By: John Paul (JP) Blaho, Director of Product Marketing, SunGard Availability Services
As companies embrace the fact that every business is a contender on the Internet, and every company is subject to the same types of vulnerabilities and attacks, they must all realize their network security postures must be advanced and robust.? This means that a company of six employees must have network security protections which mirror those of an organization of 6,000 employees.? As cost-prohibitive as it sounds, there are ways that non-enterprise-level businesses can implement a security strategy that is comprehensive and effective in protecting themselves from attack just as successfully as enterprise customers.
One such solution is called Unified Threat Management (UTM).? Essentially a UTM is a single platform architecture shared by multiple security applications such as firewall, intrusion detection/intrusion prevention (IDS/IPS), and URL filtering.? The single most important advantage of adopting a UTM is the lower cost to purchase and manage this solution.? Instead of having to acquire multiple discreet security solutions, you only purchase one (licensing varies based on vendor and security applications needed).? Most UTM vendors also offer a centralized interface, so that you can manage all the different applications, create policies and enforce rules from a single location.? A UTM is not the panacea for network attacks or addressing compliance requirements, but it does combine multiple security applications in a footprint that is affordable and robust enough to build some level of confidence in your network.
Knowing that there are solutions out there to help companies of all sizes remain protected can be a relief, but a certain amount of knowledge around network security is required to ensure that you are maximizing your security posture against your IT investment.? For most mid-market organizations, this level of expertise does not exist and the amount of money needed to hire a security expert is not in the budget.? Managed Security Service Providers (MSSPs) are a preferred alternative in these situations.? MSSPs not only manage the security solutions for you, they also can install, configure, maintain, and update the platform at a price that is well within most budgets.? These offerings are usually offered as a monthly subscription service over a two, three and five year agreement.? Most MSSPs are security certified, and will have intimate knowledge on the security application that they will be managing for you.? Not only do you have this security expert as an extension of your company, but you also have this security support 24 hours a day, seven days a week.? And like the cybercriminals, these certified security specialists focus all their time on network security, but instead protect from attacks.
If your organization is looking to improve on its security posture, UTM solutions provide a comprehensive suite of security applications to build a stronger security infrastructure.? If you are constrained due to resources or expertise, a managed service around UTM would provide you with a robust security platform, and the certified security expertise to manage it for you.
Security is not a checkbox for addressing compliance.? Selecting default within the security applications does not provide you with the levels of security needed to protect yourself from the cybercrimes.? It is the combination of strong security applications and expert knowledge on security that protect you and your network.? A Managed UTM offering can help get you to that level of security confidence.
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