Raspberry Archives - Page 2 of 5

Top 5 Security Misconfigurations Causing Data Breaches in 2023

Edward Kost
updated May 15, 2023

Security misconfigurations are a common and significant cybersecurity issue that can leave businesses vulnerable to data breaches. According to the latest data breach investigation report by IBM and the Ponemon Institute, the average cost of a breach has peaked at US$4.35 million. Many data breaches are caused by avoidable errors like security misconfiguration. By following the tips in this article, you could identify and address a security error that could save you millions of dollars in damages.

Learn how UpGuard can help you detect data breach risks >

What is a Security Misconfiguration?

A security misconfiguration occurs when a system, application, or network device’s settings are not correctly configured, leaving it exposed to potential cyber threats. This could be due to default configurations left unchanged, unnecessary features enabled, or permissions set too broadly. Hackers often exploit these misconfigurations to gain unauthorized access to sensitive data, launch malware attacks, or carry out phishing attacks, among other malicious activities.

What Causes Security Misconfigurations?

Security misconfigurations can result from various factors, including human error, lack of awareness, and insufficient security measures. For instance, employees might configure systems without a thorough understanding of security best practices, security teams might overlook crucial security updates due to the growing complexity of cloud services and infrastructures.

Additionally, the rapid shift to remote work during the pandemic has increased the attack surface for cybercriminals, making it more challenging for security teams to manage and monitor potential vulnerabilities.

List of Common Types of Security Configurations Facilitating Data Breaches

Some common types of security misconfigurations include:

1. Default Settings

With the rise of cloud solutions such as Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure, companies increasingly rely on these platforms to store and manage their data. However, using cloud services also introduces new security risks, such as the potential for misconfigured settings or unauthorized access.

A prominent example of insecure default software settings that could have facilitated a significant breach is the Microsoft Power Apps data leak incident of 2021. By default, Power Apps portal data feeds were set to be accessible to the public.

Unless developers specified for OData feeds to be set to private, virtually anyone could access the backend databases of applications built with Power Apps. UpGuard researchers located the exposure and notified Microsoft, who promptly addressed the leak. UpGuard’s detection helped Microsoft avoid a large-scale breach that could have potentially compromised 38 million records.

Read this whitepaper to learn how to prevent data breaches >

2. Unnecessary Features

Enabling features or services not required for a system’s operation can increase its attack surface, making it more vulnerable to threats. Some examples of unnecessary product features include remote administration tools, file-sharing services, and unused network ports. To mitigate data breach risks, organizations should conduct regular reviews of their systems and applications to identify and disable or remove features that are not necessary for their operations.

Additionally, organizations should practice the principle of least functionality, ensuring that systems are deployed with only the minimal set of features and services required for their specific use case.

3. Insecure Permissions

Overly permissive access controls can allow unauthorized users to access sensitive data or perform malicious actions. To address this issue, organizations should implement the principle of least privilege, granting users the minimum level of access necessary to perform their job functions. This can be achieved through proper role-based access control (RBAC) configurations and regular audits of user privileges. Additionally, organizations should ensure that sensitive data is appropriately encrypted both in transit and at rest, further reducing the risk of unauthorized access.

4. Outdated Software

Failing to apply security patches and updates can expose systems to known vulnerabilities. To protect against data breaches resulting from outdated software, organizations should have a robust patch management program in place. This includes regularly monitoring for available patches and updates, prioritizing their deployment based on the severity of the vulnerabilities being addressed, and verifying the successful installation of these patches.

Additionally, organizations should consider implementing automated patch management solutions and vulnerability scanning tools to streamline the patching process and minimize the risk of human error.

5. Insecure API Configurations

APIs that are not adequately secured can allow threat actors to access sensitive information or manipulate systems. API misconfigurations – like the one that led to T-Mobile’s 2023 data breach, are becoming more common. As more companies move their services to the cloud, securing these APIs and preventing the data leaks they facilitate is becoming a bigger challenge.

To mitigate the risks associated with insecure API configurations, organizations should implement strong authentication and authorization mechanisms, such as OAuth 2.0 or API keys, to ensure only authorized clients can access their APIs. Additionally, organizations should conduct regular security assessments and penetration testing to identify and remediate potential vulnerabilities in their API configurations.

Finally, adopting a secure software development lifecycle (SSDLC) and employing API security best practices, such as rate limiting and input validation, can help prevent data breaches stemming from insecure APIs.

Learn how UpGuard protects against third-party breaches >

How to Avoid Security Misconfigurations Impacting Your Data Breach Resilience

To protect against security misconfigurations, organizations should:

1. Implement a Comprehensive Security Policy

Implement a cybersecurity policy covering all system and application configuration aspects, including guidelines for setting permissions, enabling features, and updating software.

2. Implement a Cyber Threat Awareness Program

An essential security measure that should accompany the remediation of security misconfigurations is employee threat awareness training. Of those who recently suffered cloud security breaches, 55% of respondents identified human error as the primary cause.

