Untangle’s network firewall is a cloud-managed security and connectivity product that protects small and medium-sized businesses with their Network Security Framework. They help companies with multiple locations to protect their headquarters and remote locations under a single solution.
Untangle provides network security software and appliances for small and medium businesses (SMBs), K-12 and higher education, nonprofits, and state and local government agencies. They also serve the healthcare, hospitality, manufacturing, retail, and legal industries. Seventy percent of their customer base is in North America, and the remaining 30 percent is spread throughout the rest of the world.
What does a network firewall mean?
A firewall is the common path all data has to travel within an organization, making it ideal for controlling and filtering data. With the Untangle network firewall, IT teams can protect, monitor, and manage all connected devices, applications, and events. This way, they can enforce a consistent security protocol across all devices and points of entry. This puts IT back in control of dispersed networks, hybrid cloud environments, and IoT and mobile devices.
Untangle’s Network Security Framework includes:
- NG Firewall Software for policy enforcement;
- SD WAN Router Hardware for network connectivity;
- Command Center, a central online dashboard that sees your entire network.
Untangle provides a comprehensive approach to security orchestration, giving you centralized control over every device in every location in your entire system. No more controlling multiple systems, leaving remote locations to fend for themselves, or traveling to different branches to troubleshoot a problem.
What are the three types of firewalls?
There are three basic types of network firewalls:
Packet Filtering Firewalls:
This is an inline checkpoint that controls access by analyzing incoming and outgoing packets of information. A packet is allowed to pass after the firewall has compared it to pre-established rules, examined the source and destination, and reviewed the header information. It’s great for small networks, but not for larger ones. They’re not ideal for preventing all kinds of attacks, such as spoofed attacks.
Software Firewalls:
This firewall is installed on any and every device that needs protecting. Every computer, every tablet, every mobile phone. It’s convenient for entrepreneurs and small businesses, but it can be difficult if you’re managing a medium or large business’ IT. Plus, they use some of the device’s CPU and RAM resources, which can slow down the device. On the upside, they can distinguish between programs, which means they can deny access to one type of program while allowing access to others.
Hardware firewalls:
Also called appliance firewalls, these firewalls have their own resources and don’t use any CPU or RAM resources from the host devices. It’s a physical device that handles the gateway function for incoming and outgoing network traffic. They’re easier to use than installing software firewalls on each device.
What are Untangle’s best technologies?
Untangle’s NG Firewall provides scalable threat management capabilities. It’s a powerful policy management tool that brings enterprise-level security and access policies to all devices and people within the organization. It delivers comprehensive, enterprise-grade network security for organizations of any size and in any industry.
IT administrators have full access and visibility to all devices in their entire network. With NG Firewall, they can monitor, manage, and control their network while protecting it from evolving threats such as ransomware, malware, and brute force attacks.
Untangle also offers their latest SD-WAN Router, designed to optimize internet connectivity for branch offices. It uses Untangle’s patent-pending predictive routing technology to ensure the performance of a company’s most essential applications, like VOIP and video, while securely connecting its employees and devices to the network.
The SD-WAN Router software provides interoffice connectivity across all sites, optimizes your internet connectivity over your existing wiring, and prioritizes traffic for your essential business applications so employees can remain connected and productive.
Finally, the Command Center enables you to manage your NG Firewall or SD-Wan Router appliances remotely. You can push policy changes across all devices, whether you’re making updates or deploying them for the first time. You also have full visibility to all devices connected to your network, so you can see what’s happening on the company’s laptops, desktops, mobile devices, IoT devices, and peripherals. It will even cover remote workers connecting via VPN.
Untangle also partners with Bitdefender, Malwarebytes, and Webroot to help you identify any threats and launch a protection scan for your network. This lets you protect and monitor everything from a single dashboard, rather than checking each device or network branch separately.
The NG Firewall, SD-WAN Router, and Command Center create the entire Network Security Framework which brings different networking security and optimization components together, helping organizations connect and protect everyone within the network.
Using NG Firewall in a headquarters office lets network admins configure multi-layered security policies. Adding the SD-WAN Router allows admins to push those policies across HQ and branch office networks and optimize the entire network. And using Command Center lets them get a bird’s-eye view of the whole network to quickly spot problems and identify security threats.
Do I need a network firewall?
It’s a common misconception among small and medium businesses that they’re too small or unimportant to be a target of hackers and cybercriminals. But the reality is, they’re some of the most attractive targets to cybercrooks, if for no other reason than their personnel records (ideal for identity theft) and financial details, such as direct deposit information. Even the smallest organizations — whether it’s a business, nonprofit, educational system, or government agency — with the most out-of-the-way servers are still vulnerable to outside attacks. That’s because small businesses often have weak passwords, outdated security measures, complacency, and employees who are not properly trained in security best practices. In 2018, nearly two-thirds of small and medium businesses were the victims of a cyberattack of some sort. And almost half of those companies said they had no idea how to protect themselves. Many organizations believe they don’t have the budget for a proper network firewall or Wi-Fi security, but the costs are not as high as you might suspect. Plus, the costs of a data breach or loss of proprietary and financial information will always be a lot higher than the cost of the preventative measures.
How can medical offices use network firewall security?
A medical office has to take special care to protect their patient data, which means it needs certain types of protection for every device that can access the office’s network. Whether it’s an office with a single physician and a few nurses or a healthcare system with thousands of devices, network security means protecting patient data from cyberattacks and protecting your medical practice or organization from data breaches, identity theft, and the inevitable lawsuits that will be sure to follow. To read more about outsourced IT, managed services, and security technology for medical offices, go to our web page here..
What is Untangle’s response to COVID 19?
As more people telecommute and work remotely due to COVID 19, networks are increasingly vulnerable to outside attacks. Untangle’s network firewall can allow remote users to access their organization’s central system through a secure VPN connection. This allows the IT team to control access to their network both locally and remotely and push security protocols to those connected devices, whether a laptop, desktop, tablet, or mobile phone.
They can also track and manage all devices on the network to ensure that only authorized devices are connected to the system. They can be notified if anything is amiss and receive alerts if the network is breached. And the Command Center will provide ongoing detailed reporting of the network firewall’s performance.
We can help you reinforce your network firewall security
Consortyo Networks & Security integrates and supports the Untangle Network Firewall in your organization, no matter the size. We’re proud to work with Untangle as they have one of the industry’s best firewalls, making it an ideal network firewall security solution for our clients.
To receive an estimate for protecting your organization’s critical data from hackers and thieves, call on us. We are a one-stop managed service provider and an authorized dealer of Untangle’s network security solution. We can help assess and maintain your digital security as well as your physical building security. We are a single point of contact to support and integrate Untangle Firewall network security with all your office technologies and optimize critical traffic such as VOIP and video conferencing for telecommuting team members. Learn more at our website or by calling us at (407) 389-1670.
Our service area spans Central Florida, including all of Orange County and Seminole County, specifically: Downtown Orlando, Winter Park, Maitland, Altamonte Springs, Oviedo, Casselberry, Winter Springs, College Park, Thornton Park, Lake Mary, Longwood, Apopka, Fern Park, Winter Garden and Ocoee.