Small businesses are often targeted by cybercriminals due to their lack of resources and security measures. Protecting your business from cyber threats is crucial to avoid data breaches and financial losses.
Why is cyber security so important for small businesses?
Small businesses are particularly in danger of cyberattacks, which can result in financial loss, data breaches, and damage to IT equipment. To protect your business, it’s important to implement strong cybersecurity measures.
Here are some tips to help you get started:
One important aspect of data protection and cybersecurity for small businesses is controlling access to customer lists. It’s important to limit access to this sensitive information to only those employees who need it to perform their job duties. Additionally, implementing strong password policies and regularly updating software and security measures can help prevent unauthorized access and protect against cyber attacks. Regular employee training on cybersecurity best practices can also help ensure that everyone in the organization is aware of potential threats and knows how to respond in the event of a breach.
When it comes to protecting customer credit card information in small businesses, there are a few key tips to keep in mind. First and foremost, it’s important to use secure payment processing systems that encrypt sensitive data. Additionally, it’s crucial to regularly update software and security measures to stay ahead of potential threats. Employee training and education on cybersecurity best practices can also go a long way in preventing data breaches. Finally, having a plan in place for responding to a breach can help minimize the damage and protect both your business and your customers.
Small businesses are often exposed to cyber attacks, making data protection and cybersecurity crucial. One area of particular concern is your company’s banking details. To protect this sensitive information, consider implementing strong passwords, two-factor authentication, and regular monitoring of your accounts. Additionally, educate your employees on safe online practices and limit access to financial information to only those who need it. Regularly backing up your data and investing in cybersecurity software can also help prevent data breaches.
Small businesses are often at high risk of cyber attacks due to their limited resources and lack of expertise in cybersecurity. To protect sensitive data, it is important to implement strong passwords, regularly update software and antivirus programs, and limit access to confidential information.
It is also important to have a plan in place in case of a security breach, including steps to contain the breach and notify affected parties. By taking these steps, small businesses can better protect themselves from cyber threats and ensure the safety of their data.
Tips for protecting your small business from cyber threats and data breaches are crucial in today’s digital age. One of the most important steps is to educate your employees on cybersecurity best practices, such as using strong passwords and avoiding suspicious emails or links.
It’s also important to regularly update your software and systems to ensure they are secure and protected against the latest threats. Additionally, implementing multi-factor authentication and encrypting sensitive data can add an extra layer of protection. Finally, having a plan in place for responding to a cyber-attack or data breach can help minimize the damage and get your business back on track as quickly as possible.
Small businesses are attackable to cyber-attacks and data breaches, which can have devastating consequences. To protect your business, it’s important to implement strong cybersecurity measures. This includes using strong passwords, regularly updating software and systems, and training employees on how to identify and avoid phishing scams.
It’s also important to have a data backup plan in place and to regularly test your security measures to ensure they are effective. By taking these steps, you can help protect your business from cyber threats and safeguard your valuable data.
To protect against cyber threats, it’s important to implement strong data protection and cybersecurity measures. This can include regularly updating software and passwords, using firewalls and antivirus software, and providing employee training on safe online practices. Additionally, it’s important to have a plan in place for responding to a cyber attack, including backing up data and having a designated point person for handling the situation.
In today’s digital age, small businesses must prioritize data protection and cybersecurity to safeguard their operations and reputation. With the rise of remote work and cloud-based technology, businesses are more vulnerable to cyber attacks than ever before. To mitigate these risks, it’s crucial to implement strong security measures for online meetings, advertising, transactions, and communication with customers and suppliers. By prioritizing cybersecurity, small businesses can protect their data and prevent unauthorized access or breaches.
Here are 8 essential tips for data protection and cybersecurity in small businesses.
1. Train Your Employees on Cybersecurity Best Practices
Your employees are the first line of defense against cyber threats. It’s important to train them on cybersecurity best practices to ensure they understand the risks and how to prevent them. This includes creating strong passwords, avoiding suspicious emails and links, and regularly updating software and security systems. Consider providing regular training sessions and resources to keep your employees informed and prepared.
2. Use Strong Passwords and Two-Factor Authentication
One of the most basic yet effective ways to protect your business from cyber threats is to use strong passwords and two-factor authentication. Encourage your employees to use complex passwords that include a mix of letters, numbers, and symbols, and to avoid using the same password for multiple accounts. Two-factor authentication adds an extra layer of security by requiring a second form of verification, such as a code sent to a mobile device, before granting access to an account. This can help prevent unauthorized access even if a password is compromised.
3. Keep Your Software and Systems Up to Date
One of the easiest ways for cybercriminals to gain access to your business’s data is through outdated software and systems. Hackers are constantly looking for vulnerabilities in software and operating systems, and if they find one, they can exploit it to gain access to your data. To prevent this, make sure all software and systems are kept up-to-date with the latest security patches and updates. This includes not only your computers and servers but also any mobile devices and other connected devices used in your business. Set up automatic updates whenever possible to ensure that you don’t miss any critical security updates.
4. Use Antivirus and Anti-Malware Software
Antivirus and anti-malware software are essential tools for protecting your small business from cyber threats. These programs can detect and remove malicious software, such as viruses, spyware, and ransomware before they can cause damage to your systems or steal your data. Make sure to install reputable antivirus and anti-malware software on all devices used in your business, including computers, servers, and mobile devices. Keep the software up-to-date and run regular scans to ensure that your systems are free from malware.
5. Backup Your Data Regularly
One of the most important steps you can take to protect your small business from data loss is to back up your data regularly. This means creating copies of your important files and storing them in a secure location, such as an external hard drive or cloud storage service. In the event of a cyber-attack or other disaster, having a backup of your data can help you quickly recover and minimize the impact on your business. Make sure to test your backups regularly to ensure that they are working properly and that you can restore your data if needed.
6. Carry out a risk assessment
Small businesses are especially in peril of cyber attacks, making it crucial to prioritize data protection and cybersecurity. One important step is to assess potential risks that could compromise your company’s networks, systems, and information. By identifying and analyzing possible threats, you can develop a plan to address security gaps and protect your business from harm.
For Small businesses making data protection and cybersecurity is a crucial part. To start, conduct a thorough risk assessment to identify where and how your data is stored, who has access to it, and potential threats. If you use cloud storage, consult with your provider to assess risks. Determine the potential impact of breaches and establish risk levels for different events. By taking these steps, you can better protect your business from cyber threats
7. Limit access to sensitive data
One effective strategy is to limit access to critical data to only those who need it. This reduces the risk of a data breach and makes it harder for malicious insiders to gain unauthorized access. To ensure accountability and clarity, create a plan that outlines who has access to what information and what their roles and responsibilities are. By taking these steps, you can help safeguard your business against cyber threats.
8. Use a firewall
For Small businesses, it’s important to protect the system from cyber attacks by making data protection and reducing cybersecurity risk. One effective measure is implementing a firewall, which not only protects hardware but also software. By blocking or deterring viruses from entering the network, a firewall provides an added layer of security. It’s important to note that a firewall differs from an antivirus, which targets software affected by a virus that has already infiltrated the system.
Small businesses can take steps to protect their data and ensure cybersecurity. One important step is to install a firewall and keep it updated with the latest software or firmware. Regularly checking for updates can help prevent potential security breaches.
Conclusion
Small businesses are particularly vulnerable to cyber attacks, so it’s important to take steps to protect your data. One key tip is to be cautious when granting access to your systems, especially to partners or suppliers. Before granting access, make sure they have similar cybersecurity practices in place. Don’t hesitate to ask for proof or to conduct a security audit to ensure your data is safe.
Internet connections are most often marketed and sold on the basis of “speed”, with providers touting the number of megabits or gigabits per second that their various service tiers are supposed to provide. This marketing has largely been successful, as most subscribers believe that “more is better”. Furthermore, many national broadband plans in countries around the world include specific target connection speeds. However, even with a high speed connection, gamers may encounter sluggish performance, while video conference participants may experience frozen video or audio dropouts. Speeds alone don’t tell the whole story when it comes to Internet connection quality.
Additional factors like latency, jitter, and packet loss can significantly impact end user experience, potentially leading to situations where higher speed connections actually deliver a worse user experience than lower speed connections. Connection performance and quality can also vary based on usage – measured average speed will differ from peak available capacity, and latency varies under loaded and idle conditions.
The new Cloudflare Radar Internet Quality page
A little more than three years ago, as residential Internet connections were strained because of the shift towards working and learning from home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Cloudflare announced the speed.cloudflare.com speed test tool, which enabled users to test the performance and quality of their Internet connection. Within the tool, users can download the results of their individual test as a CSV, or share the results on social media. However, there was no aggregated insight into Cloudflare speed test results at a network or country level to provide a perspective on connectivity characteristics across a larger population.
Today, we are launching these long-missing aggregated connection performance and quality insights on Cloudflare Radar. The new Internet Quality page provides both country and network (autonomous system) level insight into Internet connection performance (bandwidth) and quality (latency, jitter) over time. (Your Internet service provider is likely an autonomous system with its own autonomous system number (ASN), and many large companies, online platforms, and educational institutions also have their own autonomous systems and associated ASNs.) The insights we are providing are presented across two sections: the Internet Quality Index (IQI), which estimates average Internet quality based on aggregated measurements against a set of Cloudflare & third-party targets, and Connection Quality, which presents peak/best case connection characteristics based on speed.cloudflare.com test results aggregated over the previous 90 days. (Details on our approach to the analysis of this data are presented below.)
Users may note that individual speed test results, as well as the aggregate speed test results presented on the Internet Quality page will likely differ from those presented by other speed test tools. This can be due to a number of factors including differences in test endpoint locations (considering both geographic and network distance), test content selection, the impact of “rate boosting” by some ISPs, and testing over a single connection vs. multiple parallel connections. Infrequent testing (on any speed test tool) by users seeking to confirm perceived poor performance or validate purchased speeds will also contribute to the differences seen in the results published by the various speed test platforms.
And as we announced in April, Cloudflare has partnered with Measurement Lab (M-Lab) to create a publicly-available, queryable repository for speed test results. M-Lab is a non-profit third-party organization dedicated to providing a representative picture of Internet quality around the world. M-Lab produces and hosts the Network Diagnostic Tool, which is a very popular network quality test that records millions of samples a day. Given their mission to provide a publicly viewable, representative picture of Internet quality, we chose to partner with them to provide an accurate view of your Internet experience and the experience of others around the world using openly available data.
Connection speed & quality data is important
While most advertisements for fixed broadband and mobile connectivity tend to focus on download speeds (and peak speeds at that), there’s more to an Internet connection, and the user’s experience with that Internet connection, than that single metric. In addition to download speeds, users should also understand the upload speeds that their connection is capable of, as well as the quality of the connection, as expressed through metrics known as latency and jitter. Getting insight into all of these metrics provides a more well-rounded view of a given Internet connection, or in aggregate, the state of Internet connectivity across a geography or network.
The concept of download speeds are fairly well understood as a measure of performance. However, it is important to note that the average download speeds experienced by a user during common Web browsing activities, which often involves the parallel retrieval of multiple smaller files from multiple hosts, can differ significantly from peak download speeds, where the user is downloading a single large file (such as a video or software update), which allows the connection to reach maximum performance. The bandwidth (speed) available for upload is sometimes mentioned in ISP advertisements, but doesn’t receive much attention. (And depending on the type of Internet connection, there’s often a significant difference between the available upload and download speeds.) However, the importance of upload came to the forefront in 2020 as video conferencing tools saw a surge in usage as both work meetings and school classes shifted to the Internet during the COVID-19 pandemic. To share your audio and video with other participants, you need sufficient upload bandwidth, and this issue was often compounded by multiple people sharing a single residential Internet connection.
Latency is the time it takes data to move through the Internet, and is measured in the number of milliseconds that it takes a packet of data to go from a client (such as your computer or mobile device) to a server, and then back to the client. In contrast to speed metrics, lower latency is preferable. This is especially true for use cases like online gaming where latency can make a difference between a character’s life and death in the game, as well as video conferencing, where higher latency can cause choppy audio and video experiences, but it also impacts web page performance. The latency metric can be further broken down into loaded and idle latency. The former measures latency on a loaded connection, where bandwidth is actively being consumed, while the latter measures latency on an “idle” connection, when there is no other network traffic present. (These specific loaded and idle definitions are from the device’s perspective, and more specifically, from the speed test application’s perspective. Unless the speed test is being performed directly from a router, the device/application doesn’t have insight into traffic on the rest of the network.) Jitter is the average variation found in consecutive latency measurements, and can be measured on both idle and loaded connections. A lower number means that the latency measurements are more consistent. As with latency, Internet connections should have minimal jitter, which helps provide more consistent performance.
Our approach to data analysis
The Internet Quality Index (IQI) and Connection Quality sections get their data from two different sources, providing two different (albeit related) perspectives. Under the hood they share some common principles, though.
IQI builds upon the mechanism we already use to regularly benchmark ourselves against other industry players. It is based on end user measurements against a set of Cloudflare and third-party targets, meant to represent a pattern that has become very common in the modern Internet, where most content is served from distribution networks with points of presence spread throughout the world. For this reason, and by design, IQI will show worse results for regions and Internet providers that rely on international (rather than peering) links for most content.
IQI is also designed to reflect the traffic load most commonly associated with web browsing, rather than more intensive use. This, and the chosen set of measurement targets, effectively biases the numbers towards what end users experience in practice (where latency plays an important role in how fast things can go).
For each metric covered by IQI, and for each ASN, we calculate the 25th percentile, median, and 75th percentile at 15 minute intervals. At the country level and above, the three calculated numbers for each ASN visible from that region are independently aggregated. This aggregation takes the estimated user population of each ASN into account, biasing the numbers away from networks that source a lot of automated traffic but have few end users.
The Connection Quality section gets its data from the Cloudflare Speed Test tool, which exercises a user’s connection in order to see how well it is able to perform. It measures against the closest Cloudflare location, providing a good balance of realistic results and network proximity to the end user. We have a presence in 285 cities around the world, allowing us to be pretty close to most users.
Similar to the IQI, we calculate the 25th percentile, median, and 75th percentile for each ASN. But here these three numbers are immediately combined using an operation called the trimean — a single number meant to balance the best connection quality that most users have, with the best quality available from that ASN (users may not subscribe to the best available plan for a number of reasons).
Because users may choose to run a speed test for different motives at different times, and also because we take privacy very seriously and don’t record any personally identifiable information along with test results, we aggregate at 90-day intervals to capture as much variability as we can.
At the country level and above, the calculated trimean for each ASN in that region is aggregated. This, again, takes the estimated user population of each ASN into account, biasing the numbers away from networks that have few end users but which may still have technicians using the Cloudflare Speed Test to assess the performance of their network.
Navigating the Internet Quality page
The new Internet Quality page includes three views: Global, country-level, and autonomous system (AS). In line with the other pages on Cloudflare Radar, the country-level and AS pages show the same data sets, differing only in their level of aggregation. Below, we highlight the various components of the Internet Quality page.
Global
The top section of the global (worldwide) view includes time series graphs of the Internet Quality Index metrics aggregated at a continent level. The time frame shown in the graphs is governed by the selection made in the time frame drop down at the upper right of the page, and at launch, data for only the last three months is available. For users interested in examining a specific continent, clicking on the other continent names in the legend removes them from the graph. Although continent-level aggregation is still rather coarse, it still provides some insight into regional Internet quality around the world.
Further down the page, the Connection Quality section presents a choropleth map, with countries shaded according to the values of the speed, latency, or jitter metric selected from the drop-down menu. Hovering over a country displays a label with the country’s name and metric value, and clicking on the country takes you to the country’s Internet Quality page. Note that in contrast to the IQI section, the Connection Quality section always displays data aggregated over the previous 90 days.
Country-level
Within the country-level page (using Canada as an example in the figures below), the country’s IQI metrics over the selected time frame are displayed. These time series graphs show the median bandwidth, latency, and DNS response time within a shaded band bounded at the 25th and 75th percentile and represent the average expected user experience across the country, as discussed in the Our approach to data analysis section above.
