Firewalls

Staples offers a wide array of network firewalls, along with other networking and Wi-Fi equipment, to protect data and networks from both internal and external security threats. The essential features to consider when choosing the right firewall to meet network security needs include protection against distributed denial-of-service (DDOS) attacks, the vendor's customer support, notification settings, remote access control, alternative ports for essential services, and other additional features.

Consider if the device protects against DDOS attacks
Choose a firewall that pairs easily with systems that detect intrusions to identify and prevent DDOS attacks from happening. Such devices also have a DDOS mitigation feature that safeguards the target and relay networks by resisting the potential impact of an attack.

Check if it can control remote access to a private network
A good network safeguard allows and controls access to both site-based and client-client virtual private network (VPN) tunnels. Not only is it more economical to purchase a program that integrates a VPN solution, but it also saves on the time spent for separate authorization and support procedures.

Consider the vendor's customer support
It's essential to choose a program with reliable customer support in case there are questions or emergencies regarding the device. There should be a direct and reliable contact through which you can reach the vendor for essential support services and resources for network security.

Determine if there is a need for masquerade ports for essential services
Choose a network firewall that configures and translates standard ports to masquerade ports to prevent hackers from exploiting them to attack networks. The alternative ports protect critical services such as remote desktop control from potential attacks.

Other factors to consider
The other factors to consider when shopping for firewall hardware include the size and scope of the network and other additional features. If a large number of people or a growing company use the program, it's essential to select one with sophisticated features to meet the large scale needs. Host-based network devices are simple and flexible, and they're ideal for single computers, while network-based and enterprise network safeguards work best with multiple computers and user networks and are harder to breach.

Some devices have a standard backup feature that powers a secondary firewall to resume working in case the primary firewall won't work for some reason. Others have a sandboxing feature that restricts access to malicious content by isolating, opening, and monitoring files in virtual environments.

Does the firewall send notifications?
It's essential to select a network firewall that sends alerts to notify the user when an attack is in progress. The notification feature also reminds the user to check the router logs to ascertain a mitigation procedure before it progresses to downtime and revenue losses.

Are firewalls hardware or software?
It can be a software program or a physical device. Technically, it can be both.

Do the devices block outgoing traffic?
The device scans incoming and outgoing traffic and may block either based on a set of configurations.

What is a firewall rule?
It specifies the type of internet traffic that does or does not go through the device.