With your employees equipped to correctly respond to common cybercrime tactics that preceded data breaches, such as social engineering attacks and social media phishing attacks, your business could avoid a security incident should threat actors find and exploit an overlooked security misconfiguration.

Phishing attacks involve tricking individuals into revealing sensitive information that could be used to compromise an account or facilitate a data breach. During these attacks, threat actors target account login credentials, credit card numbers, and even phone numbers to exploit Multi-Factor authentication.

Learn the common ways MFA can be exploited >

Phishing attacks are becoming increasingly sophisticated, with cybercriminals using automation and other tools to target large numbers of individuals.

Here’s an example of a phishing campaign where a hacker has built a fake login page to steal a customer’s banking credentials. As you can see, the fake login page looks almost identical to the actual page, and an unsuspecting eye will not notice anything suspicious.

‍

Because this poor cybersecurity habit is common amongst the general population, phishing campaigns could involve fake login pages for social media websites, such as LinkedIn, popular websites like Amazon, and even SaaS products. Hackers implementing such tactics hope the same credentials are used for logging into banking websites.

Cyber threat awareness training is the best defense against phishing, the most common attack vector leading to data breaches and ransomware attacks.

Because small businesses often lack the resources and expertise of larger companies, they usually don’t have the budget for additional security programs like awareness training. This is why, according to a recent report, 61% of small and medium-sized businesses experienced at least one cyber attack in the past year, and 40% experienced eight or more attacks.

Luckily, with the help of ChatGPT, small businesses can implement an internal threat awareness program at a fraction of the cost. Industries at a heightened risk of suffering a data breach, such as healthcare, should especially prioritize awareness of the cyber threat landscape.

Learn how to implement an internal cyber threat awareness campaign >

3. Use Multi-Factor Authentication

MFA and strong access management control to limit unauthorized access to sensitive systems and data.

Previously compromised passwords are often used to hack into accounts. MFA adds additional authentication protocols to the login process, making it difficult to compromise an account, even if hackers get their hands on a stolen password

4. Use Strong Access Management Controls

Identity and Access Management (IAM) systems ensure users only have access to the data and applications they need to do their jobs and that permissions are revoked when an employee leaves the company or changes roles.

The 2023 Thales Dara Threat Report found that 28% of respondents found IAM to be the most effective data security control preventing personal data compromise.

5. Keep All Software Patched and Updated

Keep all environments up-to-date by promptly applying patches and updates. Consider patching a “golden image” and deploying it across your environment. Perform regular scans and audits to identify potential security misconfigurations and missing patches.

An attack surface monitoring solution, such as UpGuard, can detect vulnerable software versions that have been impacted by zero-days and other known security flaws.

6. Deploy Security Tools

Security tools, such as intrusion detection and prevention systems (IDPS) and security information and event management (SIEM) solutions, to monitor and respond to potential threats.

It’s essential also to implement tools to defend against tactics often used to complement data breach attempts, for example. DDoS attacks – a type of attack where a server is flooded with fake traffic to force it offline, allowing hackers to exploit security misconfigurations during the chaos of excessive downtime.

Another important security tool is a data leak detection solution for discovering compromised account credentials published on the dark web. These credentials, if exploited, allow hackers to compress the data breach lifecycle, making these events harder to detect and intercept.

Dara leaks compressing the data breach lifecycle.

Learn how to detect and prevent data leaks >

7. Implement a Zero-Trust Architecture

One of the main ways that companies can protect themselves from cloud-related security threats is by implementing a Zero Trust security architecture. This approach assumes all requests for access to resources are potentially malicious and, therefore, require additional verification before granting access.

Learn how to implement a Zero-Trust Architecture >

A Zero-Trust approach to security assumes that all users, devices, and networks are untrustworthy until proven otherwise.

8. Develop a Repeatable Hardening Process

Establish a process that can be easily replicated to ensure consistent, secure configurations across production, development, and QA environments. Use different passwords for each environment and automate the process for efficient deployment. Be sure to address IoT devices in the hardening process.

These devices tend to be secured with their default factory passwords, making them highly vulnerable to DDoS attacks.

9. Implement a Secure Application Architecture

Design your application architecture to obfuscate general access to sensitive resources using the principle of network segmentation.

Learn more about network segmentation >

Cloud infrastructure has become a significant cybersecurity issue in the last decade. Barely a month goes by without a major security breach at a cloud service provider or a large corporation using cloud services.

10. Maintain a Structured Development Cycle

Facilitate security testing during development by adhering to a well-organized development process. Following cybersecurity best practices this early in the development process sets the foundation for a resilient security posture that will protect your data even as your company scales.

Implement a secure software development lifecycle (SSDLC) that incorporates security checkpoints at each stage of development, including requirements gathering, design, implementation, testing, and deployment. Additionally, train your development team in secure coding practices and encourage a culture of security awareness to help identify and remediate potential vulnerabilities before they make their way into production environments.

11. Review Custom Code

If using custom code, employ a static code security scanner before integrating it into the production environment. These scanners can automatically analyze code for potential vulnerabilities and compliance issues, reducing the risk of security misconfigurations.

