access to malware or enable another type of online breach. Below are some of the key firewalls they need to know about.

What Are the Most Common Firewall Cybersecurity Measures?

1. Packet Filters

The oldest and most basic type of firewall, packet filters act as a checkpoint where packets of incoming and outgoing information are examined. They inspect external information — such as the packets' origin and destination, packet type, and port number — without opening or examining the contents. If the packet fails the inspection, it’s discarded. Packet filters don't have a significant impact on network speed, but they aren’t the most effective method of ensuring cybersecurity since they can’t understand hypertext markup language (HTML) or extensible markup language (XML).

2. Circuit-Level Gateways

cyber security in Gainesville, GALike the packet filter, circuit-level gateways do not inspect the data itself, but rather ensure the transmission control protocol (TCP) handshake — or connection — is from a legitimate session. Thus, if a packet held malware but had the correct TCP handshake, it would let the malware through. Hackers can also manipulate the handshake process and get into the system. That's why circuit-level gateways are not wholly sufficient to protect your business. However, they aren’t resource-intensive and they typically cost less than other types of firewalls.

3. Stateful Inspection Firewalls

These firewalls combine packet filtering and TCP handshake verification. Only packets with a known active connection are allowed to pass through the user’s computer. They are more secure than either of the first two types on their own, but they are more resource-intensive and may slow down network speed. 

4. Application-Level Gateways

Application-level firewalls, or proxies, protect your network from spam, viruses, and attacks from hackers. All connections the user makes are through a proxy, so the computers behind the firewall stay protected. The proxies examine data packet contents and are also able to block websites based on content rather than IP addresses. While this type of firewall is highly secure, it requires greater memory and resources than stateful inspections. 

 

To learn more about firewalls and cybersecurity, contact Halski Systems in Gainesville, GA. They’ve been serving businesses throughout Hall County since 2000 with a wealth of managed IT services, including cloud storage, hosted voice and video conferencing, and data backup and recovery. Visit their website or call (770) 536-2276 to schedule a consultation and start protecting your company’s network today.

tracking