Below that is the Connection Quality section, which provides a summary view of the country’s measured upload and download speeds, as well as latency and jitter, over the previous 90 days. The colored wedges in the Performance Summary graph are intended to illustrate aggregate connection quality at a glance, with an “ideal” connection having larger upload and download wedges and smaller latency and jitter wedges. Hovering over the wedges displays the metric’s value, which is also shown in the table to the right of the graph.
Below that, the Bandwidth and Latency/Jitter histograms illustrate the bucketed distribution of upload and download speeds, and latency and jitter measurements. In some cases, the speed histograms may show a noticeable bar at 1 Gbps, or 1000 ms (1 second) on the latency/jitter histograms. The presence of such a bar indicates that there is a set of measurements with values greater than the 1 Gbps/1000 ms maximum histogram values.
Autonomous system level
Within the upper-right section of the country-level page, a list of the top five autonomous systems within the country is shown. Clicking on an ASN takes you to the Performance page for that autonomous system. For others not displayed in the top five list, you can use the search bar at the top of the page to search by autonomous system name or number. The graphs shown within the AS level view are identical to those shown at a country level, but obviously at a different level of aggregation. You can find the ASN that you are connected to from the My Connection page on Cloudflare Radar.
Exploring connection performance & quality data
Digging into the IQI and Connection Quality visualizations can surface some interesting observations, including characterizing Internet connections, and the impact of Internet disruptions, including shutdowns and network issues. We explore some examples below.
Characterizing Internet connections
Verizon FiOS is a residential fiber-based Internet service available to customers in the United States. Fiber-based Internet services (as opposed to cable-based, DSL, dial-up, or satellite) will generally offer symmetric upload and download speeds, and the FiOS plans page shows this to be the case, offering 300 Mbps (upload & download), 500 Mbps (upload & download), and “1 Gig” (Verizon claims average wired speeds between 750-940 Mbps download / 750-880 Mbps upload) plans. Verizon carries FiOS traffic on AS701 (labeled UUNET due to a historical acquisition), and in looking at the bandwidth histogram for AS701, several things stand out. The first is a rough symmetry in upload and download speeds. (A cable-based Internet service provider, in contrast, would generally show a wide spread of download speeds, but have upload speeds clustered at the lower end of the range.) Another is the peaks around 300 Mbps and 750 Mbps, suggesting that the 300 Mbps and “1 Gig” plans may be more popular than the 500 Mbps plan. It is also clear that there are a significant number of test results with speeds below 300 Mbps. This is due to several factors: one is that Verizon also carries lower speed non-FiOS traffic on AS701, while another is that erratic nature of in-home WiFi often means that the speeds achieved on a test will be lower than the purchased service level.
Traffic shifts drive latency shifts
On May 9, 2023, the government of Pakistan ordered the shutdown of mobile network services in the wake of protests following the arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan. Our blog post covering this shutdown looked at the impact from a traffic perspective. Within the post, we noted that autonomous systems associated with fixed broadband networks saw significant increases in traffic when the mobile networks were shut down – that is, some users shifted to using fixed networks (home broadband) when mobile networks were unavailable.
Examining IQI data after the blog post was published, we found that the impact of this traffic shift was also visible in our latency data. As can be seen in the shaded area of the graph below, the shutdown of the mobile networks resulted in the median latency dropping about 25% as usage shifted from higher latency mobile networks to lower latency fixed broadband networks. An increase in latency is visible in the graph when mobile connectivity was restored on May 12.
Bandwidth shifts as a potential early warning sign
On April 4, UK mobile operator Virgin Media suffered several brief outages. In examining the IQI bandwidth graph for AS5089, the ASN used by Virgin Media (formerly branded as NTL), indications of a potential problem are visible several days before the outages occurred, as median bandwidth dropped by about a third, from around 35 Mbps to around 23 Mbps. The outages are visible in the circled area in the graph below. Published reports indicate that the problems lasted into April 5, in line with the lower median bandwidth measured through mid-day.
Submarine cable issues cause slower browsing
On June 5, Philippine Internet provider PLDTTweeted an advisory that noted “One of our submarine cable partners confirms a loss in some of its internet bandwidth capacity, and thus causing slower Internet browsing.” IQI latency and bandwidth graphs for AS9299, a primary ASN used by PLDT, shows clear shifts starting around 06:45 UTC (14:45 local time). Median bandwidth dropped by half, from 17 Mbps to 8 Mbps, while median latency increased by 75% from 37 ms to around 65 ms. 75th percentile latency also saw a significant increase, nearly tripling from 63 ms to 180 ms coincident with the reported submarine cable issue.
Conclusion
Making network performance and quality insights available on Cloudflare Radar supports Cloudflare’s mission to help build a better Internet. However, we’re not done yet – we have more enhancements planned. These include making data available at a more granular geographical level (such as state and possibly city), incorporating AIM scores to help assess Internet quality for specific types of use cases, and embedding the Cloudflare speed test directly on Radar using the open source JavaScript module.
In the meantime, we invite you to use speed.cloudflare.com to test the performance and quality of your Internet connection, share any country or AS-level insights you discover on social media (tag @CloudflareRadar on Twitter or @radar@cloudflare.social on Mastodon), and explore the underlying data through the M-Lab repository or the Radar API.
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CDNs help keep Microsoft 365 fast and reliable for end users. Cloud services like Microsoft 365 use CDNs to cache static assets closer to the browsers requesting them to speed up downloads and reduce perceived end user latency. The information in this topic will help you learn about Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) and how they’re used by Microsoft 365.
What exactly is a CDN?
A CDN is a geographically distributed network consisting of proxy and file servers in datacenters connected by high-speed backbone networks. CDNs are used to reduce latency and load times for a specified set of files and objects in a web site or service. A CDN may have many thousands of endpoints for optimal servicing of incoming requests from any location.
CDNs are commonly used to provide faster downloads of generic content for a web site or service such as Javascript files, icons and images, and can also provide private access to user content such as files in SharePoint Online document libraries, streaming media files, and custom code.
CDNs are used by most enterprise cloud services. Cloud services like Microsoft 365 have millions of customers downloading a mix of proprietary content (such as emails) and generic content (such as icons) at one time. It’s more efficient to put images everyone uses, like icons, as close to the user’s computer as possible. It isn’t practical for every cloud service to build CDN datacenters that store this generic content in every metropolitan area, or even in every major Internet hub around the world, so some of these CDNs are shared.
How do CDNs make services work faster?
Downloading common objects like site images and icons over and over again can take up network bandwidth that can be better used for downloading important personal content, like email or documents. Because Microsoft 365 uses an architecture that includes CDNs, the icons, scripts, and other generic content can be downloaded from servers closer to client computers, making the downloads faster. This means faster access to your personal content, which is securely stored in Microsoft 365 datacenters.
CDNs help to improve cloud service performance in several ways:
CDNs shift part of the network and file download burden away from the cloud service, freeing up cloud service resources for serving user content and other services by reducing the need to serve requests for static assets.
CDNs are purpose built to provide low-latency file access by implementing high performance networks and file servers, and by leveraging updated network protocols such as HTTP/2 with highly efficient compression and request multiplexing.
CDN networks use many globally distributed endpoints to make content available as close as possible to users.
The Microsoft 365 CDN
The built-in Microsoft 365 Content Delivery Network (CDN) allows Microsoft 365 administrators to provide better performance for their organization’s SharePoint Online pages by caching static assets closer to the browsers requesting them, which helps to speed up downloads and reduce latency. The Microsoft 365 CDN uses the HTTP/2 protocol for improved compression and download speeds.
Note
The Microsoft 365 CDN is only available to tenants in the Production (worldwide) cloud. Tenants in the US Government, China and Germany clouds do not currently support the Microsoft 365 CDN.
The Microsoft 365 CDN is composed of multiple CDNs that allow you to host static assets in multiple locations, or origins, and serve them from global high-speed networks. Depending on the kind of content you want to host in the Microsoft 365 CDN, you can add public origins, private origins or both.
Content in public origins within the Microsoft 365 CDN is accessible anonymously, and can be accessed by anyone who has URLs to hosted assets. Because access to content in public origins is anonymous, you should only use them to cache non-sensitive generic content such as Javascript files, scripts, icons and images. The Microsoft 365 CDN is used by default for downloading generic resource assets like the Microsoft 365 client applications from a public origin.
Private origins within the Microsoft 365 CDN provide private access to user content such as SharePoint Online document libraries, sites and proprietary images. Access to content in private origins is secured with dynamically generated tokens so it can only be accessed by users with permissions to the original document library or storage location. Private origins in the Microsoft 365 CDN can only be used for SharePoint Online content, and you can only access assets through redirection from your SharePoint Online tenant.
The Microsoft 365 CDN service is included as part of your SharePoint Online subscription.
Although not a part of the Microsoft 365 CDN, you can use these CDNs in your Microsoft 365 tenant for access to SharePoint development libraries, custom code and other purposes that fall outside the scope of the Microsoft 365 CDN.
Azure CDN
Note
Beginning in Q3 2020, SharePoint Online will begin caching videos on the Azure CDN to support improved video playback and reliability. Popular videos will be streamed from the CDN endpoint closest to the user. This data will remain within the Microsoft Purview boundary. This is a free service for all tenants and it does not require any customer action to configure.
You can use the Azure CDN to deploy your own CDN instance for hosting custom web parts, libraries and other resource assets, which allows you to apply access keys to your CDN storage and exert greater control over your CDN configuration. Use of the Azure CDN isn’t free, and requires an Azure subscription.
Microsoft’s Ajax CDN is a read-only CDN that offers many popular development libraries including jQuery (and all of its other libraries), ASP.NET Ajax, Bootstrap, Knockout.js, and others.
To include these scripts in your project, simply replace any references to these publicly available libraries with references to the CDN address instead of including it in your project itself. For example, use the following code to link to jQuery:
For more information about how to use the Microsoft Ajax CDN, see Microsoft Ajax CDN.
How does Microsoft 365 use content from a CDN?
Regardless of what CDN you configure for your Microsoft 365 tenant, the basic data retrieval process is the same.
Your client (a browser or Office client application) requests data from Microsoft 365.
Microsoft 365 either returns the data directly to your client or, if the data is part of a set of content hosted by the CDN, redirects your client to the CDN URL.a. If the data is already cached in a public origin, your client downloads the data directly from the nearest CDN location to your client.b. If the data is already cached in a private origin, the CDN service checks your Microsoft 365 user account’s permissions on the origin. If you have permissions, SharePoint Online dynamically generates a custom URL composed of the path to the asset in the CDN and two access tokens, and returns the custom URL to your client. Your client then downloads the data directly from the nearest CDN location to your client using the custom URL.
If the data isn’t cached at the CDN, the CDN node requests the data from Microsoft 365 and then caches the data for time after your client downloads the data.
The CDN figures out the closest datacenter to the user’s browser and, using redirection, downloads the requested data from there. CDN redirection is quick, and can save users a lot of download time.
How should I set up my network so that CDNs work best with Microsoft 365?
Minimizing latency between clients on your network and CDN endpoints is the key consideration for ensuring optimal performance. You can use the best practices outlined in Managing Microsoft 365 endpoints to ensure that your network configuration permits client browsers to access the CDN directly rather than routing CDN traffic through central proxies to avoid introducing unnecessary latency.
Is there a list of all the CDNs that Microsoft 365 uses?
The CDNs in use by Microsoft 365 are always subject to change and in many cases there are multiple CDN partners configured in the event one is unavailable. The primary CDNs used by Microsoft 365 are:
CDN
Company
Usage
Link
Microsoft 365 CDN
Microsoft Azure
Generic assets in public origins, SharePoint user content in private origins
There are many factors involved in measuring specific differences in performance between data downloaded directly from Microsoft 365 and data downloaded from a specific CDN, such as your location relative to your tenant and to the nearest CDN endpoint, the number of assets on a page that are served by the CDN, and transient changes in network latency and bandwidth. However, a simple A/B test can help to show the difference in download time for a specific file.
The following screenshots illustrate the difference in download speed between the native file location in Microsoft 365 and the same file hosted on the Microsoft Ajax Content Delivery Network. These screenshots are from the Network tab in the Internet Explorer 11 developer tools. These screenshots show the latency on the popular library jQuery. To bring up this screen, in Internet Explorer, press F12 and select the Network tab, which is symbolized with a Wi-Fi icon.
This screenshot shows the library uploaded to the master page gallery on the SharePoint Online site itself. The time it took to upload the library is 1.51 seconds.
The second screenshot shows the same file delivered by Microsoft’s CDN. This time the latency is around 496 milliseconds. This is a large improvement and shows that a whole second is shaved off the total time to download the object.
Is my data safe?
We take great care to protect the data that runs your business. Data stored in the Microsoft 365 CDN is encrypted both in transit and at rest, and access to data in the Microsoft 365 SharePoint CDN is secured by Microsoft 365 user permissions and token authorization. Requests for data in the Microsoft 365 SharePoint CDN must be referred (redirected) from your Microsoft 365 tenant or an authorization token won’t be generated.
To ensure that your data remains secure, we recommend that you never store user content or other sensitive data in a public CDN. Because access to data in a public CDN is anonymous, public CDNs should only be used to host generic content such as web script files, icons, images and other non-sensitive assets.
Note
3rd party CDN providers may have privacy and compliance standards that differ from the commitments outlined by the Microsoft 365 Trust Center. Data cached through the CDN service may not conform to the Microsoft Data Processing Terms (DPT), and may be outside of the Microsoft 365 Trust Center compliance boundaries.
For in-depth information about privacy and data protection for Microsoft 365 CDN providers, visit the following:
Learn more about Microsoft 365 privacy and data protection at the Microsoft Trust Center
Learn more about Azure privacy and data protection at the Azure Trust Center
How can I secure my network with all these 3rd party services?
Using an extensive set of partner services allows Microsoft 365 to scale and meet availability requirements and enhance the user experience when using Microsoft 365. The 3rd party services Microsoft 365 leverages include both certificate revocation lists; such as crl.microsoft.com or sa.symcb.com, and CDNs; such as r3.res.outlook.com. Every CDN FQDN generated by Microsoft 365 is a custom FQDN for Microsoft 365. If you’re sent to a FQDN at the request of Microsoft 365, you can be assured that the CDN provider controls the FQDN and the underlying content at that location.
For customers that want to segregate requests destined for a Microsoft 365 datacenter from requests that are destined for a 3rd party, we’ve written up guidance on Managing Microsoft 365 endpoints.
Is there a list of all the FQDNs that leverage CDNs?
The list of FQDNs and how they leverage CDNs change over time. Refer to our published Microsoft 365 URLs and IP address ranges page to get up to date on the latest FQDNs that leverage CDNs.
Can I use my own CDN and cache content on my local network?
We’re continually looking for new ways to support our customers’ needs and are currently exploring the use of caching proxy solutions and other on-premises CDN solutions.
Although it isn’t a part of the Microsoft 365 CDN, you can also use the Azure CDN for hosting custom web parts, libraries and other resource assets, which allows you to apply access keys to your CDN storage and exert greater control over your CDN configuration. Use of the Azure CDN isn’t free, and requires an Azure subscription. For more information on how to configure an Azure CDN instance, see Quickstart: Integrate an Azure storage account with Azure CDN.
I’m using Azure ExpressRoute for Microsoft 365, does that change things?
Azure ExpressRoute for Microsoft 365 provides a dedicated connection to Microsoft 365 infrastructure that is segregated from the public internet. This means that clients will still need to connect over non-ExpressRoute connections to connect to CDNs and other Microsoft infrastructure that isn’t explicitly included in the list of services supported by ExpressRoute. For more information about how to route specific traffic such as requests destined for CDNs, see Implementing ExpressRoute for Microsoft 365.
Can I use CDNs with SharePoint Server on-premises?