Additionally, have security professionals conduct manual reviews and dynamic testing to identify issues that may not be detected by automated tools. This combination of automated and manual testing ensures that custom code is thoroughly vetted for security risks before deployment.

12. Utilize a Minimal Platform

Remove unused features, insecure frameworks, and unnecessary documentation, samples, or components from your platform. Adopt a “lean” approach to your software stack by only including components that are essential for your application’s functionality.

This reduces the attack surface and minimizes the chances of security misconfigurations. Furthermore, keep an inventory of all components and their associated security risks to better manage and mitigate potential vulnerabilities.

13. Review Cloud Storage Permissions

Regularly examine permissions for cloud storage, such as S3 buckets, and incorporate security configuration updates and reviews into your patch management process. This process should be a standard inclusion across all cloud security measures. Ensure that access controls are properly configured to follow the principle of least privilege, and encrypt sensitive data both in transit and at rest.

Implement monitoring and alerting mechanisms to detect unauthorized access or changes to your cloud storage configurations. By regularly reviewing and updating your cloud storage permissions, you can proactively identify and address potential security misconfigurations, thereby enhancing your organization’s data breach resilience.

How UpGuard Can Help

UpGuard’s IP monitoring feature monitors all IP addresses associated with your attack surface for security issues, misconfigurations, and vulnerabilities. UpGuard’s attack surface monitoring solution can also identify common misconfigurations and security issues shared across your organization and its subsidiaries, including the exposure of WordPress user names, vulnerable server versions, and a range of attack vectors facilitating first and third data breaches.

UpGuard’s Risk Profile feature displays security vulnerabilities associated with end-of-life software.

To further expand its mitigation of data breach threat categories, UpGuard offersa data leak detection solution that scans ransomware blogs on the dark web for compromised credentials, and any leaked data could help hackers breach your network and sensitive resources.

UpGuard's ransomware blog detection feature. — UpGuard’s ransomware blog detection feature.

Source :
https://www.upguard.com/blog/security-misconfigurations-causing-data-breaches

All about the TeamViewer company profile

By JeanK

Last Updated: Jun 23, 2023

A TeamViewer company profile allows the ability within the TeamViewer Management Console to manage user permissions and access centrally.

Company admins can add existing users to the license and create new TeamViewer accounts. Both will allow users to log into any TeamViewer application and license the device so they may make connections.

Before starting

It is highly recommended to utilize a Master Account for a company profile, which will be the account that manages all licenses and users.

Please see the following article: Using a Master Account for the TeamViewer Management Console

This article applies to TeamViewer customers with a Premium, Corporate, or Tensor plan.

Benefits of a company profile

Managing users as the company administrator of a company profile also gives access to:

Connection reports (reports of user connections including date, time, and frequency)
Deactivate or remove a user
Create channel groups
Share groups of contacts and devices and manage group permissions
Change user account passwords
Change user permissions

Licensing

Each company profile must have one TeamViewer Core multi-user license activated; this license can be combined with other licenses of the TeamViewer product family (e.g., Assist AR, Remote Management, IoT, etc. ), but cannot be combined with another TeamViewer Core license.

📌Note: If a company admin attempts to activate a second TeamViewer license, they will need to choose between keeping the existing license or replacing it with the new license.

📌Note: In some cases (with older company profiles and an active perpetual license), multiple core TeamViewer licenses may be activated to one company profile. One subscription license may be added to an existing perpetual license for such company profiles.

License management

Through the TeamViewer Management Console, company admins can manage the licensing of their users directly, including:

Assign/un-assign the license to various members of the company profile.
Reserve one or more channels for specific teams or persons via Channel Groups.

💡Hint: To ensure the license on your company profile best matches your use case, we highly recommend reaching out to our TeamViewer licensing experts. You may find local numbers here.

How to create a company profile

To create a company profile, please follow the instructions below:

Log into the Management Console
On the left-hand side, under the Company header, select User management
In the text box provided, enter the desired company name and click Create.
- 📌Note: The name of a company profile must be unique and cannot be re-used. If another company profile already uses a name, an error will appear, requesting another name be used instead.
Once the company profile is created, User management will load with the user that created the company profile as a company administrator.

How to add a new user

To add a new user, please follow the instructions below:

Under User management, click the icon of a person with a + sign. Click on Add user.
On the General tab, add the user’s name and email address and enter a password for the user and click Add user.
- 💡Hint: Other settings for the user can be adjusted under Advanced, Licenses, and Permissions.
The user will now appear under the User management tab. An email is sent to the user with instructions on activating their account.
- 📌Note: If the user does not activate their account via email, they will receive an error that the account has not yet been activated when trying to sign in.

