The way businesses operate today has changed dramatically. Once upon a time the only data storage we had was offline, now with the advent of technology everything is on the cloud. With this advancement arrive more applications for the same purpose, which only increases the occurrence and frequency of security weaknesses.
84% of security breaches originate at the application level. $13 Billion is invested in the cloud computing market. This data being uploaded must be protected.
YOU Can Be The Victim!
Once your device (Computer/Laptop) is exposed to internet or external network, it is at a risk of being attacked. The intensity of the attack depends on the attacker’s skills and motivation. He can divert a portion of your hardware and bandwidth to his usage (hosting pirated software or pornography), can delete crucial data on your device, or bring down your network. A bad possibility is that he can gain access to your company’s credit cards and charge purchases to your account. Even worse, competitors can access your crucial data!
Block Unwanted Traffic
Firewall is the foundation to any security network strategy. Think of it as a security check at the entry gate. It inspects all the data entering or leaving your system and only allows those users in that can’t do any damage. It monitors all the network traffic and has the ability to block unwanted traffic.
Is Your Firewall ON?
Most of the computers have their firewall on every time you log on. But just to be sure, you should check yours:
On Windows
1. Click on Start
2. Search, ‘windows firewall’ in the search box
3. Check the box that says ‘Turn On Windows Firewall’
On Mac OSX
1. Open your ‘System Preferences’
2. Click on ‘Security’
3. Go to ‘Firewall’ tab
4. Click on the padlock in the bottom corner to edit the setting.
5. If there is a red circle followed by ‘Firewall: Off’, then hit the ‘Start’ button under it in order to turn your firewall on.
Is It Enough?
The Firewall is the most basic security protection. Whether you’re on your home network or a public network, you need to have some kind of antivirus software installed on your system. Hackers, Trojans and other security threats are getting stronger as the times pass. To protect your system you need to have more than the minimal for counterattacking.