Using CDNs only makes sense in a SharePoint Online context and should be avoided with SharePoint Server. This is because all of the advantages around geographic location don’t hold true if the server is located on-premises or geographically close anyway. Additionally, if there’s a network connection to the servers where it’s hosted, then the site may be used without an Internet connection and therefore can’t retrieve the CDN files. Otherwise, you should use a CDN if there’s one available and stable for the library and files you need for your site.
TeamViewer offers the possibility to activate Account Recovery based on the zero-trust principle.
This is a major security enhancement for your TeamViewer account and a unique offering on the market.
This article applies to all users.
What is Zero Knowledge Account Recovery
In cases where you cannot remember your TeamViewer Account credentials, you click on I forgot my password, which triggers an email with a clickable link that leads you to the option of resetting your password.
The regular reset process leads you to a page where you can set a new password for your account.
The Zero Knowledge Account Recovery acts as another layer of security for this process as the reset process requires you to enter the unique 64 characters Zero Knowledge Account Recovery Code for your account to prove your identity. Important to note is that this happens without any intervention and knowledge of the TeamViewer infrastructure.
Activate Zero Knowledge Account Recover
To activate Zero Knowledge Account Recovery please follow the steps below:
2. Click Edit profile under your profile name (upper right corner).
3. Go to Security in the left menu
4. Click the Activate Zero knowledge account recovery button
📌 Note: The password recovery code is a unique 64 characters code that allows you to regain access if you forgot your password. It is absolutely essential that you print/download your recovery code and keep this in a secure place.
⚠ IMPORTANT: Without the recovery code you won’t be able to recover your account. Access to your account will be irreversibly lost. The data is encrypted with the key and you are the only owner of this key. TeamViewer has no access to it.
5. A PopUp window appears sharing the above information. Click on Generate Recovery Code to proceed.
6. The Recovery Code is shown. You have to download or print the code as well as you tick the check box confirming that you acknowledge and understand that if you lose your zero knowledge account recovery code, you won’t be able to recover your password and you will lose access to your account forever
⚠ Do not tick the box unless you understand the meaning.
7. Once you either downloaded or printed the recovery code and ticked the acknowledge box, you can activate the Zero knowledge account recovery by clicking Activate.
Deactivate Zero Knowledge Account Recovery
To deactivate Zero Knowledge Account Recovery please follow the steps below:
2. Click Edit profile under your profile name (upper right corner).
3. Go to Security in the left menu
4. Click the Deactivate Zero knowledge account recovery button
5. A PopUp appears. You have to tick the check box confirming that you acknowledge and understand that if you will be deactivating your zero knowledge account recovery
6. Click Deactivate to deactivate the Zero Knowledge Account recovery for your TeamViewer Account.
Reset your password
To reset your password for your TeamViewer account, please follow the steps below: (More info here: Reset account password)
TeamViewer is designed to connect easily to remote computers without any special firewall configurations being necessary.
This article applies to all users in all licenses.
In the vast majority of cases, TeamViewer will always work if surfing on the internet is possible. TeamViewer makes outbound connections to the internet, which are usually not blocked by firewalls.
However, in some situations, for example in a corporate environment with strict security policies, a firewall might be set up to block all unknown outbound connections, and in this case, you will need to configure the firewall to allow TeamViewer to connect out through it.
TeamViewer ‘s Ports
These are the ports that TeamViewer needs to use.
TCP/UDP Port 5938
TeamViewer prefers to make outbound TCP and UDP connections over port 5938 – this is the primary port it uses, and TeamViewer performs best using this port. Your firewall should allow this at a minimum.
TCP Port 443
If TeamViewer can’t connect over port 5938, it will next try to connect over TCP port 443.
However, our mobile apps running on iOS and Windows Mobile don’t use port 443.
📌Note: port 443 is also used by our custom modules which are created in the Management Console. If you’re deploying a custom module, eg. through Group Policy, then you need to ensure that port 443 is open on the computers to which you’re deploying. Port 443 is also used for a few other things, including TeamViewer (Classic) update checks.
TCP Port 80
If TeamViewer can’t connect over port 5938 or 443, then it will try on TCP port 80. The connection speed over this port is slower and less reliable than ports 5938 or 443, due to the additional overhead it uses, and there is no automatic reconnection if the connection is temporarily lost. For this reason port 80 is only used as a last resort.
Our mobile apps running on Windows Mobile don’t use port 80. However, our iOS and Android apps can use port 80 if necessary.
Windows Mobile
Our mobile apps running on Windows Mobile can only connect out over port 5938. If the TeamViewer app on your mobile device won’t connect and tells you to “check your internet connection”, it’s probably because this port is being blocked by your mobile data provider or your WiFi router/firewall.
Destination IP addresses
The TeamViewer software makes connections to our master servers located around the world. These servers use a number of different IP address ranges, which are also frequently changing. As such, we are unable to provide a list of our server IPs. However, all of our IP addresses have PTR records that resolve to *.teamviewer.com. You can use this to restrict the destination IP addresses that you allow through your firewall or proxy server.
Having said that, from a security point-of-view this should not really be necessary – TeamViewer only ever initiates outgoing data connections through a firewall, so it is sufficient to simply block all incoming connections on your firewall and only allow outgoing connections over port 5938, regardless of the destination IP address.
Small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are increasingly becoming targets for cyber attacks. According to Verizon, about 61 percent of SMBs reported at least one cyber attack in 2021. Worse, Joe Galvin, chief research officer at Vistage, reported that about 60 percent of small businesses fold within six months of a cyber attack.
To protect your network from potential threats, you need a reliable and effective firewall solution. This tool will act as the first line of defense against unauthorized access and can help prevent malicious attacks from infiltrating a business’s network.
We reviewed the top SMB firewall solutions to help you determine the best one for your business.
Founded in 2018, Perimeter 81 is a cloud and network security company that provides organizations with a secure and unified platform for accessing and managing their applications and data.
It provides many security solutions, including firewall as a service (FWaaS), secure web gateway (SWG), zero trust network access (ZTNA), malware protection, software-defined perimeter, VPN-alternative and secure access service edge (SASE) capabilities, to ensure that data is secure and accessible to authorized personnel. It also provides centralized management and user access monitoring, enabling organizations to monitor and control user activity across the network.
Perimeter 81 provides granular access control policies that enable organizations to define and enforce access rules for their network resources based on the user’s identity, device type, and other contextual factors—making it easy for employees to access the company’s resources without compromising security.
Pricing
Pricing plans
Minimum users
Cost per month, plus gateway cost
Cost per year, plus gateway cost
Cloud firewall
Agentless application access
Device posture check
Essential
10
$10 per user, plus $50 per month per gateway
$8 per user, plus $40 per month per gateway
No
2 applications
No
Premium
10
$12 per user, plus $50 per month per gateway
$15 per user, plus $40 per month per gateway
10 policies
10 applications
3 profiles
Premium Plus
20
$16 per user, plus $50 per month per gateway
$20 per user, plus $40 per month per gateway
100 policies
100 applications
20 profiles
Enterprise
50
Custom quotes
Custom quotes
Unlimited
Unlimited
Unlimited
Features
Identity-based access for devices and users.
Network segmentation.
OS and application-level security and mutual TLS encryption.
Enable traffic encryption enforcement, 2FA, Single Sign-On, DNS filtering, and authentication.
Pros
Provides visibility into the company network.
Allows employee access from on-premise.
Automatic Wi-Fi security.
30-day money-back guarantee.
Cons
Low and mid-tiered plans lack phone support.
Limited support for Essential, Premium, and Premium Plus.
pfSense
Best open-source-driven firewall
pfSense is an open-source firewall/router network security solution based on FreeBSD. Featuring firewall, router, VPN, and DHCP servers, pfSense is a highly customizable tool that can be used in various network environments, from small home networks to large enterprise networks.
The tool supports multiple WAN connections, failover and load balancing, and traffic shaping, which can help optimize network performance. pfSense can be used on computers, network appliances, and embedded systems to provide a wide range of networking services.
Pricing
pfSense pricing varies based on your chosen medium—cloud, software, or hardware appliances.
For pfSense cloud:
pfSense on AWS: Pricing starts from $0.01 per hour to $0.40 per hour.
pfSense on Azure: Pricing starts from $0.08 per hour to $0.24 per hour.
The tool’s open-source version support is limited to community or forum. It lacks remote login support, private login support, a private support portal, email, telephone, and tickets.
Complex initial setup for inexperienced users.
Comodo Free Firewall
Best for Windows PCs
Comodo Firewall is a free firewall software designed to protect computers from unauthorized access and malicious software by monitoring all incoming and outgoing network traffic.
The firewall features packet filtering, intrusion detection and prevention, and application control. It also includes a “sandbox” feature that allows users to run potentially risky applications in a protected environment without risking damage to the underlying system.
The software works seamlessly with other Comodo products, such as Comodo Antivirus and Comodo Internet Security.
Pricing
Comodo is free to download and use. The vendor recommends adding its paid antivirus product (Comodo Internet Security Pro) to its firewall for added security. The antivirus costs $29.99 per year for one PC or $39.99 per year for three PCs.
Features
Auto sandbox technology.
Cloud-based behavior analysis.
Cloud-based allowlisting.
Supports all Windows OS versions since Windows XP (Note: Windows 11 support forthcoming).
Website filtering.
Virtual desktop.
Pros
Monitors in/out connections.
Learn user behavior to deliver personalized protection.
Real-time malware protection.
Cons
Lacks modern user interface.
Pop-up notifications—some users may find the frequent alerts generated by the software annoying and intrusive.
ManageEngine Firewall Analyzer
Best for log, policy, and firewall configuration management
It provides real-time visibility into network activity and helps organizations identify network threats, malicious traffic, and policy violations. It supports various firewalls, including Cisco ASA, Palo Alto, Juniper SRX, Check Point, SonicWall, and Fortinet.
Firewall Analyzer helps monitor network security, analyze the security posture of the network, and ensure compliance with security policies. It also provides reports, dashboards, and automated alerting to ensure the network remains secure.
Pricing
The amount you will pay for this tool depends on the edition you choose and the number of devices in your organization.
You can download the enterprise edition’s 30-day free trial to test-run it and learn more about its capabilities. It’s available in two versions: Windows OS or Linux. You can also download it for mobile devices, including iPhone devices and Android phones or tablets.
Standard Edition: Starts at $395 per device, up to 60 devices.
Professional Edition: Starts at $595 per device, up to 60 devices.
Enterprise Edition: Starts at $8,395 for 20 devices, up to 1,200 devices.
Regulatory compliance with standards such as ISO, PCI-DSS, NERC-CIP, SANS, and NIST.
Network behavioral anomaly alert.
Security reports for viruses, attacks, spam, denied hosts, and event summaries.
Historical configuration change tracking.
Bandwidth report for live bandwidth, traffic analyzer, URL monitor, and employee internet usage.
Compatible with over 70 firewall versions.
Pros
Excellent technical support.
Users praise its reporting capability.
In-depth auditing with aggregated database entries capability.
VPN and security events analysis.
Cons
Complex initial setup.
Users reported that the tool is occasionally slow.
Fortinet FortiGate
Best for hybrid workforces
Fortinet FortiGate is a network security platform that offers a broad range of security and networking services for enterprises of all sizes. It provides advanced threat protection, secure connectivity, and secure access control. It also provides advanced firewall protection, application control, and web filtering.
Business owners can use Fortinet’s super-handy small business product selector to determine the best tool for their use cases.
Small and mid-sized businesses may find the following FortiGate’s model suitable for their needs:
IPS
NGFW
Threat Protection
Interfaces
Series
FortiGate 80F
1.4 Gbps
1 Gbps
900 Mbps
Multiple GE RJ45 | Variants with PoE, DSL,3G4G, WiFi and/or storage
Multiple GE RJ45 | Variants with internalstorage | WiFi variants
FG-60F, FG-61F, FWF-60F, and FWF-61F
FortiGate 40F
1 Gbps
800 Mbps
600 Mbps
Multiple GE RJ45 | WiFi variants
FG-40F, FG-40F-3G4G, FWF-40F, FWF-40F-3G4G
Fortinet FortiGate is compatible with several operating systems and can easily be integrated into existing networks.
Pricing
Unfortunately, Fortinet doesn’t publish their prices. Reseller prices start around $335 for the FortiGate 40F with no support. Contact Fortinet’s sales team for quotes.
Features
Offers AI-powered security services, including web, content, and device security, plus advanced tools for SOC/NOC.
Continuous risk assessment.
Threat protection capability.
Pros
Top-rated firewall by NSS Labs.
Intrusion prevention.
Cons
According to user reviews, the CLI is somewhat complex.
Complex initial setup.
SonicWall TZ400 Security Firewall
Best for advanced threat protection
The SonicWall TZ400 is a mid-range, enterprise-grade security firewall designed to protect small to midsize businesses. It supports up to 150,000 maximum connections, 6,000 new connections per second, and 7×1-Gbe.
The TZ400 features 1.3 Gbps firewall inspection throughput, 1.2 Gbps application inspection throughput, 900 Mbps IPS throughput, 900 Mbps VPN throughput, and 600 Mbps threat prevention throughput.
Pricing
This product’s pricing is not available on the Sonicwall website. However, resellers such as CDW, Staples, and Office Depot typically sell it in the $1,000–$1,500 range. You can request a quote for your particular use case directly from Sonicwall.
Fast performance with gigabit and multi-gigabit Ethernet interfaces.
Protects against intrusion, malware, and ransomware.
High-performance IPS, VPN, and threat prevention throughput.
Efficient firewall inspection and application inspection throughput.
Cons
Support can be improved.
It can be difficult to configure for inexperienced users.
Cisco Meraki MX68
Best for small branches with up to 50 users
The Cisco Meraki MX68 is a security appliance designed for SMBs. It’s part of the Cisco Meraki MX series of cloud-managed security appliances that provide network security, content filtering, intrusion prevention, and application visibility and control.
The MX68 is equipped with advanced security features such as a stateful firewall, VPN, and intrusion prevention system (IPS) to protect your network from cyber attacks. The MX68 has a variety of ports and interfaces, including LAN and WAN ports and a USB port for 3G/4G failover. It also supports multiple WAN uplinks, providing redundancy and failover options to ensure your network remains online and available.
Pricing
The Cisco Meraki MX68 pricing isn’t listed on the company’s website, but resellers typically list it starting around $640. You can request a demo, free trial, or quotes by contacting the Cisco sales team.
Features
Centralized management via web-based dashboard or API.
Intrusion detection and prevention (IDS/IPS).
Next-generation layer 7 firewalls and content filtering.
SSL decryption/inspection, data loss prevention (DLP), and cloud access security broker (CASB).
Instant wired failover with added 3G/4G failover via a USB modem.
Pros
Remote browser isolation, granular app control, and SaaS tenant restrictions.
Support for native IPsec or Cisco AnyConnect remote client VPN.
Provides unified management for security, SD-WAN, Wi-Fi, switching, mobile device management (MDM), and internet of things (IoT)
Cons
The license cost is somewhat high.
Support can be improved.
Sophos XGS Series
Best for remote workers
Sophos XGS Series Desktop is a range of network security appliances designed to provide comprehensive protection for SMBs. These appliances combine several security technologies, including firewall, intrusion prevention, VPN, web filtering, email filtering, and application control, to provide a robust and integrated security solution.
Here’s a comparison table of the Sophos XGS series firewalls:
Firewall
TLS inspection
IPS
IPSEC VPN
NGFW
Firewall IMIX
Threat protection
Latency (64 byte UDP)
XGS Desktop Models
3,850 Mbps
375 Mbps
1,200 Mbps
3,000 Mbps
700 Mbps
3,000 Mbps
280 Mbps
6 µs
XGS 107 / 107w
7,000 Mbps
420 Mbps
1,500 Mbps
4,000 Mbps
1,050 Mbps
3,750 Mbps
370 Mbps
6 µs
XGS 116 / 116w
7,700 Mbps
650 Mbps
2,500 Mbps
4,800 Mbps
2,000 Mbps
4,500 Mbps
720 Mbps
8 µs
126/126w
10,500 Mbps
800 Mbps
3,250 Mbps
5,500 Mbps
2,500 Mbps
5,250 Mbps
900 Mbps
8 µs
136/136w
11,500 Mbps
950 Mbps
4,000 Mbps
6,350 Mbps
3,000 Mbps
6,500 Mbps
1,000 Mbps
8 µs
The Sophos XGS Series Desktop appliances are available in several models with varying performance capabilities, ranging from entry-level models suitable for small offices to high-performance models suitable for large enterprises. They are designed to be easy to deploy and manage, with a user-friendly web interface and centralized management capabilities.