How to add an existing user

Users that already have an existing TeamViewer account can request to join a company profile using a few simple steps:

Under User management, click the icon of a person with a + sign. Select Add existing account.
A pop-up will appear, including a URL. Please send this URL to the user you want to add: https://login.teamviewer.com/cmd/joincompany
Once the user opens the link within a browser, they must sign in with their TeamViewer account. Once logged in, they will be prompted to enter the email address of the company administrator. Once completed, they must tick the box I allow to transfer my account and click Join Company.
The company admin will receive a join request via email. The user will appear in user management, where the company admin can approve or decline the addition of the user to the company profile

📌Notes:

Every user that joins a company profile will be informed that the company admin will take over full management of their account, including the ability to connect to and control all their devices. It is recommended never to join a company profile the user does not know or fully trust.
A user can only be part of one company profile.

How to set user permissions

Users of a company profile have multiple options that can be set by the current company admin, including promoting other users to administrator or company administrator. Permissions are set for each user individually. To access user permissions:

In the User management tab, hovering the cursor over the desired user’s account will produce a three-dots menu (⋮) to the far right of the account. Click this menu and select Edit user from the drop-down.
Once in Edit user, select the Permissions tab. Overall permissions for the account can be changed using the drop-down under the Role header.

Four options are available:

Company administrator: Can make changes to company settings, other administrator accounts, and user accounts.
User administrator: Can make changes to other user accounts but cannot change company settings or company administrator accounts.
Member: Cannot change the company profile or other users.
Customized permissions: The company admin sets permissions for each aspect of the account.

Once the appropriate role is selected, click Save in the window’s upper-left corner.

📌Note: Changes to user permissions are automatic once saved.

How to remove/deactivate/delete users

Along with adding new or existing accounts, company admins can remove, deactivate, or even delete users from the company profile.

📌Note: A current company admin of that license can only remove a TeamViewer account currently connected to a company profile. TeamViewer Customer Support is unable to remove any account from a company profile.

To remove, deactivate or delete an account, please follow the instructions below:

In the User management tab, hovering the cursor over the desired user’s account will produce a three-dots menu (⋮) to the far right of the account. In the drop-down menu that appears are the three options
Select Delete account, Remove user or Deactivate user.

Consequences of deleting an account

When an account is deleted, the account is not only removed from the company profile but deleted from TeamViewer altogether. The user can no longer use the account or access any information associated with it as it no longer exists.

📌Note: When an account is deleted, the email address associated with the account can be re-used to create a new TeamViewer account.

When a TeamViewer account is deleted from a company profile:

Connection reports, custom modules, and TeamViewer/Remote management policies will be transferred to the current company admin.
Web API Tokens for the deleted user are logged out, and their company functionality is removed
License activations are removed from the deleted user’s account
Shared groups from the deleted user’s account are deleted.

Once the company admin checks the box to confirm that this process cannot be undone, the Delete account button becomes available. Once pressed, the account is deleted.

📌Note: Deletion of any TeamViewer account deletion is irreversible. Only a new account can be created after deletion. All user data will be lost.

Remove user

When an account is removed, the account is removed from the company profile and reverted to a free TeamViewer account. The account is reverted to a free account, and the user is still able to log in with the account. All information associated with the account is still accessible.

When an account is removed from a company profile:

Connection reports, custom modules, and TeamViewer /Remote management policies will be transferred to the current company admin.
Contacts in the contact book are transferred to the current company admin
Web API Tokens for the user’s account are logged out and their company functionality is removed
License activations are removed from the user’s account

📌Note: Groups & devices in the Computers & Contacts of the removed user’s account are not affected. Any groups shared also will remain shared.

Once the company admin checks the box to confirm that this process cannot be undone, the Remove user button becomes available. Once pressed, the account is removed from the company profile and reverted to a free TeamViewer account.

📌Note: Once a user account is removed from the current company profile, it can request to join another company profile.

Deactivate user

When an account is deactivated, the account is reverted to inactive. The deactivated account is still associated with the company profile but cannot be used to log into TeamViewer on a free or licensed device. The account is rendered completely unusable.

📌Note: When an account is deactivated, the email address associated with the account cannot be used to create a new free TeamViewer account.

💡Hint: To view inactivated users within the company profile, select the drop-down menu under User Status and check the box for Inactive. All inactive users will now appear in user management.

How to reactivate inactive users

When Deactivate user is selected, the account disappears from user management. They are, however, still a part of the Company Profile and can be reactivated back to the license instantly at any time.

To view inactivated users within the company profile, select the menu under User Status and check the box for Inactive. All inactive users will now appear in user management.
Once the user is located, hover the cursor over the account. Select the three-dots menu (⋮) to the right of the user’s account and select Activate user
The user’s original permissions status is reverted, and the account can again be used with any TeamViewer device.

Troubleshooting

Below you will find answers to some common issues encountered when interacting with a company profile.

▹User(s) on a company profile show a free license

In some cases, older users on a company profile may appear as ‘free’ users, especially after upgrading or changing a license. The company admin can resolve this:

Log in to the TeamViewer Management Console under https://login.teamviewer.com
Click Company administration on the left-hand side:
Select the Licenses tab and locate the license. Hovering the cursor over the license will produce a three-dots menu (⋮). Click the menu and select Assign from the drop-down.
The users who show ‘free’ will appear in Unassigned. Select the desired users and click the Add button at the bottom of the page.

