How Sophos Firewall Protects Your Organization Against Modern Cyber Threats
These days, network threats can come from anywhere, and organizations of all sizes — including associations and nonprofits — are at risk. But when you have important work to do, the last thing you need is a leak, security threat, or system downtime getting in the way.
Yet while protecting your data and securing your infrastructure is vital, your organization may not have the resources to keep up with evolving risks. That’s why many turn to managed IT services to gain the expertise and advanced tools they need to stay ahead of threats.
You need powerful, effective products that make network protection feel easy. At designDATA, we combine managed IT services with top products from our industry-leading partners so organizations can access the best network protection available today. Sophos is our go-to firewall because it’s backed by high-performance security technology that centralizes, synchronizes, and automates network monitoring in ways not offered by other vendors.
Want to know how this could benefit you? Below, we break down the role your firewall plays in your cybersecurity strategy, how Sophos delivers strong, network protection and why you may want to pair its advanced features with a managed network security solution to further lock down your operations.
What is a Firewall and Why Do You Need One?
You’ve probably seen countless movies and TV shows where a hacker somehow quickly cracks a firewall with a few seconds of typing, leading to a typical, triumphant exclamation of “I’m in!” In reality, firewalls are complex security systems that are much more effective at keeping bad actors out and are an essential component of any organization’s IT infrastructure.
How do they work? Firewalls combine software and firmware to scan all incoming and outgoing traffic, using filtering rules to identify, detect and stop threats.
Simply put, your firewall acts like a locked door between your trusted internal network, and an untrusted external network like the internet. Using previously defined instructions, it opens the door for known connections to pass through but stays locked for anyone else.
You need a firewall to keep your sensitive data safe by:
- Preventing unauthorized access to your network
- Blocking viruses, malware, and other suspicious activity
- Stopping hacking and DDoS attack attempts in their tracks
- Restricting certain online content on your network
Why Sophos Firewall Is a Smart Choice for A Stronger Cybersecurity Posture
Detecting modern threats requires modern solutions. Traditional firewalls will no longer cut it: hackers have designed threats that can bypass their features. You need a higher standard of network security that can thwart people who are determined to hamstring your ability to operate.
Let’s look a bit closer at some of the benefits of relying on Sophos to fulfill this role:
1. Access a Next Generation Firewall for Greater Control
Today, the average network in a busy, digital-first organization has many different entry points and users. In this environment, you really need a multi-layer security approach to stay safe especially if you operate on a hybrid work model with employees scattered beyond a single office.
The Sophos XGS Series is an industry-leading line of next-generation firewall (NGFW) designed to meet this need. What does that mean?
An NGFW is not a single piece of technology, but rather, a group of technologies that work collaboratively to protect your operations.
What distinguishes an NGFW from less sophisticated firewalls is its integration with other security components, like intrusion detection and prevention systems.
It also operates at Level 7 of the network, which offers more precise threat detection and control. Firewalls are ranked by how deeply they inspect and filter data according to the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI), which defines the seven layers that computer systems typically use to communicate and share data between networks.
- A Layer 7 firewall scans the contents, not just the IP addresses, of data packets that come into your network. Using advanced traffic filtering rules, it will look for malware and other cyber threats. So, rather than just looking at the address on the envelope, Layer 7 firewalls make sure the message inside is safe too.
2. Save Time with Sophos Central
Sophos offers an all-in-one dashboard, where you can easily manage your Sophos security products from a single screen, all included in the same price. Available on any device, this unified managed console lets you deploy, optimize and monitor multiple firewalls, gather security insights and neutralize threats from the same location, giving you full control over your endpoint and network protection
This level of centralization massively increases productivity, whether for you and your team navigating this on your own or when you work with a provider like designDATA for our managed network security services. It’ll save you time and money if your IT specialists spend less time jumping between different portals, dashboards and services, and more time meeting your network security needs with maximum efficiency. This unified dashboard enhances your productivity and works seamlessly alongside managed IT services to simplify monitoring and response.
3. Synchronize Your Security for Zero-Touch Threat Response
Sophos uses its advanced reactive containment Security Heartbeat feature to help firewalls, endpoints and servers synchronize and communicate real-time network and endpoint data to automatically detect and respond to stop threats. On its own, the software can completely identify a problematic user or network intrusion source, and then quarantine them and shut off their access to the broader network
In most cases, no human intervention is needed to contain threats and organizations experience better, stronger security that keeps your network safer. Beyond reducing your exposure to threats, this advanced form of zero-touch incident response also frees up time and resources to invest in other aspects of your IT infrastructure or operations.
If you fear losing that human touch, though, don’t worry! Real, breathing security experts backed by machine learning are available as a fully managed service through the Sophos Managed Threat Response (MTR) team. These experts spend 24 hours a day hunting, detecting and responding to active cyber threats. They can collaborate with your internal IT team or an external managed IT services provider to keep your organization and networks safe from harm.
Team Up with designDATA Against Cyber Threats
If your organization wants an extra layer of high-performance protection for your network, Sophos provides a high-quality technology that gives you the peace of mind to focus on your important work. No more constantly looking over your shoulder for the next operation-disrupting cyber threat!
And if you want to keep your focus where it needs to be, our designDATA experts will work with you to manage your Sophos Firewall, other network monitoring solutions and other key aspects of your IT infrastructure.
We have the knowledge and strategy to protect and streamline your organization through updated, well-managed technology.
Talk with us today about how designDATA can keep you safe, secure and productive with world-class cybersecurity solutions.