Pricing
Sophos doesn’t advertise the pricing for their XGS Series Desktop appliances online, but they typically retail starting at about $520 from resellers.
Potential customers are encouraged to request a free trial and pricing information by filling out a form on the “Get Pricing” page of their website.
Features
Centralized management and reporting.
Wireless, SD-WAN, application aware routing, and traffic shaping capability.
SD-WAN orchestration.
Advanced web and zero-day threat protection.
Pros
Zero-touch deployment.
Lateral movement protection.
Users find the tool scalable.
Cons
Performance limitations.
Support can be improved.
Protectli Vault – 4 Port
Best for building your own OPNsense or pfSense router and firewall
The Protectli Vault is a small form-factor network appliance designed to act as a firewall, router, or other network gateway. The 4-Port version has four gigabit Intel Ethernet NIC ports, making it ideal for SMB or home networks.
The device is powered by a low-power Intel processor and can run a variety of open-source firewall and router operating systems, such as pfSense, OPNsense, or Untangle. It comes with 8GB DDR3 RAM and up to 32GB DDR4 RAM.
The Protectli Vault is designed to be fanless, silent, and compact, making it ideal for use in the home or office environments where noise and space may be an issue. It’s also designed to be energy-efficient, consuming only a few watts of power, which can save businesses considerable amounts of money on energy costs over time.
Pricing
The amount you will pay for this tool depends on the model you select and your desired configuration. The rates below are starting prices; your actual rate may vary based on your configuration. Note that all these items ship free to U.S. addresses.
VP2410 – 4x 1G Port Intel J4125: Starts at $329.
VP2420 – 4x 2.5G Port Intel J6412: Starts at $379.
FW4B – 4x 1G Port Intel J3160: Starts at $269.
FW4C – 4x 2.5G Port Intel J3710: Starts at $289.
Features
Solid-state and fanless tool.
Provides 2.5 GB ports unit.
AES-NI, VPN, and coreboot options.
Pros
A 30-day money-back guarantee.
Transparent pricing.
Coreboot support.
CPU supports AES-NI.
Cons
Steep learning curve.
OPNSense
Best for flexibility
OPNsense is a free and open-source firewall and routing platform based on the FreeBSD OS. It was forked from the popular pfSense and m0n0wall project in 2014 and was officially released in January 2015.
OPNsense provides a modular design that allows users to easily add or remove functionality based on their needs.
OPNsense is popular among IT professionals and network administrators who need a flexible and customizable firewall and routing platform that they can tailor to their specific needs. It’s also a good choice for small businesses and home users who want to improve their networks’ security without spending a lot of money on commercial solutions.
VPN (site-to-site and road warrior, IPsec, OpenVPN, and legacy PPTP support).
Built-in reporting and monitoring tools, including RRD Graphs.
Pros
Free, open source.
Traffic shaper.
Support for plugins.
Multi-language support, including English, Czech, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish.
Cons
Reporting capability can be improved.
The interface can be improved.
Key features of SMB firewalls
Firewalls designed for SMBs share many of the same characteristics as their enterprise-grade cousins—such as firewall rule and policy configuration, content filtering, reporting and analytics—while placing additional emphasis on affordability and ease of use.
Firewall rules and policies
Administrators should be able to set up firewall rules and policies that control traffic flow and block or permit traffic based on various criteria, such as source/destination IP addresses, ports, and protocols.
These rules and policies can be used to control the types of applications, services, and data that are allowed to traverse the network, as well as create restrictions on access.
Firewall rules and policies are essential to the security of a network, as they provide the first line of defense against malicious attacks.
Content filtering
Content filtering is the process of blocking or restricting certain types of content from entering or leaving a network. It can be used to block websites, applications, or data that may contain malicious or unwanted content, such as malware, viruses, or pornographic material.
Content filtering is typically implemented using a combination of hardware and software solutions. Hardware solutions, such as routers and switches, can be configured to block certain types of traffic or data or to restrict access to certain websites or applications. Software solutions, such as firewall rules and policies, can also be used to block or restrict certain types of content.
Reporting and analytics
Reporting and analytics are essential for any business network, as they provide important insights into the health and security of the network. Firewall reporting and analytics features allow network administrators to identify trends, detect potential threats, and analyze the performance of the network over time.
Reporting and analytics can also be used to identify any areas of the network that may be vulnerable to attack, as well as identify any areas where the network may not be performing optimally.
Affordability
For SMBs, affordability is a key factor when it comes to purchasing a firewall. SMB firewalls are typically more affordable than enterprise firewalls and can be purchased for as little as a few hundred dollars, so it is important to consider your budget when selecting a firewall.
Some SMB firewalls offer additional features for a fee, so consider what features are necessary for your network and the ones you can do without, as this will help you decide on the most cost-effective firewall solution. At the same time, be careful not to cut corners—your business’s data is too important to be insufficiently protected.
Ease of use and support
For SMBs, finding a firewall solution that is easy to use and has good support is essential. Firewalls should be easy to configure and manage so the network administrator can quickly and easily make changes as needed.
Additionally, good support should be available for any issues or questions that arise. This support should include an online knowledge base and access to technical support staff that can assist with any questions or problems, ideally 24/7.
How to choose the best SMB firewall software for your business
When shopping for the best SMB firewall software for your business, look for software that offers the features you need, easy installation and management, scalability to grow with your business, minimal impact on network performance, and an affordable price.
It’s also important to choose a vendor with a good reputation in the industry, backed up by positive reviews and customer feedback.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
What is an SMB firewall?
An SMB firewall is a type of network security device that is designed specifically for small and medium-sized businesses. It’s used to protect networks from unauthorized access, malicious attacks, and other security threats.
What features should I look for in an SMB firewall?
Above all you need a solution with a strong security profile. Look for specific security measures such as:
Intrusion prevention
Content filtering
Malware protection
Application control
Traffic shaper
Other factors to consider include ease of management, scalability, and cost.
Do small businesses need a firewall?
Yes, small businesses need a firewall. It provides an essential layer of network security that helps protect against unauthorized access, malware, and other security threats. Without a firewall, small businesses are vulnerable to attacks that could compromise sensitive data, cause network downtime, and damage their reputation.
How much does a firewall cost for SMBs?
The cost of an SMB firewall can vary widely depending on the features, capabilities, and brand of the firewall. Generally, SMB firewalls can range in price from a few hundred to several thousand dollars.
How many firewalls do you need for a small business?
The number of firewalls needed for a small business will depend on the size and complexity of the network. In many cases, a single firewall may be sufficient to protect the entire network. However, in larger networks, it may be necessary to deploy multiple firewalls to provide adequate protection.
Factors such as network segmentation, geographic location, and compliance requirements may also influence the number of firewalls needed. It’s best to consult with a network security expert to determine the appropriate number of firewalls for your small business.
Methodology
We analyzed dozens of SMB firewall software and narrowed down our list to the top ten. We gathered primary data—including pricing details, features, support, and more—from each tool provider’s website, as well as third-party reviews. We selected each software based on five key data points: security, ease of use, affordability, quality of service, and user satisfaction.
Bottom line: Choosing an SMB firewall
The solutions we evaluated are some of the best SMB firewalls currently available on the market. They are designed to provide SMBs with advanced security features, easy management, and scalability at affordable rates.
In the fast-paced realm of cyberspace where threats continue to multiply, firewall software represents a critical line of defense for businesses of all sizes.
Such programs function as digital gatekeepers, regulating the flow of inbound and outbound network traffic according to a set of rules defined by the user.
With the continued rise of data breaches, investing in the best firewall software isn’t a mere consideration; it’s a necessity.
That’s why we researched, analyzed, and selected the best firewall software solutions for 2023:
Norton is a household name in cybersecurity that has long been delivering top-tier firewall software that signifies its wealth of experience in the sector.
The standout attribute of Norton is its comprehensive security suite, going beyond basic firewall protection to incorporate a smart firewall and intrusion prevention system (IPS), antivirus capabilities, identity theft protection, and even a VPN offering.
All that adds up to a holistic solution for businesses desiring a single-stop security software.
Pricing
Norton’s Smart Firewall is included in Norton 360, whose pricing plans at the time of writing are:
Deluxe: $49.99 for the first year for 5 PCs, Macs, tablets, or phones.
Select + LifeLock: $99.99 for the first year for 10 PCs, Macs, tablets, or phones.
Advantage + LifeLock: $191.88 for the first year for 10 PCs, Macs, tablets, or phones.
Ultimate Plus + LifeLock: $299.88 for the first year for unlimited PCs, Macs, tablets, or phones.
Features
Advanced smart firewall with customizable rules, allowing businesses to modify access based on their specific needs, thus providing a higher level of personalized security.
Integrated VPN for safe browsing ensures users can access the internet securely without worrying about potential threats or privacy breaches.
Identity theft protection is another vital feature, which helps safeguard sensitive personal and business data from potential hackers.
SafeCam feature prevents unauthorized access to your webcam, thwarting any potential spying or privacy intrusions.
Automatic updates ensure that your protection is always up-to-date, reinforcing defenses against new and evolving threats.
Pros
Norton offers a comprehensive security suite, providing a broad spectrum of protective measures beyond the typical firewall, creating a fortified line of defense against a myriad of cyber threats.
The interface is easy to navigate, making the process of setting up and managing the firewall less complex and more user-friendly, even for those with limited technical knowledge.
It provides 24/7 customer support, ensuring that you’ll have access to assistance whenever you need it, regardless of the hour or day.
Cons
While perfect for small to mid-sized businesses, Norton might not be as scalable for larger businesses with a vast network of devices, potentially limiting its effectiveness in such an environment.
Depending on your requirements, the subscription can become expensive with add-ons, which might be a drawback for businesses on a tight budget.
Fortinet
Best for scalability
Fortinet is a well-regarded player in the cybersecurity arena and its firewall software exemplifies its commitment to delivering high-quality solutions. FortiGate, Fortinet’s firewall offering, is recognized for its advanced firewall solutions that are scalable and robust.
Particularly useful for growing businesses, FortiGate brings forward top-notch features that can effortlessly adapt to the needs of expanding network infrastructures.
Pricing
Fortinet offers a variety of solutions priced broadly to accommodate all business sizes—from $250 for home office to $300,000 for large enterprises. Contact Fortinet for accurate pricing information.
Features
FortiGate offers an advanced firewall with extensive protection against incoming threats, thus maintaining the security of your network.
With scalability at its core, FortiGate can adapt and grow along with your business, addressing increasing security demands seamlessly.
Smooth integration with other Fortinet security solutions, enabling a comprehensive security ecosystem for your business.
FortiGate Cloud-Native Firewall offers high resiliency to ease security delivery across cloud networks and availability zones at scale.
Automatic updates keep the firewall current and equipped to deal with the latest threats, ensuring your network’s protection remains robust.
Pros
Fortinet’s robust firewall features deliver comprehensive security for your network, providing the necessary defenses to ward off potential threats.
With a strong focus on scalability, Fortinet is an ideal choice for rapidly growing businesses that need a security solution to match their expanding network.
The software’s high-performance nature means that it delivers robust security without hampering your network’s speed or efficiency.
Cons
Despite (or because of) offering a wealth of features, Fortinet’s interface may not be as user-friendly as some other options, potentially causing difficulties for those without substantial technical knowledge.
While Fortinet offers a range of pricing options, the cost can quickly escalate for larger networks or when additional features are included, which may not suit budget-conscious businesses.
Pricing information is not transparent and requires negotiation. Your mileage may vary.
GlassWire
Best for user-friendly interface
GlassWire is an elegant and visually appealing firewall software that provides comprehensive network monitoring capabilities.
It uniquely combines a network monitor and firewall, offering users a clear visual representation of their network activity. This functionality helps users to understand their online behavior and potential threats in a way that’s easy to interpret.
Pricing
GlassWire offers a tiered pricing model:
Free: provides limited features, perfect for individual users or small businesses.
Premium: Starts at $2.99 per month per license, paid annually. Its premium tier plans suitable for business range between 10 and 200 licenses.
Features
Real-time and detailed visualization of your current and past network activity, offering an intuitive and easy-to-understand representation of what’s happening on your network.
Built-in firewall that allows users to easily monitor applications using the network and block any suspicious activity, providing a comprehensive network security solution.
A unique “Incognito” mode for users who do not want certain network activities to appear on the network graph, ensuring user privacy.
Firewall profiles to instantly switch between different environments, such as public and private networks.
The network time machine feature allows users to go back in time up to 30 days to see what their computer or server was doing in the past.
Pros
GlassWire offers a beautifully designed, user-friendly interface that presents complex network security information in a visually appealing and understandable way.
Its comprehensive network monitoring capability allows users to understand their online behavior, identify patterns and detect anomalies.
The software’s built-in firewall offers users the flexibility to control which applications can access the network, enhancing the overall security of their systems.
Cons
The software requires a moderate amount of system resources to run efficiently, which might be an issue for systems with limited resources.
Although GlassWire’s visualizations are beautiful and informative, some users may find them overwhelming and would prefer a more traditional interface.
Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center
Best for centralized management and control
The Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center provides a comprehensive solution for centralized control and management of security policies. It enhances the overall efficiency of network administration by offering a unified platform to manage multiple Cisco security appliances.
Businesses that use a variety of Cisco security tools will find this a valuable addition to streamline operations and enhance control.
Pricing
Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center’s pricing depends on the scale of operations and the specific needs of a business. For detailed and customized pricing information, you can directly contact Cisco or its partners.
Features
A unified management console that can control a wide range of Cisco security appliances, reducing the complexity associated with managing multiple devices.
Advanced threat detection and analysis capabilities, enabling administrators to swiftly identify and respond to security incidents.
Flexible deployment options, including on-premises, virtual and cloud-based solutions, catering to various operational needs and preferences.
Comprehensive policy management, allowing administrators to efficiently establish and enforce security policies across their Cisco security infrastructure.
Integration with other Cisco security tools, such as Cisco Threat Response, provides a cohesive and powerful security solution.
Pros
The ability to manage multiple Cisco security appliances from a single platform is a significant advantage, especially for larger enterprises managing complex security infrastructures.
Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center offers advanced threat detection and analysis capabilities, aiding in swift and efficient incident response.
Its flexible deployment options cater to diverse operational needs, providing convenience and ease of setup to businesses of all sizes.
Cons
Although powerful, the platform may require a steep learning curve, particularly for those who are new to Cisco’s ecosystem.
Some users have reported a desire for more customization options within the management interface to meet their specific operational needs.
Pricing information is not transparent and requires negotiation. Your mileage may vary.
pfSense: Best open source solution
pfSense is an open-source firewall software solution that is highly customizable, suitable for tech-savvy businesses that prefer having the flexibility to tailor their firewall to specific needs. It’s built on the FreeBSD operating system, offering a comprehensive range of features for network management and security.
Pricing
As an open-source platform, pfSense is free to download and use. However, Netgate, the company behind pfSense, offers paid support and services, including hardware solutions integrated with pfSense software.
Features
A wide array of networking functionalities, including firewall, VPN, and routing services, ensuring comprehensive network protection.
Being open-source, it offers extensive customization options, allowing businesses to tailor the software to their specific needs.
Supports a large selection of third-party packages for additional features, granting more flexibility in expanding its capabilities.
Detailed network monitoring and reporting tools, allowing for granular insight into network traffic and potential security threats.
It has a community-backed development model, ensuring continuous improvements and updates to its features.
Pros
pfSense’s open-source nature allows for extensive customization, giving businesses control over how they want to configure their firewall.
The software provides a comprehensive set of features, ensuring thorough network protection and management.