📌Note: Affected users should log out and then back in to see the licensing changes.

▹Your account is already associated with a company

If a user who is already associated with one company profile attempts to join another company profile, the following pop-up will appear:

The user’s account must be removed from the current company profile to resolve this. The steps required vary depending on whether it is their active or expired company profile or if they are associated with a company profile created by another account.

SCENARIO 1: As company administrator of an active company profile

If a user who created a company profile wishes to delete the company profile associated with their account, they will need to perform the following steps:

Log in to the TeamViewer Management Console under https://login.teamviewer.com
Click User Management in the upper left corner
Remove all other accounts: Before deleting a company profile, the company admin must remove all other accounts. Perform these steps for each user on the company profile
Remove the company admin account: Once all other accounts have been removed, the company admin will remove their account. This will delete the company profile altogether
The user is immediately logged out and can now follow the process to add their account to an existing company profile

SCENARIO 2: As company administrator of an expired company profile

In some cases, the user may have created a company profile on an older license that is no longer used or active. In such cases, the company profile will appear as expired in the Management Console.

In such cases, it is still possible to delete the company profile:

Log in to the TeamViewer Management Console under https://login.teamviewer.com
Click Company administration on the left-hand side.
On the General tab, select Delete company.
A pop-up will appear confirming the request to delete the company profile. Check the box at the bottom to validate, and select Delete company.

SCENARIO 3: The account is a member of a company profile

📌Note: Only a company administrator can remove a user from their company profile – not even TeamViewer can remove a user from a company profile, regardless of the request’s origin.

If the user is a member of another company profile, they will need to contact the company admin of that license to request removal.

Once removed, they can then request to join the correct company profile.

Source :
https://community.teamviewer.com/English/kb/articles/3573-all-about-the-teamviewer-company-profile

Teamviewer Block and allowlist

By .Carol.fg.

Last Updated: May 9, 2023

You have the possibility to restrict remote access to your device by using the Block and Allowlist feature in the TeamViewer full version and the TeamViewer Host.

You can find the feature easily by clicking in your TeamViewer full version on the Gear icon (⚙) in the upper right corner of the TeamViewer (Classic) application, then Security ➜ Block and Allowlist.

Let´s begin with the difference between a blocklist and an allowlist.

This article applies to all TeamViewer (Classic) users.

What is a Blocklist?

The Blocklist generally lets you prevent certain partners or devices from establishing a connection to your computer. TeamViewer accounts or TeamViewer IDs on the blocklist cannot connect to your computer.

📌Note: You will still be able to set up outgoing TeamViewer sessions with partners on the blocklist.

What is an Allowlist?

If you add TeamViewer accounts to the Allowlist, only these accounts will be able to connect to your computer. The possibility of a connection to your computer through other TeamViewer accounts or TeamViewer IDs will be denied

If you have joined a company profile with your TeamViewer account, you can also place the entire company profile on the Allowlist. Thus only the TeamViewer accounts that are part of the company profile can access this device.

📌Note: To work with a company profile you will need a TeamViewer Premium or Corporate license

How to set up a Blocklist?

If you would like to deny remote access to your device to specific persons or TeamViewer IDs, we recommend setting up a Blocklist.

A new window will open. Activate the first option Deny access for the following partners and click on Add

📌Note: If you activate the Also apply for meetings check box, these settings will also be applied to meetings. Contacts from your blocklist are excluded from being able to join your meetings.

After clicking on Add, you can either choose partners saved on your Computers & Contacts list or add TeamViewer IDs/contacts manually to your blocklist.

How to set up an Allowlist?

If you would like to allow only specific TeamViewer accounts or TeamViewer IDs remote access to your device, we recommend setting up an Allowlist.

A new window will open. Activate the second option Allow access only for the following partners and click on Add

📌Note: If you activate the Also apply for meetings check box, these settings will also be applied to meetings. Only contacts from your allowlist will then be able to join your meetings.

After clicking on Add, you can either choose partners saved on your Computers & Contacts list, add TeamViewer IDs/contacts manually to your blocklist, or add the whole company you are part of (only visible if you are part of a company profile).

How to delete blocklisted/allowlisted partners?

If you no longer wish to have certain partners block or allowlisted, you can easily remove them from the list.

To do so navigate in your TeamViewer full version to the Gear icon (⚙) in the upper right corner of the TeamViewer (Classic) application, then Security ➜ Block and Allowlist ➜ Click on Configure… and choose whether you would like to remove partners from the Blocklist or from the Allowlist by choosing either Deny access for the following partners (Blocklist) or Allow access only for the following partner (Allowlist). Now click on the partners you would like to remove and finally click Remove ➜ OK

📌Note: You can choose multiple partners at once by pressing CTRG when clicking on the different partners.

Learn more about how you can benefit from a Master Allowlist: Why Master Allowlists are So Effective to Secure Customers

Source :
https://community.teamviewer.com/English/kb/articles/29739-block-and-allowlist

Teamviewer Two-Factor Authentication for connections

By .Carol.fg.

