Firewalls and why you need them for your business’s computer system

If you are an internet user, especially in a corporate setting, you have probably heard the term “firewall.” The computers in large corporations generally can’t “go past the firewall” to access websites that are not work-related. TekStop Computer Repair discusses firewalls and why you need them for your Prescott business’s computer system.

A firewall is a program or hardware device that acts as a filter between networks. A firewall is used to block or to allow traffic. Think of an internet firewall as being just like an actual physical firewall that keeps a fire from spreading from one room to another. A firewall can be used to protect your home or business computer network from potential hackers and objectionable sites.

If you have a fast Internet connection into your home, such as a DSL connection or via a cable modem, you may be familiar with firewalls for your home network. Hackers are a threat to homes and small businesses as well as large corporations. A small home or business network actually has many of the same security issues that a large corporate network does.

Without a firewall in place, computers are accessible to anyone on the Internet. Skilled hackers can probe those computers, try to make FTP (file transfer protocol) connections to them and do many other malicious things. If one employee makes a mistake and leaves a security breach, hackers can get to the computer and cause harm.

With a firewall comes security. A business can place a firewall at every connection to the Internet and thus control what information is allowed to flow into or out of the network and keep confidential information safe.

TekStop Computer Repair hopes this discussion about firewalls and why you need them for your computer system will help you maintain safety and security for your Prescott business. If you have questions about firewalls, or for information on upgrades and maintenance for computers at your Prescott business, call TekStop Computer Repair at 928-583-4454.