Its support for third-party packages allows for the addition of further functionalities, enhancing its overall capabilities.
Cons
The configuration of pfSense can be quite complex, particularly for users without a strong technical background, which could pose a challenge for some businesses.
The user interface, while functional, may not be as polished or intuitive as some commercial firewall solutions.
As with many open-source projects, while there’s a supportive community, professional customer service might not be as accessible as with commercial solutions.
Sophos Firewall
Best for cloud-based management
Sophos Firewall brings a fresh approach to the way you manage your firewall and how you can detect and respond to threats on your network.
Offering a user-friendly interface and robust features, this product provides businesses with an effective and efficient solution for their network security needs. It’s a versatile solution that not only offers traditional firewall capabilities but also integrates innovative technologies to ensure all-round security.
Pricing
Sophos does not publicize pricing information, because their solutions are provided by resellers and can vary depending on the business’s size, needs, and location. You can contact them directly for accurate pricing information.
Features
All-in-one solution by integrating advanced threat protection, IPS, VPN, and web filtering in a single comprehensive platform, thereby providing robust security for your network.
Deep learning technology and threat intelligence, both of which work in synergy to identify and respond to threats before they can cause damage, offering advanced protection against malware, exploits, and ransomware.
User-friendly interface that simplifies configuration and management tasks, making it easier for users to set up security policies and monitor network activities.
Synchronized Security technology that facilitates communication between your endpoint protection and your firewall, creating a coordinated defense against cyber threats.
The Sophos Firewall comes with an effective cloud management platform, allowing administrators to remotely manage the system, configure settings, and monitor network activity.
Pros
A user-friendly interface that simplifies the process of setting up and managing network security policies, making it suitable for businesses with limited technical expertise.
It integrates advanced protection capabilities, such as threat intelligence and deep learning technology, to provide robust defense against sophisticated cyber threats.
This firewall software’s unique Synchronized Security feature offers a coordinated and automated response against threats, enhancing the overall effectiveness of your network security.
Cons
Some users have reported that while the user interface is intuitive, it might take some time to navigate due to the depth of features available.
The initial setup and configuration might require technical expertise, although Sophos provides comprehensive resources and customer support to guide users.
Although Sophos’ site advertises “Simple Pricing,” their costs are not in fact transparent and will require negotiating a quote. Your mileage may vary.
ZoneAlarm
Best for personal use
ZoneAlarm is an excellent choice for personal use and small businesses due to its simplicity and effectiveness.
With a robust set of features and an intuitive interface, it provides robust protection without requiring extensive technical knowledge. Its reputation as a reliable firewall solution makes it an attractive choice for users seeking to safeguard their systems from various threats.
Pricing
ZoneAlarm offers both free and premium versions of their firewall software. The free version provides basic protection, while the Pro Firewall version, which comes at a yearly subscription fee starting from $22.95 for 1 PC, offers advanced features such as zero-day attack protection and full technical support.
Features
Robust two-way firewall protection, preventing unauthorized access to your network while also stopping malicious applications from sending out your data.
Advanced privacy protection feature that protects your personal information from phishing attacks.
Unique ID Lock feature that keeps your personal information safe.
ZoneAlarm boasts an Anti-Phishing Chrome Extension that detects and blocks phishing sites, protecting your information online.
The premium version offers advanced real-time antivirus protection, ensuring that your system is continuously protected from threats.
Pros
ZoneAlarm offers a straightforward interface and setup process, making it an ideal choice for users who lack advanced technical skills.
The software provides a comprehensive suite of features, including robust firewall protection, advanced privacy tools and real-time antivirus capabilities.
ZoneAlarm’s ID Lock feature is a standout, helping to ensure the security of personal data.
Cons
While ZoneAlarm offers robust features, its protection level may not be adequate for large enterprises or businesses with complex network architectures.
Some users have reported that the software can be resource-intensive, potentially slowing down system performance.
Key features of firewall software
When choosing the best firewall software for your business, there are key features you should consider. These range from the extent of the security suite to scalability and cloud-based management, all of which play a significant role in how effectively the software will serve your needs.
Comprehensive security suite
A comprehensive security suite is more than just a basic firewall. It includes additional layers of security like antivirus capabilities, identity theft protection, and a VPN.
The best firewall software solutions should deliver this kind of comprehensive coverage, protecting against a wide variety of threats and helping you maintain the security of your entire network. Norton, Cisco, and Sophos firewalls excel in this area.
Scalability
Scalability is particularly important for businesses that are growing or plan to grow. As the size of your network increases, your security needs will change and become more complex.
Firewall software like FortiGate and pfSense are designed with scalability in mind, allowing them to adapt to the increasing security demands of your expanding network.
User-friendly interface
A user-friendly interface is crucial, especially for those who may not have a lot of technical expertise. Firewall software should be easy to navigate and manage, making the process of setting up and adjusting the firewall less daunting.
Norton excels in this area, with an intuitive interface that is straightforward to use. GlassWire, while not as intuitive, also offers an attractive and convenient interface.
Robust features
Having robust features in firewall software is key to ensuring comprehensive protection. This includes an advanced firewall with extensive customizable rules, IPS, and threat detection capabilities.
The most robust firewall solutions include Norton, FortiGate, Cisco, and Sophos, as well as pfSense, although you’ll have to do some legwork to program the latter in particular.
Cloud-based management
Cloud-based management is a significant advantage in today’s digital landscape. It allows for the remote configuration and monitoring of your firewall, making it easier to manage and adjust as needed. This feature is particularly beneficial for businesses with remote workers or multiple locations.
Norton, FortiGate, Cisco, Sophos, and ZoneAlarm all provide this capability.
Advanced firewall protection
Advanced firewall protection includes capabilities like deep packet inspection, which examines data packets to detect malware that could otherwise bypass standard firewalls. This kind of advanced protection is vital to secure your network from sophisticated threats. Most of the firewalls in this list offer advanced, next-generation capabilities.
Integration
Integration capabilities are crucial as they allow your firewall software to work in harmony with other security solutions you might have in place. Cisco firewalls, as you might expect, integrate seamlessly with other Cisco solutions, but can falter when trying to integrate with third-party solutions. On the other hand, thanks to its open-source nature, pfSense can be configured to integrate very broadly.
By considering these features when choosing your firewall software, you can ensure that you select a solution that meets the specific needs of your business, provides comprehensive protection and offers room for growth and adaptation as your business evolves.
Benefits of working with firewall software
Employing robust firewall software within your network infrastructure brings along a myriad of benefits that contribute to the overall security and efficiency of your business operations, from enhanced network security and data protection to reduced downtime and regulatory compliance.
Enhanced network security
Perhaps the most fundamental advantage of using firewall software is the enhanced network security it provides. Firewall software acts as the first line of defense against potential threats, including hackers, viruses, and other cyberattacks.
By monitoring and controlling incoming and outgoing network traffic based on predetermined security rules, firewall software ensures that only safe connections are established, thus protecting your network.
Data protection
With the increasing incidence of data breaches and cyber theft, data protection is more crucial than ever. Firewall software plays a pivotal role in safeguarding sensitive data from being accessed or stolen by unauthorized users.
By blocking unauthorized access, it ensures the safety of important information and reduces the risk of data breaches.
Traffic management
Firewall software is not only about protection but also about managing and optimizing the network traffic. Features like bandwidth management can be leveraged to allocate network resources effectively and ensure the smooth functioning of your online operations.
Real-time security updates
With the constantly evolving threat landscape, maintaining up-to-date security measures is vital. Firewall software frequently receives real-time security updates, which help to protect your network against the latest threats. This ensures that your network remains secure against even the most recent forms of cyberattacks.
Reduced downtime
Downtime can be a significant issue for any business, leading to financial losses and damage to reputation. By proactively identifying and preventing potential threats, firewall software can significantly reduce the risk of system outages, leading to increased uptime and reliability.
Scalability
As your business grows, so does the complexity and the scope of your network. Scalable firewall software grows with your business, adjusting to the increased demands and providing consistent protection despite the expanding network size. This makes it a cost-effective solution that can support your business in the long term.
Regulatory compliance
Many industries have regulations in place requiring businesses to protect sensitive data. Firewall software helps meet these regulatory requirements by providing robust security measures that prevent data breaches and protect client and customer information.
Incorporating firewall software into your network infrastructure is a critical step towards securing your business in an increasingly digital world. The benefits it offers are invaluable, providing not just enhanced protection, but also efficiency and adaptability that can significantly contribute to your business’s success.
How to choose the best firewall software for your business
Choosing the best firewall software for your business involves a careful examination of your specific needs and security requirements.
Size and security level: The size and nature of your business, the sensitivity of your data, and the extent of your network operations are crucial factors that determine what kind of firewall software will be the most beneficial.
Comprehensive features: Moreover, you should consider firewall solutions that offer a comprehensive suite of security features, such as VPN services, antivirus protection, and advanced threat detection capabilities.
Scalability: The scalability of a firewall software solution is important, particularly for growing businesses. Opt for software that can seamlessly adapt to the expanding needs of your network, providing reliable protection irrespective of your business size.
Interface: Unless you have a robust, well-trained IT department, the interface of your chosen software will need to be user-friendly and easily manageable, even for those with minimal technical expertise.
Cloud-based management: Features that allow for remote configuration and monitoring are highly beneficial in the current era of remote work. These features offer the flexibility of managing your network’s security from any location, improving overall efficiency.
Integration: Your chosen software should integrate smoothly with your existing security infrastructure to create a comprehensive, effective security system.
Support: Solid customer support from the vendor is also crucial to navigating any issues that may arise during setup or throughout the software’s lifespan.
Choosing firewall software is an investment in your business’s security, so take the time to evaluate each option thoroughly.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Who should use firewall software?
Any individual, business, or organization that uses a network or the internet should consider using firewall software. Whether you’re a small business owner, a large corporation, or a home user, a firewall can provide essential protection against unauthorized access and various cyber threats.
Where are firewalls located on a network?
Firewalls are typically located at the edge of a network, serving as a barrier between a trusted internal network and an untrusted external network, such as the internet. They can also be positioned between different parts of an organization’s networks to control access.
Are there any downsides to using a firewall?
While firewalls are essential for network security, they can occasionally block legitimate traffic if the security settings are too restrictive. Additionally, managing and maintaining a firewall can require technical expertise. However, the benefits of using a firewall far outweigh these potential challenges.
How often should a firewall be updated?
Firewall software should be updated regularly to ensure it can protect against the latest threats. Many firewall providers release updates regularly and many firewalls are set to update automatically. However, it’s a good idea to check for updates manually periodically to ensure your firewall is up-to-date.
What is firewall software’s role in regulatory compliance?
For many businesses, especially those in regulated industries like healthcare or finance, firewall software plays a critical role in meeting compliance requirements. Regulations like the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) or the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) require robust data protection measures, which includes network security provided by a firewall.
Can firewall software protect against all cyber threats?
While firewall software provides a strong layer of protection, it’s not a panacea for all cyber threats. Some sophisticated threats, like targeted phishing attacks or insider threats, require additional security measures. It’s essential to have a comprehensive security strategy in place that includes firewall software, antivirus software, strong access controls, and user education about safe online practices.
Methodology
To deliver this list, we based our selection on an examination of firewall software features and overall reputation in addition to their ease of use, quality of customer support, and value for money.
This information is available in user reviews as well as official product pages and documentation. Nonetheless, we encourage you to conduct your own research and consider your unique requirements when choosing a firewall software solution.
Bottom line: Choosing the best firewall software for your business
The evolving threat landscape necessitates a robust and reliable firewall solution for both personal use and businesses of all sizes. Based on the products listed, it’s evident that several excellent options exist in the market, each with its own unique strengths and capabilities.
Choosing the best firewall software ultimately depends on your requirements, the nature of the network environment, and the budget at hand. It’s essential to consider each product’s features, pros, and cons, and align them with your individual or business needs.
The chosen solution should provide comprehensive protection, be user-friendly, and ideally offer scalability for future growth. Whether it’s for personal use or to protect a multilayered enterprise network, there’s a firewall solution out there that fits the bill.
Also see
Firewalls come in all shapes and sizes. Here’s a look at eight different types of firewalls.
And once you’ve selected your firewall, make sure you define and implement a clear, strong firewall policy to back it up—as well as setting robust firewall rules to govern the software.
Enterprise firewall software is an essential component of network security infrastructure for organizations. These firewalls are designed to provide high availability and scalability to meet the needs of large and complex networks because they can handle high traffic volumes and accommodate the growth of network infrastructure.
By exploring the following top firewall solutions, enterprises can make an informed decision to fortify their network defenses and safeguard critical assets from ever-evolving cyber threats.
Palo Alto is a leading network security provider of advanced firewall solutions and a wide range of network security services.
The company offers various firewall solutions for various enterprise use cases, including cloud next generation firewalls, virtual machine series for public and private clouds, container series for Kubernetes and container engines like Docker, and its PA-series appliances designed for data centers, network edge, service providers, remote branches and retail locations, and harsh industrial sites.
These firewalls provide enhanced visibility, control, and threat prevention capabilities to protect networks from various cyber threats, including malware, viruses, intrusions, and advanced persistent threats (APTs).
Pricing
Palo Alto doesn’t advertise its product pricing on its website. Our research found that the Palo Alto PA-series price range from $2,900 to $200,000 (more or less). To get the actual rates for your enterprise, contact the company’s sales team for custom quotes.
Standout features
Advanced threat prevention.
Advanced URL filtering.
Domain name service (DNS) security.
Medical IoT security.
Enterprise data loss prevention (DLP).
Up to 245 million IPv4 OR IPv6 sessions.
Pros
Provides visibility across IoT and other connected devices.
Provides visibility across physical, virtualized, containerized and cloud environments.
Offers a variety of products for different business sizes, from small businesses to large enterprises.
Easy-to-navigate dashboard and management console.
Cons
Complex initial setup.
Some users reported that the Palo Alto license is pricey.
Check Point Quantum
Best for connected devices
Check Point is an Israeli multinational company that develops and sells software and hardware products related to network, endpoint, cloud, and data security.
Check Point Quantum is designed to protect against advanced cyber threats, targeting Gen V cyber attacks. This solution encompasses various components to safeguard networks, cloud environments, data centers, IoT devices, and remote users.
Check Point’s SandBlast technology employs advanced threat intelligence, sandboxing, and real-time threat emulation to detect and prevent sophisticated attacks, including zero-day exploits, ransomware, and advanced persistent threats.
Pricing
Check Point does not publicly post pricing information on its website. Data from resellers shows that Check Point products can range from around $62 for a basic solution to over $50,000 for an enterprise-level solution. Contact the Check Point sales team for your actual quotes.
Standout features
URL filtering.
DLP.
Full active-active redundancy.
Zero-trust protection for IoT devices.
Check Point Quantum protects against GenV attacks.
Advanced threat protection.
Pros
24/7 customer service and support.
Easy to setup and use.
Management platform with automation features.
Sandblast protection for testing malware.
Cons
Users reported that the Check Point firewall is expensive.
Documentation can be improved.
Fortinet FortiGate
Best for flexibility and scalability
Fortinet offers various firewall products for different organization sizes, from home offices to large enterprises.
The FortiGate 7000 series (FG-7121F, FG-7081F, FG-7081F-2, FIM-7921F, FIM-7941F, and FPM-7620F) is an enterprise firewall product that provides high-performance network security. It is designed for organizations with high network traffic volumes and that have to manage large network infrastructures.
This firewall series is powered by a Security Processing Unit (SPU) of up to 520Gbps and also includes the latest NP7 (Network Processor 7) and CP9 (Content Processor 9).
Pricing
Fortinet’s FortiGate firewall tool pricing is available upon request. Pricing will depend on various factors, including the size of the network, the number of users, and the types of security features needed. Contact a Fortinet representative for pricing and product information.
Standout features
Protects IT, IIoT, and OT devices against vulnerability and device-based attack tactics.
FortiGate 7000F series provides NGFW, segmentation, secure SD-WAN, and mobile security for 4G, 5G, and IoT.