Last Updated: May 9, 2023

This article provides a step-by-step guide to activating Two-factor authentication for connections (also known as TFA for connections). This feature enables you to allow or deny connections via push notifications on a mobile device.

This article applies to all Windows users using TeamViewer (Classic) 15.17 (and newer) and macOS and Linux users in version 15.22 (and newer).

What is Two-factor authentication for connections?

TFA for connections offers an extra layer of protection to desktop computers.

When enabled, connections to that computer need to be approved using a push notification sent to specific mobile devices.

Enabling Two-factor authentication for connections and adding approval devices

Windows and Linux:

1. In the TeamViewer (Classic) application, click the gear icon at the top right menu.

2. Click on the Security tab on the left.

3. You will find the Two-factor authentication for connections section at the bottom.

4. Click on Configure… to open the list of approval devices.

5. To add a new mobile device to receive the push notifications, click Add.

6. You will now see a QR code that needs to be scanned by your mobile device.

Below please find a step-by-step gif for Windows, Linux, and macOS:

Windows

Linux

macOS

7. On the mobile device, download and install the TeamViewer Remote Control app:

a. Android

📌Note: This feature is only available on Android 6.0 or higher.

b. iOS

8. In the TeamViewer Remote Control app, go to Settings → TFA for connections.

9. You will see a short explanation and the option to open the camera to scan the QR code.

10. Tap on Scan QR code and you will be asked to give the TeamViewer app permission to access the camera.

11. After permission is given, the camera will open. Point the camera at the QR code on the desktop computer (see Step 6 above).

12. The activation will happen automatically, and a success message will be displayed.

13. The new device is now included in the list of approval devices.

14. From now on, any connection to this desktop computer will need to be approved using a push notification.

📌 Note: TFA for connections cannot be remotely disabled if the approval device is not accessible. Due to this, we recommend setting up an additional approval device as a backup.

Removing approval devices

1. Select an approval device from the list and click Remove or the X.

2. You will be asked to confirm the action.

3. By clicking Remove again, the mobile device will be removed from the list of approval devices and won’t receive any further push notifications.

4. If the Approval devices list is empty, Two-factor authentication for connections will be completely disabled.

Below please find a step by step gif for Windows, Linux and macOS:

▹ Windows:

▹ Linux:

▹ macOS:

Remote connections when Two-factor authentication for connections is enabled

TFA for connections does not replace any existing authentication method. When enabled, it adds an extra security layer against unauthorized access.

When connecting to a desktop computer protected by TFA for connections, a push notification will be sent to all of the approval devices.

You can either:

accept/deny the connection request via the system notification:

accept/deny the connection request by tapping the TeamViewer notification. It will lead to you the following screen within the TeamViewer application to accept/deny the connection:

Multiple approval devices

All approval devices in the list will receive a push notification.

The first notification that is answered on any of the devices will be used to allow or deny the connection.

Source :
https://community.teamviewer.com/English/kb/articles/108791-two-factor-authentication-for-connections

Teamviewer Zero Knowledge Account Recovery

By .Carol.fg.

Last Updated: May 9, 2023

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:

1. Log in with your TeamViewer account at login.teamviewer.com.

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:

1. Log in with your TeamViewer account at login.teamviewer.com.

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)

1. Go to https://login.teamviewer.com/LogOn#lost-password

2. Type in your email to the form, confirm you´re not a robot and click Change password

3. You´ll get the following notification:

4. Check your email inbox for an email from TeamViewer and click the button within the email

5. You´ll get to a page where you are asked to fill in your Zero Knowledge Account Recovery Code and a new password:

6. Confirm the chosen password by inserting it again and finish the process by clicking OK

Source :
https://community.teamviewer.com/English/kb/articles/108862-zero-knowledge-account-recovery

Ports used by TeamViewer

By Ying_Q

Last Updated: May 25, 2023

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.

Ports Used per Operating System

Source :
https://community.teamviewer.com/English/kb/articles/4139-ports-used-by-teamviewer

Ubiquiti Unifi reset to Factory Defaults

Updated on 27 giu 2023

A factory reset is useful for a creating fresh setup of a UniFi Console, or device that was already configured in a managed state.

Restoring with the Reset Button

All UniFi devices have a Reset button. You can return a device to a factory-default state by holding this for 5-10 seconds (depending on the device), or until the LEDs indicate the restore has begun. Your device must remain powered during this process.

UniFi PoE Adapters also have a Reset button that can be used if the actual device is mounted and out of reach.

Example: The diagram below illustrates how to locate this button on the UDM Pro.

Restoring From Your UniFi Application

UniFi Devices

All UniFi devices can be restored to their factory defaults via their respective web or mobile applications. This is located in the Manage section of a device’s settings. Depending on the application, this may be referred to as Forget (UniFi Network) or Unmanage (UniFi Protect).

Selecting this option will unmanage the device from your UniFi Console and restore the device to a factory default state.

