Protecting a small business's net connection

[MobileTechie]

I have a client who store some sensitive data. They have a small server and a few PCs connected to a BT fibre router that came with the internet connection. The access the server remotely and host their mail ports like SMTP, PPTP, SSL and a few others are open incoming.

What extra security might they be needing to prevent incoming hack attacks and so on?

I read with interest about people using business class routers and Sonicwall firewall devices. What exactly do I get for my money there? What do they protect against exactly that my client is vulnerable to right now with their basic SOHO modem/router?

 

[6string]

I'd go with a cisco 5505 firewall these things have lots of features. The main one which would be to protect the internal network from the outside.

 

[MobileTechie]

I'd go with a cisco 5505 firewall these things have lots of features. The main one which would be to protect the internal network from the outside.

Yeah obviously i understand that firewalls protect one network from another. However soho routers have firewalls. What I'm wondering is precisely what additional protection a pro-class firewall offers.

 

[pcman2010]

Go check out Watchguard firewalls. They offer a level of protection that is highly advanced more so then your soho firewall or router.

 

[pcpickup]

I have been building Endian Firewall for companies for a while now.

http://www.endian.com/en/community/overview/

I have never had a breach and it also ads proxy filtering, VPN support,http://www.endian.com/en/community/overview/ Snort intrusion detection, a customizable incoming and outgoing firewall, email Proxy with RBL, multiple lans for creating DMZ networks and multiple WAN connections for redundant fail over.

I have used Sonic Walls but was not impressed and the Watchguard product I found overpriced and cumbersome to setup.

 

[ProTech-MN]

Yeah obviously i understand that firewalls protect one network from another. However soho routers have firewalls. What I'm wondering is precisely what additional protection a pro-class firewall offers.

A good business class firewall will provide much more advanced configuration options, logging, Intrusion Prevention (IPS), and now days often offer some form of content filtering, anti-virus, and anti-spam features as well.

-Randy

 

[wimwauters]

I have been building Endian Firewall for companies for a while now.

http://www.endian.com/en/community/overview/

I have never had a breach and it also ads proxy filtering, VPN support,http://www.endian.com/en/community/overview/ Snort intrusion detection, a customizable incoming and outgoing firewall, email Proxy with RBL, multiple lans for creating DMZ networks and multiple WAN connections for redundant fail over.

I have used Sonic Walls but was not impressed and the Watchguard product I found overpriced and cumbersome to setup.

My weapon of choice is OpenBSD/pf/CARP on SPARC hardware, but Endian is also very powerful. Once you build firewalls like this, the world is your oyster

 

[dbdawn]

How does the Endian Firewall stack up against an Untangle box?

 

[6string]

A good business class firewall will provide much more advanced configuration options, logging, Intrusion Prevention (IPS), and now days often offer some form of content filtering, anti-virus, and anti-spam features as well.

-Randy

Yep a business class has far more advanced algorithms that provide better protection of a soho firewall. Plus the include several different services that can be added on to the device. Web based VPN is a real nice feature to the ASA firewalls.