Connectivity being a major focus of the new computing technology expanding business LAN (local area network) to WAN (wide area network) via the Internet using VPN (virtual  private network) is presenting every companies with a serious issue: security.

Everyone who connects to the Internet whether it is through a direct connection as a T1 or a dial-up is subject to unscrupulous intrusions from hackers, disgruntle employees, or simply competition.  Security has become one of the most intensive task in planning, implementation, and maintenance for any IT department.  The cost involved in securing a network can also become a bottomless pit in software cost, monitoring tools and personnel, losses of data to hackers and competition.  The task of securing a network is definitely what differentiate the professionals MIS and the wannabes computer gurus.  Remember that is is always easier to break in a computer than it is to protect it against unwanted intrusion.  

For a long time software filters as proxy servers and others were enough to keep out the most resilient hackers.  Because of the difficulty to break-in certain system, the hackers have resorted to a simpler method but punishing for the business being attacked, flooding.  The web site or e-commerce get flooded by dummy requests from the Internet until the congestion of the network is total creating a gridlock.  The only effective protection against this kind of attack is a hardware firewall.

A hardware firewall is a box placed between the LAN and the Internet, who's sole purpose is to control and monitor the traffic going in and out.  A firewall will allow to control who or what kind of information can or cannot pass through,  where or where not to go on the internet.

Firewalls can be administer from the Internet with the proper security access centralizing administration, reducing the response time for support hence reducing dramatically the cost.  Firewalls have become reasonably affordable making them the most suitable security solution for short or long term implementation.

Expius strongly recommends any company connected to the Internet to protect themselves with a hardware firewall.  There is obviously  many choices to pick from.  Expius has also made this task simpler for its clients by choosing a manufacturer with competitive prices, and quality products.

Expius choice: WatchGuard (http://www.watchguard.com)