Why Firewall Management is Critical for Business Security

Firewall management is a leading defense technology that helps keep businesses safe from cyber threats while they are online. With increasingly sophisticated ransomware attacks, advanced persistent threats, and other cyber vectors on the rise, businesses must pivot their firewall security to protect data and prevent potential downtime.

As remote work shapes a new standard of work-life balance, businesses need to think about how security changes due to people using personal devices and home networks. A part of this involves the need for a more sophisticated firewall management strategy.

Having a properly managed firewall allows your business to improve its compliance with data privacy regulations and address security concerns promptly.

Table of Contents:

1. Emerging Threat Landscape
2. Remote Work Challenges
3. Regulatory Compliance

Emerging Threat Landscape:

Businesses face a lot of cyber threats that jeopardize data and daily operations. Here are some of the most prevalent threats:

Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs):  Cybercriminals find a way to access endpoints and remain unnoticed for some time. APTs are becoming more complex, and hackers can use this method to gather sensitive data over time.

Ransomware: Ransomware has become extremely effective and dangerous. Every day, we see cases of double extortion and supply chain attacks that significantly impact operations and financial profits and damage brand reputation.

Read our previous blog post on the top cybersecurity threats of 2024.

Remote Work Challenges:

The shift towards remote work enlarges the attack surface for cyber threats, making it necessary to strengthen your endpoint devices and access points. For example, many businesses, especially those with smaller budgets, are adopting BYOD (Bring Your Own Devices) policies that come with their own set of challenges. A strong firewall management is needed to enforce security policies across various devices. Look at the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security’s Tips for Organizations with Remote Workers to learn more about the challenges that come with remote work and how organizations effectively protect themselves from potential cyber incidents.

Regulatory Compliance

Data Privacy Regulations:

Data protection laws in Canada and across the globe are becoming increasingly more stringent. They aim to protect the rights of web users everywhere. This increase in data privacy measures means that organizations must implement stronger measures to ensure compliance and meet consumers’ expectations.

Legal Liabilities:

Data breaches are not pretty. When businesses experience one or do not comply with regulations, they may face tough legal battles. A protected and managed firewall is the most effective way to mitigate these risks.

Visit the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada’s article to read the summary of privacy laws in Canada and learn more about how Canada enforces privacy laws.

Cloud Security Considerations:

Cloud Migration: When businesses connect to the cloud, the need for a strong firewall is obvious. Scalable and flexible firewalls will ensure that you have the protective measures you need in place as your business grows and scales.

Zero Trust Architecture:

When your business connects to various cloud-based systems, you will want your operations to use zero-trust architecture. A zero-trust approach is a security concept in which you assume that every connection, integration, user, etc. is not to be trusted until verified. Firewalls play a critical role in implementing various levels of access throughout your organization.

Check out Cisco’s article to read their take on Cloud security and how it works.

Implement More Robust Firewall Management Today!

It is more critical than ever to ensure that your organization manages its firewalls effectively. By putting more emphasis on firewall management, you will ensure a higher level of security and meet and maintain compliance with data privacy requirements to evolve with running a remote workforce and using cloud-based tools.

Visit our cybersecurity services or cybersecurity solutions pages to learn more about how you can strengthen your cybersecurity posture today.

You can also examine how our IT governance services can improve your current policies, procedures, and processes and help your people with frameworks that emphasize your business’s security.