Offers various types of firewalls, including container firewalls, virtual firewalls and hardware firewall appliances.
Zero Touch Integration with Fortinet’s Security Fabric Single Pane of Glass Management.
Pros
Integrations with over 500 third-party services.
AI-powered capabilities.
Users reported that the tool is user-friendly.
Cons
Support can be improved.
Its reporting feature can be improved.
Juniper Networks
Best for logging and reporting capability
Juniper Networks’ firewall helps enterprises protect their network edge, data center, and cloud applications.
The company is also known for its Junos operating system (OS), a scalable network OS that powers Juniper Networks devices. Junos provides advanced routing, switching, and security capabilities and allows for seamless integration with third-party software and applications.
Juniper Networks vSRX virtual firewall provides enhanced security for Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Platform, IBM Cloud, and Oracle Cloud environments, while its cSRX Container Firewall offers advanced security services to secure applications running in containers and microservices. The company’s SRX firewalls series is designed for various organization sizes, from small to large enterprises.
Pricing
Juniper Network pricing is available on request. However, they offer different license methods, including Pay-As-You-Go (PAYG) and Bring-Your-Own-License (BYOL) options for public clouds. Contact the company’s sales team for custom quotes.
Standout features
Juniper Network has various types of firewalls, including container firewalls, virtual firewalls and hardware firewall appliances.
Public cloud workload protection, including AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform.
Logging and reporting capability.
Supports VMware ESXi, NSX, and KVM (Centos, Ubuntu).
Pros
Advanced threat prevention capability.
Deployable on-premises and cloud environments.
Cons
Support can be improved.
Users report that some Juniper Networks firewall products are expensive.
Cisco Secure Firewall
Best for centralized management
Cisco Secure Firewall combines firewall capabilities with advanced security features to protect networks from various threats, including unauthorized access, malware, and data breaches.
Cisco Secure Firewall integrates with Cisco Talos, a threat intelligence research team. This collaboration enables the firewall to receive real-time threat intelligence updates, enhancing its ability to identify and block emerging threats.
Cisco Secure Firewall can be centrally managed through Cisco Firepower Management Center (FMC). This management console provides a unified interface for configuration, monitoring, and reporting, simplifying the administration of multiple firewalls across the network.
Pricing
Contact Cisco’s sales team for custom quotes.
Standout features
IPS to protect against known threats.
Web filtering.
Network segmentation.
Centralized management.
Pros
Provides comprehensive visibility and control.
Efficient support team.
Highly scalable tool.
Cons
Support can be improved.
Complex initial setup.
Zscaler
Best for businesses with cloud network infrastructure
The Zscaler firewall provides cloud-based security for web and non-web traffic for all users and devices. Zscaler inspects all user traffic, including SSL encrypted traffic, with elastically scaling services to handle high volumes of long-lived connections.
One of the key advantages of Zscaler’s cloud-based approach is that it eliminates the need for on-premises hardware or software installations. Instead, organizations can leverage Zscaler’s infrastructure and services by redirecting their internet traffic to the Zscaler cloud. This makes scaling and managing security easier across distributed networks and remote users.
Pricing
Zscaler doesn’t advertise its rates on its website. However, data from resellers shows that its pricing starts from about $72 per user per year. For your actual rate, contact the Zscaler sales team for quotes.
Standout features
Centralized policy management.
Fully-integrated security services.
Real-time granular control, logging, and visibility.
User-aware and app-aware threat protection.
Adaptive IPS security and control.
File transfer protocol (FTP) control and network address translation (NAT) support.
Pros
Easy to use and manage.
AI-powered cyberthreat and data protection services.
Always-on cloud intrusion prevention system (IPS).
AI-powered phishing and C2 detection.
Cons
Complex initial setup.
Documentation can be improved.
pfSense
Best open-source firewall
pfSense is an open-source firewall and routing platform based on FreeBSD, an open-source Unix-like OS. It is designed to provide advanced networking and security features for small and large networks.
pfSense can be deployed as a physical appliance or as a virtual machine. pfSense offers many capabilities, including firewalling, VPN connectivity, traffic shaping, load balancing, DNS and DHCP services, and more.
Pricing
For pfSense cloud:
pfSense on AWS: Pricing starts from $0.01 per hour to $0.40 per hour.
pfSense on Azure: Pricing starts from $0.08 per hour to $0.24 per hour.
For pfSense software:
pfSense CE: Open source version available to download for free.
pfSense+ Home or Lab: Available at no cost for evaluation purposes only.
pfSense+ W/TAC LITE: Currently available at no charge, but the vendor may increase the rate to $129 per year in the future.
pfSense+ W/TAC PRO: $399 per year.
pfSense+ W/TAC ENT: $799 per year.
pfSense offers three hardware appliances tailored to the needs of large enterprises.
Netgate 8200: Cost $1,395. It has 18.55 Gbps IPERF3 and 5.1 Gbps IMIX traffic speed.
Netgate 1537: Cost $2,199. It has 18.62 Gbps(10k ACLs) IPERF3 and 10.24 Gbps (10k ACLs) IMIX traffic speed.
Netgate 1541: Cost $2,899. It has 18.64 Gbps(10k ACLs) IPERF3 and 12.30 Gbps(10k ACLs) IMIX traffic speed.
Standout features
NAT mapping (inbound/outbound).
Captive portal guest network.
Stateful packet inspection (SPI).
Pros
Free open-source version.
Community support.
Anti-spoofing capability.
Cons
Steep learning curve for administrators with limited experience.
GUI is old-fashioned and could be simplified.
Key features of enterprise firewall software
There’s a wide variety of capabilities that enterprise firewall software can provide, but some of the key features to look for include packet filtering, stateful inspection, application awareness, logging and reporting capabilities, and integration with your existing security ecosystem.
Packet filtering
Firewall software examines incoming and outgoing network packets based on predefined rules and policies. It filters packets based on criteria such as source/destination IP addresses, ports, protocols, and packet attributes. This feature enables the firewall to block or allow network traffic based on the configured rules.
Stateful inspection
Enterprise firewalls employ stateful inspection to monitor network connections’ state and analyze traffic flow context. By maintaining information about the state of each connection, the firewall can make more informed decisions about which packets to allow or block.
Application awareness
Modern firewall software often includes application awareness capabilities. It can identify specific applications or protocols within network traffic, allowing organizations to enforce granular policies based on the application or service used. This feature is handy for managing and securing web applications and controlling the use of specific services or applications.
Logging and reporting
Firewall software logs network events, including connection attempts, rule matches, and other security-related activities. Detailed logging enables organizations to analyze and investigate security incidents, track network usage, and ensure compliance with regulatory requirements. Reporting capabilities help generate comprehensive reports for auditing, security analysis, and compliance purposes.
Integration with the security ecosystem
Firewall software is typically part of a broader security ecosystem within an organization. Integration with other security tools and technologies, such as antivirus software, threat intelligence platforms, Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) systems, and network access control (NAC) solutions, allows for a more comprehensive and coordinated approach to network security.
Benefits of working with enterprise firewalls
Key advantages of enterprise firewall solutions include enhanced network security, threat mitigation, and access control, as well as traffic analytics data.
Network security: Firewalls act as a protective barrier against external threats such as unauthorized access attempts, malware, and other malicious activity. Enforcing access control policies and modifying network traffic helps prevent unauthorized access and protect critical data.
Threat mitigation: By combining intrusion prevention techniques, deep packet monitoring, and threat intelligence, a firewall can detect and block suspicious traffic, reducing the risk there that the network will be corrupted and damaged so
Access control: Firewall software allows administrators to restrict or allow access to network resources, applications, and services based on specific user roles, departments, or needs. This ensures that only authorized people or systems can access the screen and its accessories.
Traffic data and analytics: In addition to protecting your network, firewalls can also provide granular information about traffic and activity passing through your network, as well as its overall performance.
How do I choose the best enterprise firewall solution for my business?
When choosing the best enterprise firewall software for your business, consider the following factors.
Security: Assess your organization’s specific security needs and requirements.
Features: Evaluate the features and capabilities of firewall solutions, such as packet filtering, application awareness, intrusion prevention, VPN support, centralized management, and scalability. Consider the vendor’s reputation, expertise, and support services.
Compatibility: Ensure compatibility with your existing network infrastructure and other security tools.
Hands-on tests: Conduct a thorough evaluation of different firewall solutions through demos, trials, or proofs of concept to assess their performance, ease of use, and effectiveness in meeting your organization’s security goals.
Total cost of ownership (TCO): Consider the cost, licensing models, and ongoing support and maintenance requirements.
By considering these factors, you can make an informed decision and select the best enterprise firewall software that aligns with your business needs and provides robust network security.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Is an enterprise firewall different from a normal firewall?
Although they share many characteristics, an enterprise firewall is not the same as a consumer-grade firewall. Enterprise firewalls are designed to meet large organizations’ security needs and network infrastructure challenges. They are robust, scalable, and can handle high network traffic volumes and sophisticated threats, compared to generic firewalls for home or small office environments.
What is the strongest type of firewall?
A firewall’s strength depends on various factors, and no universally dependable firewall exists. A firewall’s effectiveness depends on its materials, configuration, and how well it fits into the organization’s security needs.
That said, next-generation firewalls (NGFWs) provide improved security capabilities and are often considered the ideal firewall solution in today’s enterprise. NGFWs combine traditional firewall features with additional functionality such as application awareness, intrusion prevention, deep packet monitoring, and user-based policies. They provide advanced protection against modern threats with greater visibility and control over network traffic.
How do you set up an enterprise firewall?
Setting up an enterprise firewall involves several steps:
We recommend engaging network security experts or reviewing vendor documentation and support materials for specific guidance in installing and configuring your enterprise firewall.
Methodology
The firewall solutions mentioned in this guide were selected based on extensive research and industry analysis. Factors such as industry reputation, customer reviews, infrastructure, and customer support were considered.
We also assessed the features and capabilities of the firewall solutions, including packet filtering, application awareness, intrusion prevention, DLP, centralized management, scalability, and integration with other security tools.
Network scanning tools are a critical investment for businesses in this era of increasing cyber threats. These tools perform an active examination of networks to identify potential security risks and help IT administrators maintain the health and security of their networks.
As businesses become more digital and interconnected, the demand for such tools has significantly increased. To help businesses sort through the plethora of these solutions available on the market, we’ve narrowed down the list to eight top products and their ideal use cases.
Here are our picks for the top network scanning software:
Burp Suite is a trusted tool among IT professionals for its robust web vulnerability scanning capabilities. It identifies security holes in web applications and is particularly well-suited for testing complex applications.
Pricing
The vendor has three enterprise pricing options as follows:
Pay as you scan: This tier starts at $1,999 per year plus $9 per hour scanned. It includes unlimited applications and users.
Classic: This tier is priced at $17,380 per year and includes 20 concurrent scans, unlimited applications and unlimited users.
Unlimited: This is the superior plan and is priced at $49,999 per year. It includes unlimited concurrent scans, applications, and users.
Features
Out-of-band Application Security Testing (OAST) added to dynamic scans for accurate identification of vulnerabilities.
Easy setup with point-and-click scanning or trigger via CI/CD.
Recurring scanning options for daily, weekly, or monthly scans.
Out-of-the-box configurations for fast crawl or critical vulnerability audits.
API security testing for increased coverage of microservices.
JavaScript scanning to uncover more attack surfaces in Single Page Applications (SPAs).
Scalable scanning with the ability to adjust the number of concurrent scans.
Custom configurations available, including crawl maximum link depth and reported vulnerabilities.
Burp Scanner, a trusted dynamic web vulnerability scanner used by over 16,000 organizations.
Integration with major CI/CD platforms such as Jenkins and TeamCity.
API-driven workflow for initiating scans and obtaining results via the REST API.
Integration with vulnerability management platforms for seamless scanning and security reporting.
Burp extensions allow customization of Burp Scanner to meet specific requirements.
Multiple deployment options including interactive installer and Kubernetes deployment.
Integration with bug tracking systems like Jira with auto ticket generation and severity triggers.
GraphQL API for initiating, scheduling, canceling, and updating scans.
Role-based access control for multi-user functionality and control.
Compatible configurations from Burp Suite Pro can be manually integrated into the Enterprise environment.
Reporting features include graphical dashboards, customizable HTML reports, scan history metrics, intuitive UI, rich email reporting, security posture graphing, aggregated issue reporting, and compliance reporting for PCI DSS and OWASP Top 10.
Pros
Extensive vulnerability detection.
Can handle complex web applications.
Integration with popular CI/CD tools.
Cons
Steep learning curve for beginners.
Relatively higher pricing.
Detectify
Best for ease of use and automation
Source: detectify.com
Detectify is a fully automated External Attack Surface Management (EASM) solution powered by a world-leading ethical hacker community. It can help map out a company’s security landscape and find vulnerabilities that other scanners may miss.
Pricing
The vendor has several pricing options as follows:
The full EASM package comes with a 2-week free trial. Pricing is custom and based on the number of domains, sub-domains, and web applications of the attack surface.
For organizations with a small attack surface, the vendor offers two pricing tiers that also come with a free 2-week trial:
Surface Monitoring: Pricing starts from $289 per month (billed annually). This package includes up to 25 subdomains.
Application Scanning: Pricing starts from $89 per month per scan profile (billed annually).
Features
The features of the full EASM solution are:
Continuous 24/7 coverage for discovering and monitoring your modern tech stack.
Crawling and fuzzing engine that surpasses traditional DAST scanners.
Ability to monitor large enterprise products and protect sensitive organizational data.
Accurate results with 99.7% accuracy in vulnerability assessments through payload-based testing.
SSO, API access, automatic domain verification, custom modules, and attack surface custom policies.
Identify risks before they are exploited by enriching assets with critical information like open ports, DNS record types, and technologies.
Integrates with popular tools such as Slack, Jira, and Splunk, and comes with an API that allows users to export results in the manner that best suits their workflows.
Pros
Simple and clean interface, easy to use.
Continuous automatic updates and scans.
Customizable reports and notifications.
Cons
Limited manual testing capabilities.
May generate false positives.
Intruder
Best for cloud-based network security
Source: intruder.io
Intruder is a powerful cloud-based network security tool that helps businesses prevent security breaches by automating routine security checks. Each threat found is classified according to severity and a remediation plan proposed.
Pricing
Pricing is based on the number of applications and infrastructure targets with three pricing tiers: Essential, Pro and Premium. The Pro plan comes with a 14-day free trial.
Example pricing for 1 application and 1 infrastructure target is as follows:
Comprehensive risk monitoring across your stack, including publicly and privately accessible servers, cloud systems, websites, and endpoint devices.
Detection of vulnerabilities such as misconfigurations, missing patches, encryption weaknesses, and application bugs, including SQL injection, Cross-Site Scripting, and OWASP Top 10.
Ongoing attack surface monitoring with automatic scanning for new threats and alerts for changes in exposed ports and services.
Intelligent results that prioritize actionable findings based on context, allowing you to focus on critical issues like exposed databases.
Compliance and reporting with high-quality reports to facilitate customer security questionnaires and compliance audits such as SOC2, ISO27001, and Cyber Essentials.
Continuous penetration testing by security professionals to enhance coverage, reduce the time from vulnerability discovery to remediation, and benefit from vulnerability triage by certified penetration testers.
Seamless integration with your technical environment, with no lengthy installations or complex configurations required.
Pros
Cloud-based, eliminating the need for on-site servers.
Comprehensive vulnerability coverage.
Automated, regular security checks.
Cons
Dependency on automated scanning engines may result in occasional false positives or false negatives.
ManageEngine OpManager
Best for real-time network monitoring
Source:manageengine.com
ManageEngine OpManager is a comprehensive network monitoring application, capable of providing intricate insights into the functionality of various devices such as routers, switches, firewalls, load balancers, wireless LAN controllers, servers, virtual machines, printers, and storage systems. This software facilitates in-depth problem analysis to identify and address the core source of network-related issues.
