IT Support for Small Business

Firewall Security

Do I need a firewall?

Unfortunately in this day and age there are lots of malicious people out there that really want to cause businesses harm.  Generally they are after the big fish but unfortunately the small businesses gets caught in the net too.  This means that there is a constant stream of viruses and hackers out there just waiting to catch you.

A lot of small businesses think that they do not need to go to the expense of having a firewall as they feel that no one would be interested in them.  However the people that are behind viruses have automatic settings on their computers that randomly search for computers without protection and attack them whenever they can.  This means that everyone needs protection from the big businesses down to the individual. 

What is a firewall?

A firewall is either a piece of hardware or software that provides a physical barrier between your network or computer and the Internet.

A firewall is the passport control of the computer world.  It will look at all the incoming and outgoing information which passes through your internet connection and interrogate it.  If the data is hostile or attempting to gain unauthorised access in some way then the firewall will send out alarms and prevent malicous data accessing your network.

A firewall can also be used to restrict access to certain websites of your choice, thereby protecting your business further.

What should I do now?

Some antivirus products will contain a firewall as part of the software.   You will need to check if yours does.  However if you have quite a few computers in your business you may want to consider protecting your business further and implementing a network and controlling the internet access at a central point where a firewall can be employed.

If you would like to know more about what we can offer you, please call us on 01865 487180 or fill out our contact form below and one of our technical consultants will be pleased to call you back.