UniFi Consoles

A UniFi Console admin with Owner privileges has the ability to restore their console using the “Factory Reset” button located in the UniFi OS System settings.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my device still appear in my application after I restored it using the physical Reset button?

Why does my device say “Managed by Other”?

This will occur if the device was managed by another instance of a UniFi application. This includes cases where the UniFi Console (e.g., Dream Machine Pro, or Cloud Key) was factory restored, because the UniFi device still considers itself as being managed by the ‘old’ application console, prior to restoration.

There are several options to resolve this:

Restore the UniFi Console from a backup in which the device was already managed.
Factory restore the UniFi device and then re-adopt it.
Reassign the device using the UniFi Network mobile app.
Note: This can only be done by the account owner and requires them to have previously signed into the mobile app while the device was managed.

Note: If you are self-hosting the Network application, you should only ever download the UniFi software on a single machine which will act as the UniFi Console. Some users mistakenly download this multiple times because they believe it is a requirement to manage their Network Application from other devices, but this is actually creating a completely new instance. To manage your network from another device, you can type in the IP address of the UniFi Console while connected to the same local network. Alternatively, you can enable Remote Access to manage your network anywhere. See Connecting to UniFi to learn more.

Why is my UniFi Device not factory restoring?

Ensure that your device remains powered on during the restoration process, otherwise it will not occur.

It is also possible that you held the button for too short of a time (resulting in a reboot), or too long of a time (resulting in entering TFTP Recovery Mode). Refer to our UniFi Device LED Status guide for more information.

Source:
https://help.ubnt.com/hc/en-us/articles/205143490-UniFi-How-to-Reset-the-UniFi-Access-Point-to-Factory-Defaults

10 Best Firewalls for Small & Medium Business Networks in 2023

BY AMINU ABDULLAHI MAY 16, 2023

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.

Perimeter 81: Best overall (Read more)
pfSense: Best open-source-driven firewall (Read more)
Comodo Free Firewall: Best firewall for Windows PCs (Read more)
ManageEngine Firewall Analyzer: Best for log, policy, and firewall configuration management (Read more)
Fortinet FortiGate: Best for hybrid workforces (Read more)
SonicWall TZ400 Security Firewall: Best for advanced threat protection (Read more)
Cisco Meraki MX68: Best for small branches with up to 50 users (Read more)
Sophos XGS Series: Best for remote workers (Read more)
Protectli Vault – 4 Port: Best for building your own OPNsense or pfSense router and firewall (Read more)
OPNSense: Best for flexibility (Read more)

Top SMB firewall software comparison

	Best for	IPS	Content filtering	Starting price
Perimeter 81	Best overall	Yes	Yes	$8 per user per month, billed annually
pfSense	Open source	Yes	Yes	$0.01 per hour
Comodo Free Firewall	Windows PCs	Yes	Yes	Free
ManageEngine Firewall Analyzer	Log, policy, and firewall configuration management	Yes	Yes	$395 per device
Fortinet FortiGate	Hybrid workforces	Yes	Yes	Approx. $335
SonicWall TZ400 Security Firewall	Advanced threat protection	Yes	Yes	Approx. $1,000–$1,500
Cisco Meraki MX68	Small branches with up to 50 users	Yes	Yes	Approx $640
Sophos XGS Series	Remote workers	Yes	Yes	Approx. $520
Protectli Vault – 4 Port	Building your own OPNsense or pfSense router and firewall	Yes	Yes	$269 for FW4B – 4x 1G Port Intel J3160
OPNSense	Flexibility	Yes	Yes	Free, or $170.46/yr for business ed.

Jump to:

Perimeter 81

Best overall

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.

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 vendor may increase rate to $129 per year in the future.
pfSense+ W/TAC PRO: $399 per year.
pfSense+ W/TAC ENT: $799 per year.

For pfSense appliances:

pfSense+ appliances	Device cost	Best for	Firewall speed (IPERF3 TRAFFIC)	Firewall speed (IMIX TRAFFIC)
Netgate 1100	$189	Home	607 Mbps(10k ACLs)	191 Mbps(10k ACLs)
Netgate 2100	$349	Home Home Pro Branch/Small Business	964 Mbps(10k ACLs)	249 Mbps(10k ACLs)
Netgate 4100	$599	Home Pro Branch/Small Business Medium Business	4.09 Gbps(10k ACLs)	1.40 Gbps(10k ACLs)
Netgate 6100	$799	Home Pro Branch/Small Business Medium Business	9.93 Gbps(10k ACLs)	2.73 Gbps(10k ACLs)
Netgate 8200	$1,395	Branch/Small Business Medium Business Large Business	18.55 Gbps	5.1 Gbps
Netgate 1537	$2,199	Medium Business Large Business Data Center	18.62 Gbps(10k ACLs)	10.24 Gbps(10k ACLs)
Netgate 1541	$2,899	Medium Business Large Business Data Center	18.64 Gbps(10k ACLs)	12.30 Gbps(10k ACLs)

Features

Stateful packet inspection (SPI).
IP/DNS-based filtering.
Captive portal guest network.
Time-based rules.
NAT mapping (inbound/outbound).