Pricing
The vendor offers three editions with starting prices as follows:
Standard: $245 for up to 10 devices.
Professional: $345 for up to 10 devices.
Enterprise: $11,545 for 250 up to 250 devices.
Features
Capable of monitoring networks using over 2,000 performance metrics, equipped with user-friendly dashboards, immediate alert systems, and intelligent reporting features.
Provides crucial router performance data including error and discard rates, voltage, temperature, and buffer statistics.
Enables port-specific traffic control and switch port mapping for device identification.
Continuous monitoring of WAN link performance, latency, and availability, leveraging Cisco IP SLA technology.
Active monitoring of VoIP call quality across WAN infrastructure, facilitating the troubleshooting of subpar VoIP performance.
Automatic generation of L1/L2 network mapping, aiding in the visualization and identification of network outages and performance issues.
Provides monitoring for both physical and virtual servers across various operating systems such as Windows, Linux, Solaris, Unix, and VMware.
Detailed, agentless monitoring of VMware-virtualized servers with over 70 VMware performance monitors.
Utilizes WMI credentials to monitor Microsoft Hyper-V hosts and guest performance with over 40 in-depth metrics.
Enables monitoring and management of Host, VMs, and Storage Repositories of Citrix Hypervisor, providing the necessary visibility into their performance.
Allows for monitoring and management of processes running on discovered devices through SNMP/WMI/CLI.
Uses protocols like SNMP, WMI, or CLI for monitoring system resources and gathering performance data.
Provides immediate notifications on network issues via email and SMS alerts.
Facilitates the orchestration and automation of initial network fault troubleshooting steps and maintenance tasks.
Provides a centralized platform for identifying network faults, allowing for visualization, analysis, and correlation of multiple monitor performances at any instant.
Enables network availability, usage trend, and performance analysis with over 100 ready-made and customizable reports.
Employs a rule-based approach for syslog monitoring to read incoming syslogs and assign alerts.
Includes a suite of OpManager’s network monitoring tools to assist in first and second-level troubleshooting tasks.
Pros
In-depth network monitoring.
Easy-to-understand performance dashboards.
Supports both physical and virtual servers.
Cons
May be complex for beginners.
Cost can quickly escalate based on number of devices.
Tenable Nessus
Best for vulnerability analysis
Source: tenable.com
Tenable Nessus is a vulnerability assessment tool that enables organizations to actively detect and rectify vulnerabilities throughout their ever-evolving attack surface. It is formulated to evaluate contemporary attack surfaces, expanding beyond conventional IT assets to ensure the security of cloud infrastructure and provide insights into internet-connected attack surfaces.
Pricing
Nessus offers a free 7-day trial. Customers can scan up to 32 IPs per scanner during the trial period.
After the trial, the product is available at a starting fee of $4,990 per year for an unlimited number of IPs per scanner.
Nessus Enterprise pricing is dependent on business requirements.
Features
Evaluates contemporary attack surfaces, extends beyond conventional IT assets, and provides insights into internet-connected environments.
Built with an understanding of security practitioners’ work, aiming to make vulnerability assessment simple, intuitive, and efficient.
Provides a reporting feature that prioritizes the top ten significant issues.
Nessus is deployable on a range of platforms, including Raspberry Pi, emphasizing portability and adaptability.
Ensures precise and efficient vulnerability assessment.
Offers visibility into your internet-connected attack environments.
Ensures the security of cloud infrastructure before deployment.
Focuses on the most significant threats to enhance security efficiency.
Provides ready-to-use policies and templates to streamline vulnerability assessment.
Allows for customization of reports and troubleshooting procedures.
Provides real-time results for immediate response and rectification.
Designed for straightforward and user-friendly operation.
Provides an organized view of vulnerability assessment findings for easy interpretation and analysis.
Pros
Broad vulnerability coverage.
Easy integration with existing security systems.
User-friendly interface.
Cons
Relatively higher pricing.
Pentest Tools
Best for penetration testing
Source: pentest-tools.com
Pentest Tools is a suite of software designed to assist with penetration testing. Pentest Tools provides the necessary capabilities to effectively carry out penetration tests, offering insights into potential weak points that may be exploited by malicious actors.
Pricing
The vendor offers four pricing plans as follows:
Basic: $72 per month, billed annually, for up to 5 assets and up to 2 parallel scans.
Advanced: $162 per month, billed annually, for up to 50 assets and up to 5 parallel scans.
Teams: $336 per month, billed annually, for up to 500 assets and up to 10 parallel scans.
Enterprise: For more than 500 assets and more than 10 parallel scans, plan pricing varies.
Features
Initially built on OpenVAS, now includes proprietary technology to assess network perimeter and evaluate a company’s external security posture.
Uses proprietary modules, like Sniper: Auto Exploiter, for a comprehensive security scan.
Provides a simplified and intuitive interface for immediate scanning.
Conducts in-depth network vulnerability scans using over 57,000 OpenVAS plugins and custom modules for critical CVEs.
Includes a summarized report of vulnerabilities found, their risk rating, and CVSS score.
Each report offers recommendations for mitigating detected security flaws.
Prioritizes vulnerabilities based on risk rating to optimize manual work and time.
Generates customizable reports with ready-to-use or custom templates.
Provides a complete view of “low hanging fruit” vulnerabilities, enabling focus on more advanced tests.
Allows testing of internal networks through a ready-to-use VPN, eliminating the need for time-consuming scripts and configurations.
Identifies high-risk vulnerabilities such as Log4Shell, ProxyShell, ProxyLogon, and others.
Assists in running vulnerability assessments necessary to comply with various standards like PCI DSS, SOC II, HIPAA, GDPR, ISO, the NIS Directive, and others.
Facilitates thorough infrastructure tests, detecting vulnerabilities ranging from weak passwords to missing security patches and misconfigured web servers.
Third-party infrastructure audit that’s useful for IT services or IT security companies, providing reports for client assurance on implemented security measures.
Pros
Broad coverage of penetration testing scenarios.
Easy to use, with detailed reports.
Regular updates and enhancements.
Cons
Proprietary technology can also limit interoperability with other tools or platforms.
New users may experience a steep learning curve.
Qualys VMDR
Best for cloud security compliance
Source: qualys.com
Qualys VMDR is a top choice for businesses looking for cloud-based network security software. It provides automated cloud security and compliance solutions, allowing businesses to identify and fix vulnerabilities.
Pricing
Prospective customers can try out the tool for free for 30 days.
Pricing starts at $199 per asset with a minimum quantity of 32 (i.e., $6,368 total starting cost).
Flexible pricing for larger packages based on business needs.
Features
Qualys is a strong solution for businesses seeking cloud-based network security software, providing automated cloud security and compliance solutions.
Utilizes TruRisk™ to quantify risk across vulnerabilities, assets, and asset groups, enabling proactive mitigation and risk reduction tracking.
Automates operational tasks for vulnerability management and patching with Qualys Flow, saving valuable time.
Leverages insights from over 180,000 vulnerabilities and 25+ threat sources to provide preemptive alerts on potential attacks with the Qualys Threat DB.
Detects all IT, OT, and IoT assets for a comprehensive, categorized inventory with detailed information such as vendor lifecycle.
Automatically identifies vulnerabilities and critical misconfigurations per Center for Internet Security (CIS) benchmarks, by asset.
Integrates with ITSM tools like ServiceNow and Jira to automatically assign tickets and enable orchestration of remediation, reducing Mean Time To Resolution (MTTR).
Pros
Cloud-based, reducing on-premise hardware needs.
Comprehensive vulnerability and compliance coverage.
Powerful data analytics capabilities.
Cons
Can be complex for small businesses.
Pricing is high and can be prohibitive for smaller organizations.
SolarWinds ipMonitor
Best for large-scale enterprise networks
Source:solarwinds.com
SolarWinds ipMonitor is an established network monitoring solution ideal for monitoring servers, VMware hosts, and applications on large-scale enterprise networks. It offers deep performance insights and customizable reports.
The monitoring tool provides over a dozen notification types including alerts via email, text message, or directly to Windows Event Log files.
Facilitates the monitoring of common ports with key protocols.
Ensures IT environment functionality by continuously monitoring database availability.
Enhances end user network experience monitoring capabilities.
Offers monitoring of network equipment health in tandem with network infrastructure.
Confirms the ability of a web server to accept incoming sessions.
Provides critical insights into the overall IT environment.
Offers an affordable tool for network monitoring.
Utilizes VM ESXi host monitors to track the health and performance of your virtual environment.
Enables monitoring of Windows services and applications..
Pros
Extensive scalability for large networks.
Deep insights and comprehensive reporting.
Wide range of integrated applications.
Cons
Can be overly complex for smaller networks.
The pricing model may not suit smaller businesses.
Key features of network scanning tools and software
Vulnerability scanning is central to all network scanning tools, but other features, such as real-time monitoring, penetration testing, and integrability, should not be overlooked.
Vulnerability scanning
This is the most critical feature buyers typically look for in network scanning tools. Vulnerability scanning helps identify potential security threats and weak spots within the network.
The tools do this by scanning the network’s devices, servers, and systems for known vulnerabilities such as outdated software, open ports, or incorrect configurations.
This feature matters because it provides an overview of the network’s security posture, enabling users to take corrective measures promptly.
Real-time network monitoring
Real-time network monitoring allows for continuous observation of the network’s performance, detecting any issues or anomalies as they occur.
This feature is vital because it can significantly reduce downtime and address performance issues before they impact business operations.
Penetration testing
Penetration testing (or pentesting) simulates cyberattacks on your network to test the effectiveness of your security measures and identify potential vulnerabilities that may not be detectable through standard vulnerability scanning.
Penetration testing is essential for businesses as it offers a more proactive approach to cybersecurity than standard vulnerability scans.
Compliance assurance
Compliance assurance ensures that the organization’s network aligns with various regulatory standards, such as HIPAA for healthcare or PCI DSS for businesses that handle credit card information.
Compliance assurance is critical because non-compliance can result in hefty fines and damage to the company’s reputation.
Integration with other tools
Integration capabilities are an often overlooked but essential feature of network scanning tools. The ability to integrate with other IT management and security tools allows for a more streamlined and efficient workflow.
For example, integrating a network scanning tool with a ticketing system could automatically create a ticket when a vulnerability is detected.
This feature is vital as it enables businesses to enhance their overall IT infrastructure management and improve response times to potential threats.
How to choose the best network scanning software for your business
Selecting the best network scanning tool for your business involves several key considerations:
Identify your needs: The first step is to understand what you need from a network scanning tool. Do you require real-time network monitoring, pentesting, compliance assurance, or more? The type of network you’re operating and the size of your business can heavily influence your needs.
Consider the ease of use: The usability of the software is an important factor depending on the size and expertise of your IT team. If it’s too complex, it may be challenging for your team to use effectively. Look for software that has a user-friendly interface and offers good customer support.
Examine the features: Look for software that offers the features that match your specific requirements. If you’re unsure what features you might need, consulting with an IT professional can be beneficial.
Evaluate scalability: Your business is likely to grow, and so will your network. The network scanning tool you choose should be able to scale along with your business without losing efficiency.
Check for regular support and updates: Good network scanning software should provide reliable support and regular updates to address emerging security threats. Check whether the software is frequently updated and if technical support is readily available.
Review pricing: Lastly, consider the pricing and your budget. Keep in mind that while some software might be more expensive, it could offer more features or better support, leading to better value for your business in the long run.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What are the benefits of network scanning tools?
Network scanning tools offer a multitude of benefits, including:
Security enhancement: Network scanning tools identify vulnerabilities and security risks within a network, allowing businesses to address these issues proactively and bolster their security posture.
Compliance assurance: Many of these tools help ensure that your network aligns with various regulatory and industry standards, reducing the risk of non-compliance penalties.
Real-time monitoring: By providing real-time network monitoring, these tools allow for immediate detection and mitigation of issues, thereby reducing network downtime and improving performance.
Resource optimization: Network scanning can identify underutilized resources, aiding in more efficient resource allocation and cost savings.
Improved network management: With a thorough understanding of the network infrastructure, administrators can make more informed decisions regarding network planning and expansion.
Who should use network scanning software?
Network scanning software is beneficial for a variety of roles and industries, including:
Network administrators: These professionals can use network scanning tools to monitor and manage the health of the network, consistently optimizing its performance.
IT security professionals: These tools are crucial for IT security staff in identifying potential vulnerabilities and mitigating security risks.
Managed Service Providers (MSPs): MSPs can utilize network scanning tools to manage and monitor their clients’ networks, ensuring they are secure and comply with relevant regulations.
Regulated industries: Businesses within industries that must adhere to strict data security standards, such as healthcare, finance, and e-commerce, can benefit significantly from these tools to ensure compliance and protect sensitive data.
What are the types of network scanning?
Network scanning can be categorized into several types based on their function:
Port scanning: This type identifies open ports and services available on a network host. It can help detect potential security vulnerabilities.
Vulnerability scanning: This process involves identifying known vulnerabilities in the network, such as outdated software or misconfigurations, that could be exploited.
Network mapping: This type of scanning identifies the various devices on a network, their interconnections, and topology.
Performance scanning: This form of scanning monitors network performance, identifying potential issues that could affect the speed or reliability of the network.
Compliance scanning: This type checks the network’s compliance with certain regulatory or industry standards, helping avoid potential legal issues.
Methodology
The selection, review, and ranking of the network scanning tools in this list was carried out through a comprehensive and structured methodology, which involved several key steps: namely, requirement identification, market research, feature evaluation, user reviews and feedback, ease of use, pricing, and scalability.
By combining these steps, we have aimed to provide a balanced and comprehensive overview of the top network scanning tools of 2023, thereby enabling potential buyers to make an informed decision that best suits their specific needs and circumstances.
Bottom line: Managing vulnerabilities with network scanning tools
Network scanning tools are essential for any organization striving to maintain a secure and efficient IT environment. From identifying vulnerabilities to ensuring compliance and enhancing overall network performance, these tools play a pivotal role in successful network management.
The eight tools discussed in this article offer a variety of features and capabilities, catering to different needs and business sizes. However, choosing the right tool should be guided by an organization’s unique requirements, budget, and the tool’s ability to scale alongside the growth of the business.
By doing so, businesses can foster a more secure, compliant, and reliable IT network, boosting operational efficiency and business resilience.
Knowing your network’s vulnerabilities is just the beginning. Here are the best vulnerability management tools to keep your data locked up safe.
As cyber threats continue to evolve, security professionals require reliable tools to defend against security vulnerabilities, protect sensitive data, and maintain network security. Open source cyber security tools provide a cost-effective solution for individuals and organizations to combat these threats on-premises and with cloud security and mobile devices. Let’s consider the top 25 open-source cyber security monitoring tools in 2023 that help ensure continuous network and system performance monitoring.
As cyber threats continue to evolve and become more sophisticated, organizations must stay informed and prepared to defend against a wide range of security risks.
Here are the top cybersecurity threats that businesses and individuals should be aware of today:
1. Phishing Attacks: Phishing attacks are a prevalent form of social engineering where cybercriminals use deceptive emails or websites to trick users into revealing sensitive information or installing malware. These attacks often target login credentials, financial information, and other personal data.
2. Ransomware: Ransomware is a type of malicious software that encrypts a victim’s files or locks their systems, demanding a ransom payment to restore access. Ransomware attacks can cause significant financial losses and operational disruptions for organizations.
3. Insider Threats: Insider threats refer to security risks posed by employees, contractors, or other individuals with authorized access to an organization’s systems and data. These threats can result from malicious intent or negligence, leading to data breaches or system compromises.
4. Supply Chain Attacks: Also known as third-party attacks or vendor risk, supply chain attacks target an organization’s suppliers, vendors, or partners to gain access to their systems and data. These attacks often exploit security vulnerabilities in the supply chain to compromise multiple organizations.
5. Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) Attacks: DDoS attacks involve overwhelming a target’s network or system with a flood of traffic, rendering it inaccessible to legitimate users. DDoS attacks can cause severe downtime and service disruptions.
6. Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs): APTs are sophisticated, coordinated cyberattacks by well-funded threat actors or nation-state groups that target specific organizations for espionage, data theft, or sabotage. APTs often use advanced techniques and tactics to evade detection and maintain a long-term presence within a target’s network.
7. Zero-Day Exploits: Zero-day exploits are attacks that take advantage of previously unknown security vulnerabilities in software or systems. These vulnerabilities, also known as zero-day flaws, have no existing patches or fixes, making them particularly dangerous and challenging to defend against.
8. Internet of Things (IoT) Security: The increasing adoption of IoT devices and connected technologies has expanded the attack surface for cybercriminals. IoT devices are often vulnerable to cyber threats due to weak security measures, creating new risks for organizations and consumers.
9. Data Breaches: Data breaches occur when unauthorized individuals gain access to an organization’s sensitive data, such as customer information, financial records, or intellectual property. Data breaches can result in significant financial and reputational damage for organizations.
10. Cloud Security Threats: As more organizations migrate to cloud-based services, cloud security has become a critical concern. Threats in the cloud can arise from misconfigurations, weak authentication mechanisms, and vulnerabilities in cloud applications or infrastructure.
Benefits of Open-Source CyberSecurity tools
Open source cyber security monitoring tools offer numerous advantages over proprietary solutions, making them an attractive option for businesses, organizations, and individuals looking to enhance their security posture and perform effective security testing.
Here are some key benefits of using open-source tools for cyber security monitoring for monitoring services that pose security threats, even if you have another network monitoring system. Proper cybersecurity monitoring and access management are key to maintaining a secure environment.
Cost-Effectiveness
One of the most significant benefits of open-source cyber security tools is their cost-effectiveness. With no licensing fees or subscription costs, these free tools enable security teams to access powerful network monitoring solutions without breaking the bank.
This particularly benefits small businesses and startups with limited budgets, allowing them to allocate resources to other critical areas.
Customizability and Flexibility
Open-source network monitoring tools offer high customizability and flexibility, allowing security professionals to tailor the tools to their specific needs. This adaptability enables organizations to address unique security threats and vulnerabilities, ensuring a more robust security posture.
Additionally, the ability to integrate these tools with existing security infrastructure adds an extra layer of protection to network security.
Rapid Development and Updates
The open-source community is known for its rapid development and frequent updates. As new security threats and vulnerabilities emerge, open-source cyber security tools are often among the first to receive patches and updates.
This continuous monitoring and proactive response help organizations stay ahead of potential security risks and maintain a strong security posture.
Extensive Support and Collaboration
Open-source cyber security tools benefit from an extensive support network, comprising developers, users, and experts from around the world.
This collaborative environment fosters knowledge sharing, allowing security professionals to learn from one another and develop more effective security strategies.
Additionally, the availability of comprehensive documentation and online forums makes it easier for users to troubleshoot issues and enhance their understanding of network monitoring and security.
Improved Security and Transparency
With their source code openly available for inspection, open-source cyber security tools offer greater transparency than proprietary alternatives. This transparency allows security professionals and researchers to scrutinize the code for potential security vulnerabilities and ensure its integrity.
Moreover, the collaborative nature of the open-source community means that any identified issues are addressed quickly, further enhancing the overall security of these tools.
Platform Independence and Interoperability
Open-source network monitoring software often supports a wide range of operating systems, including Windows, macOS, and Linux, allowing organizations to deploy these tools across diverse environments.
This platform independence and interoperability help organizations ensure comprehensive network monitoring, regardless of the underlying infrastructure.
Top 25 Open Source Cyber Security Monitoring Tools in 2023
Note the following free cyber security monitoring tools in 2023 and the open-source list of solutions you can take advantage of and no free trial needed.
1. Wireshark: Network Protocol Analyzer
Wireshark is a widely-used network protocol analyzer that enables security teams to troubleshoot, analyze, and monitor network traffic in real-time to detect security issues. It is a defacto standard network monitoring tool.
command line interface data packets open source platform data breaches packet capture web apps network packets computer security experts solarwinds security event manager security scanning
By dissecting network protocols, Wireshark provides valuable insights into potential security risks and network vulnerabilities, allowing professionals to identify and resolve issues efficiently with the Wireshark network monitoring solution.
You can monitor a wide range of protocols, including TCP/IP, simple network management protocol, FTP, and many others. If you are looking for a network monitor this is it.
2. Snort: Network Intrusion Detection and Prevention System
Snort is a powerful open-source intrusion detection and prevention system (IDPS) that monitors network traffic and detects potential security threats.
It provides real-time traffic analysis, packet logging, and alerting capabilities, making it an essential tool for security auditing and network monitoring.
3. OSSEC: Host-Based Intrusion Detection System
OSSEC is a comprehensive host-based intrusion detection system (HIDS) that offers log analysis, file integrity checking, rootkit detection, and more.
It supports various operating systems, including Linux, Windows, and macOS, and helps security professionals monitor and analyze network protocols for potential security vulnerabilities.
4. Security Onion: Intrusion Detection and Network Security Monitoring Distribution
Security Onion is a Linux distribution specifically designed for intrusion detection, network security monitoring, and log management.
With a suite of powerful open-source tools, including Snort, Suricata, and Zeek, Security Onion provides a robust solution for security teams to monitor networks and detect security breaches.
5. Nmap: Network Scanning and Discovery Tool
Nmap is a versatile network scanning and discovery tool that helps security professionals identify network devices, open ports, and running services.
It is an essential network monitoring software for vulnerability management, penetration testing, and network inventory management.
6. Kismet: Wireless Network Detector, Sniffer, and Intrusion Detection System
Kismet is a wi fi security tool that detects, sniffs, and analyzes wireless networks. By monitoring wireless network traffic, Kismet identifies potential security risks, network vulnerabilities, and unauthorized users, making it an invaluable tool for wireless network security.
7. Suricata: High-Performance Network Intrusion Detection and Prevention Engine
Suricata is an open-source, high-performance network intrusion detection and prevention engine that provides real-time network traffic analysis, threat detection, and alerting.
Suricata enables security professionals to maintain network integrity and security by employing advanced threat defense and anomaly detection techniques.
8. Zeek (formerly Bro): Network Analysis Framework for Security Monitoring
Zeek, previously known as Bro, is a powerful network analysis framework that offers real-time insight into network traffic.
With its flexible scripting language and extensible plugin architecture, Zeek provides comprehensive visibility into network activity, enabling security teams to detect and prevent security threats.
9. OpenVAS: Vulnerability Scanning and Management Solution
OpenVAS is a comprehensive vulnerability scanning and management solution that helps security professionals identify, assess, and remediate security vulnerabilities.
With its extensive plugin library, OpenVAS ensures continuous monitoring and up-to-date vulnerability information, making it a critical tool for vulnerability management.
10. ClamAV: Open-Source Antivirus Engine
ClamAV is an open-source antivirus engine that detects trojans, viruses, and other malicious software.
It offers a command-line scanner, a graphical user interface (GUI) for Windows operating system, and integration with mail servers, ensuring that your systems are protected from security threats.
11. Fail2Ban: Log-Parsing Application to Protect Against Brute-Force Attacks
Fail2Ban is a log-parsing application that monitors log files for malicious activity, such as repeated failed login attempts. Fail2Ban bans the offending IP address when a potential attack is detected, effectively protecting your network from brute-force attacks and unauthorized access.
12. AlienVault OSSIM: Open-Source Security Information and Event Management Platform
AlienVault OSSIM is an open-source security information and event management (SIEM) platform that provides real-time event correlation, log analysis, and threat intelligence.
By integrating multiple security tools, OSSIM helps security teams maintain a unified user interface and enhance their overall security posture.
13. Cuckoo Sandbox: Automated Malware Analysis System
Cuckoo Sandbox is an open-source automated malware analysis system that enables security professionals to analyze suspicious files and URLs in a safe, isolated environment.
It provides detailed reports on malware behavior, including network traffic analysis, file system changes, and API traces, helping security teams identify and mitigate security risks.
14. Logstash: Log Processing and Management Tool
Logstash is part of the Elastic Stack (ELK Stack) and offers log processing and management capabilities.
It collects, parses, and stores log data from various sources, making it an essential tool for security professionals to monitor and analyze network activity, detect security breaches, and maintain system performance.
15. pfSense: Open-Source Firewall and Router Distribution
pfSense is an open-source firewall and router distribution based on FreeBSD. It offers a powerful and flexible network security, traffic shaping, and VPN connectivity solution.
With its extensive features and customization options, pfSense is ideal for securing web servers and internal networks.
16. ModSecurity: Open-Source Web Application Firewall
ModSecurity is an open-source web application firewall (WAF) providing real-time security monitoring and access control. It detects and prevents web attacks, protects sensitive data, and helps security professionals maintain compliance with industry standards and regulations.
AIDE is a file and directory integrity checker that monitors system files for unauthorized changes. It detects modifications, deletions, and additions, allowing security teams to maintain system integrity and prevent security breaches.
18. Graylog: Open-Source Log Management Platform
Graylog is an open-source log management platform that centralizes and analyzes log data from various sources.
Graylog helps security professionals detect security threats, identify network vulnerabilities, and maintain network security by providing comprehensive visibility into network activity.
19. Wazuh: Security Monitoring and Compliance Solution
Wazuh is a free, open-source security monitoring and compliance solution that integrates host-based and network-based intrusion detection systems, file integrity monitoring and security policy enforcement.
Wazuh’s centralized management and powerful analytics capabilities make it an essential tool for security teams to detect and respond to security threats.
20. T-Pot: Honeypot Platform
T-Pot is a platform combining multiple honeypots into a single, easy-to-deploy solution for cyber security monitoring. By simulating vulnerable systems and services, T-Pot attracts attackers and collects threat data, providing valuable insights into current attack trends and techniques.
Honorable mentions
Samhain: Host-Based Intrusion Detection System
Samhain is a host-based intrusion detection system (HIDS) that provides file integrity checking and log file monitoring. It detects unauthorized modifications, deletions, and additions, helping security professionals maintain system integrity and prevent security breaches.
SELKS: Network Security Management ISO with Suricata
SELKS is a live and installable network security management ISO based on Debian, focusing on a complete and ready-to-use Suricata IDS/IPS ecosystem. It offers a user-friendly interface and powerful analytics tools, making it an ideal choice for security teams to monitor networks and detect potential security threats.
Squid: Open-Source Web Proxy Cache and Forward Proxy
Squid is an open-source web proxy cache and forward proxy that improves web performance and security. By caching frequently-requested web content and filtering web traffic, Squid helps reduce bandwidth usage, enhance user privacy, and protect against web-based security threats.
YARA: Pattern-Matching Tool for Malware Researchers
YARA is a pattern-matching tool designed for malware researchers to identify and classify malware samples. By creating custom rules and signatures, YARA enables security professionals to detect and analyze malicious software, enhancing their understanding of current malware trends and techniques.
Arkime (formerly Moloch): Large-Scale, Open-Source, Indexed Packet Capture and Search System
Arkime is a large-scale, open-source, indexed packet capture and search system that provides comprehensive visibility into network traffic. It enables security professionals to analyze network protocols, detect security vulnerabilities, and identify potential security threats, making it an essential tool for network monitoring and security auditing.
Tips to Improve Your Cybersecurity Posture
Improving your cybersecurity posture is essential for safeguarding your organization from various cyber threats. Here are some practical tips to help enhance your cybersecurity defenses:
Implement Regular Security Audits: Conducting routine security audits can help identify potential weaknesses in your organization’s cybersecurity infrastructure.
This includes checking for outdated software, misconfigured settings, and other vulnerabilities that may expose your systems to attacks.
Keep Software and Systems Updated: Regularly update your software, operating systems, and firmware to protect against known vulnerabilities and exploits.
This includes applying security patches and updates as soon as they become available.
Use Strong Authentication Mechanisms: Implement multi-factor authentication (MFA) for all critical systems and applications.
MFA adds an extra layer of security by requiring users to provide additional verification, such as a one-time code or biometric authentication, in addition to their password.
Encrypt Sensitive Data: Encrypt sensitive data both in transit and at rest to prevent unauthorized access. This includes using secure communication protocols, such as HTTPS and TLS, and implementing encryption solutions for data storage.
Establish a Strong Password Policy: Enforce a robust password policy that requires users to create complex, unique passwords and update them regularly. Additionally, consider using a password manager to help users manage and store their passwords securely.
Educate Employees on Cybersecurity Best Practices: Provide ongoing security awareness training to educate employees about common cyber threats, safe online practices, and how to recognize and report potential security incidents.
Implement Network Segmentation: Divide your network into smaller segments, isolating critical systems and data from less secure areas. This can help prevent the spread of malware and limit the damage in case of a security breach.
Regularly Backup Important Data: Regularly back up essential data and store copies offsite or in the cloud. This ensures that you can quickly recover from data loss or ransomware attacks.
Utilize Endpoint Security Solutions: Deploy comprehensive endpoint security solutions to protect devices connected to your network.
This includes antivirus software, firewalls, intrusion detection and prevention systems, and device management tools.
Monitor and Analyze Network Traffic: Use network monitoring tools to analyze network traffic, detect anomalies, and identify potential security threats. Regular monitoring can help detect and respond to security incidents more effectively.
Develop a Cybersecurity Incident Response Plan: Create a detailed incident response plan outlining the steps to take in a security breach. Regularly review and update the plan, and ensure that all employees are familiar with the procedures.
Collaborate with Security Professionals: Engage with cybersecurity experts or managed service providers to help develop and maintain a strong security posture.
This can provide access to specialized knowledge and resources to stay up-to-date with the latest threats and best practices.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What are the best open-source cyber security monitoring tools available in 2023?
This blog post covers the top 25 open-source cyber security monitoring tools in 2023, including Wireshark, Snort, OSSEC, Security Onion, Nmap, Kismet, Suricata, Zeek, OpenVAS, ClamAV, and more.
These tools provide comprehensive network monitoring, threat detection, and vulnerability management capabilities to help organizations maintain a robust security posture.
Open-source cyber security monitoring tools offer several advantages: cost-effectiveness, customizability, rapid development and updates, extensive support, improved security, and platform independence.
These benefits make open-source tools attractive for organizations looking to enhance their network security and protect sensitive data.
3. How can I improve my organization’s cybersecurity hygiene?
In addition to utilizing open-source cyber security monitoring tools, organizations can improve their cybersecurity hygiene by implementing security awareness training, regularly updating software and systems, employing strong password policies, using multi-factor authentication, monitoring network traffic, and conducting regular security audits and penetration testing.
4. What is the importance of continuous monitoring in cybersecurity?
Continuous monitoring plays a crucial role in identifying and addressing security threats and vulnerabilities in real-time.
By regularly analyzing network traffic, security professionals can detect potential issues, respond to incidents promptly, and ensure the safety and integrity of their digital assets.
5. How can I protect my web applications from security threats?
Web application security can be improved by using tools such as ModSecurity, an open-source web application firewall (WAF) that provides real-time application security monitoring and access control.
Regularly updating web applications, conducting vulnerability assessments, and implementing secure coding practices can also help mitigate security risks.
6. What role do threat intelligence and threat data play in cybersecurity?
Threat intelligence and threat data help security professionals understand the latest trends, tactics, and techniques cybercriminals use.
Organizations can proactively address potential issues and maintain a strong security posture by staying informed about emerging threats and vulnerabilities.
7. Are open-source cyber security monitoring tools suitable for small businesses and startups?
Yes, open-source cyber security monitoring tools are ideal for small businesses and startups, as they offer cost-effective and powerful network monitoring solutions.
These tools enable organizations with limited budgets to access advanced security features without incurring high licensing fees or subscription costs.
Wrapping up
The ever-evolving landscape of cyber threats demands reliable and effective tools for security professionals to protect networks, systems, and sensitive data.
These Top 20 open-source cyber security monitoring tools in 2023 provide a comprehensive network monitoring, threat detection, and vulnerability management solution.
By incorporating these tools into your security strategy, you can enhance your overall security posture and ensure the safety and integrity of your digital assets.
