WHY UNIFIED THREAT MANAGEMENT IS NECESSITY FOR EVERY BUSINESS

Keeping IT infrastructure secure is a complex task and few small and midsized businesses can afford dedicated security specialists.

This goes a long way to explaining the popularity of unified threat management (UTM) appliances - single boxes which plug in to the company network to manage security. The market for UTMs has been expanding rapidly, with research seeing 20.7% compound annual growth over the past four years.

What You Look For In Any Network Security Purchase

Choosing the right network security solution is one of the most important decisions you will make for your IT infrastructure. With so many factors to consider when selecting the right product, it’s easy to lose sight of one of the most important goals: getting the best performance for your security dollar. Comparing the major brands by this all important metric – price/performance – can become a difficult chore. Though Nebero make it possible.

So what exactly do UTMs offer? Key features include:

• A corporate firewall to keep unwanted traffic off the company network.
• Internet gateway security (which includes scanning incoming traffic for viruses, malware or malicious attachments and web address blacklisting).
• A network intrusion prevention system (IPS) to prevent hackers attacking unpatched Windows PCs and servers.
• Secure remote access, enabling employees to connect to the company network while out of the office.
• The ability to update automatically with the latest security updates, anti-virus definitions and new features so that minimal manual intervention is required beyond initial set-up.

More advanced features may include: a web application firewall to protect the company website; secure wireless capabilities to enable guests to connect to the network; next generation firewall features, including the ability to control or prevent employee use of specific applications such as peer to peer programs.

Simplicity

The benefit of a UTM for smaller businesses is simplicity -a single purchase covers every security need, and all the security features can be controlled and configured from a single management console. Some UTMs offer a base level of security in the initial purchase price, and extra security services, such as an intrusion protection system (IPS), can be enabled for an additional licence fee.

Network performance

One drawback of UTMs that vendors generally don't mention is the detrimental impact they can have on network performance beyond the local area network if they don't have the capacity to handle large amounts of traffic. They can process a considerable amount of data, and scanning incoming traffic for viruses alone can reduce network speeds by 20-50%. Enabling IPS and other security features reduces performance even further.

    UTM is a powerful solution that can improve productivity for your business and keep your network protected. There are billions of people on the Internet, along with millions of threats; all you need is one easy-to-use tool to keep your network safe. To learn more about how UTM can be used to enhance your business, visit Nebero.