One thing any reputable IT support provider in LA is going to tell you is that firewalls don’t last perpetually. Computational ability exponentially intensifies year over year, meaning the solutions that were cutting-edge last year can be overcome by the latest breakthroughs. Now, it will depend on the digital horsepower of hackers, certainly; but after a few years, if you haven’t updated firewalls, they could be useless.

So what are you supposed to do? Well, you need to primarily focus on two things: one, you need to put together a budget that includes renewing your firewalls at intervals. Two, you need to assess existing firewalls every few months to a year to determine if they’re functioning as intended. Here’s how:

Backup Diverse Firewall Configurations

IT support professionals in LA recommend that configurations for firewalls that work should be backed up on multiple media. Yes, you’ll need to upgrade your configuration(s) over time; but it’s better not to have to reconfigure everything with each new firewall. 

Scan Ports to See if They’re a Security Risk

Some ports into your network represent a means of bypassing firewall security. Working with external MSP professionals can help you determine where such a threat may be an issue, and where it won’t be problematic. Of course, in part this will depend on the sort of industry you’re in and how high profile you are. That said, even an SMB can be vulnerable if it neglects to determine port security risk, and the wrong hacker happens along.

Scans Designed to Test Vulnerability (OpenVAS)

OpenVAS is a great way to test your system for varying vulnerabilities via scan. Audits through MSPs also help here, and tools like OpenVAS are often what they use.

Suggestions and Their Implementation After Firewall Audits

Once an audit has been completed, MSPs will give you suggestions on how you might enhance security. Some will require technical implementation, and that can be a big challenge. Others suggestions are something you can put into effect without much acumen on-site. Different companies have different realities in this area. However, regardless of your company’s size, external audits are wise.

Enhancing Your Firewall Security

Our IT support team in LA can help you audit and implement firewall improvements, scan for vulnerability, scan varying ports to see if they represent a risk, back up diverse firewall configurations, and other best practices associated with firewall management. Contact us at Advanced Networks to learn more.