Pros

Anti-spoofing capability.
Connection limits option.
Community support.

Cons

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

ManageEngine Firewall Analyzer is a web-based log analytics and configuration management software for firewall devices.

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.

Feature

Firewall rules report and firewall device audit report.
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	FG-80F, FG-80F-PO, FG-80F-Bypass, FG-81F, FG-81F-PO, FG-80F-DSL, FWF-81F-2R-POE, FWF-81, F-2R-3G4G-POE, FWF-80F/81F-2R, and FWF-80F/81F-2R-3G4G-DSL
FortiGate 70F	1.4 Gbps	1 Gbps	800 Mbps	Multiple GE RJ45 \| Variants with internalstorage	FG-70F and FG-71F
FortiGate 60F	1.4 Gbps	1 Gbps	700 Mbps	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.

Features

Deep memory inspection.
Single-pane-of-glass management and reporting.
SSL/TLS decryption and inspection.
SD-WAN and zero-touch deployment capabilities.

Pros

Optional PoE and Wi-Fi options.
DDoS attack protection (UDP/ICMP/SYN flood).
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.

Pricing

OPNSense is a free, open source tool. It is available in two editions: Community edition and business edition. You can download the community version at no cost. For the business version, a one-year subscription costs $170.46 per year.

Features

High availability and hardware failover.
Intrusion detection and prevention.
Captive portal.
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.

If your business is growing fast and you need an enterprise-grade network firewall solution, we also reviewed the best firewall software for enterprise networks.

Read our complete guide to designing and configuring a firewall policy for your organization, complete with a free, downloadable template.

Source :
https://www.enterprisenetworkingplanet.com/guides/best-firewalls-for-small-medium-business/

7 Best Firewall Software Solutions: 2023 Firewall Comparison

BY COLLINS AYUYA MAY 23, 2023

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: Best for a comprehensive security suite (Read more)
Fortinet: Best for scalability (Read more)
GlassWire: Best for user-friendly interface (Read more)
Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center: Best for centralized management and control (Read more)
pfSense: Best open source solution (Read more)
Sophos Firewall: Best for cloud-based management (Read more)
ZoneAlarm: Best for personal use (Read more)

Best firewall software comparison

Before delving into each firewall software’s in-depth review, let’s take a quick overview of what each product offers via a comparison chart:

	Comprehensive security suite	Scalability	User-friendly interface	Robust features	Cloud-based management	Open-source	Starting price
Norton	✔	✘	✔	✔	✔	✘	$49.99 for 5 devices for the first year
FortiGate	✔	✔	✘	✔	✔	✘	$250/year for home office
GlassWire	✘	✔	✔	✔	✘	✘	Free, or $2.99/month/license
Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✘	Contact Cisco
pfSense	✔	✔	✘	✔	✘	✔	Free
Sophos Firewall	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✘	Contact Sophos
ZoneAlarm	✔	✘	✔	✘	✔	✘	Free, or $22.95/year for 1 PC

Jump to:

Norton

Best for a comprehensive security suite

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.

We also did a review of the best firewalls for small and medium-sized businesses.

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.

Source :
https://www.enterprisenetworkingplanet.com/guides/best-firewall-software/

7 Best Firewall Solutions for Enterprises in 2023

BY AMINU ABDULLAHI MAY 26, 2023

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 Networks: Best all-in-one enterprise firewall solution (Read more)
Check Point Quantum: Best for connected devices (Read more)
Fortinet FortiGate: Best for flexibility and scalability (Read more)
Juniper Networks: Best for logging and reporting (Read more)
Cisco Secure Firewall: Best for centralized management (Read more)
Zscaler: Best for businesses with cloud network infrastructure (Read more)
pfSense: Best open source firewall (Read more)

Best firewall solutions for enterprises: Comparison chart

	Best for	DLP capability	URL filtering	Reporting	Integration with third party solution	DNS filtering	Starting price
Palo Alto Networks	Overall	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	Available on request
Check Point Quantum	Connected devices	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	Available on request
Fortinet FortiGate	Flexibility and scalability	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	Available on request
Juniper Networks	Logging and reporting capability	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	Available on request
Cisco Secure Firewall	Centralized management	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	Available on request
Zscaler	Businesses with cloud network infrastructure	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	$72 per user per year
pfSense	Open source	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	$0.01 per hour

Jump to:

Palo Alto Networks

Best overall enterprise firewall

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:

Determine your network topology.
Define security policies.
Plan firewall placement.
Configure firewall rules.
Implement VPN and remote access.
Test and monitor firewall performance.
Perform regular updates and maintenance.

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.

Also see

If you’re not sure one of the firewalls included here is right for your business, we also determined the best firewalls for SMBs, as well as the best software-based firewalls.

And once your firewall is in place, don’t neglect its maintenance. Here are the best firewall audit tools to keep an eye on its performance.

Source :
https://www.enterprisenetworkingplanet.com/security/enterprise-firewalls/