Hillstone Firewall In Kenya

Hillstone Firewall in Kenya

Hillstone Networks is an American cyber security company that provides a range of network protection solutions and firewall security products. Forty Servers is a distributor and reseller of Hillstone Firewall in Kenya. These network firewalls protect computer networks from unauthorized access and malicious attacks. The solution does this by monitoring and controlling network traffic. In fact, a firewall is a barrier between local area network and the public network, that is, the internet.

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This firewall uses various technologies to enforce network security. For example, the firewall uses packet inspection (DPI) to examine the characteristics of individual network packets. In so doing, it analyses source IP and destination IP addresses, port numbers, and networking protocols used in order to make key decisions. The decision arrived at can be to allow the incoming traffic. On the other hand, the decision can be to block the incoming traffic altogether. This network security solution also incorporates intrusion detection and prevention systems (IDPS) that help in detection and subsequent dropping of potential threats and attacks.

Cyber security preparedness

Cyber security preparedness involves putting in place systems and policies that guard against hacking and targeted exploits. This firewall solution does provide additional security features such as virtual private network (VPN) support for secure remote access. Also, application control to manage and control the use of specific applications within the network. Still, it uses web filtering to block access to malicious websites and flag inappropriate content. And, the anti-malware feature helps in detecting and preventing malware from spreading in a distributed attack.

On the overall, Hillstone firewall is good at providing robust network security by offering advanced threat detection and prevention capabilities. What is more, it takes charge of network security by having control over network traffic. By this we get assured that only authorized and legitimate traffic will be allowed into the network.

Main features of the Hillstone firewall

Hillstone Networks offer a range of network security features to protect against various cyber security threats. Here are some of the key features of the Hillstone firewall:

Deep Packet Inspection (DPI)

The DPI firewall feature can be sued to monitor and analyze network traffic at the packet level. DPI examines packet characteristics such as source and destination IP addresses, ports, and protocols. And it guides the process of making a decision as to whether to block suspicious traffic or allow the traffic. The analysis of packet characteristics helps in the implementation of predefined network security policies.

see; IP PBX system

Intrusion Detection and Prevention System (IDPS)

IDPS feature majorly helps in detection and prevention of intrusion attempts to the corporate network. It can also malicious activities and stop them before causing to the local area network. The Intrusions Prevention System uses signature-based and behavior-based techniques to identify both known and unknown threats. After analyzing those signatures, appropriate action can be taken in the form danger mitigation.

Virtual Private Network (VPN) Tunnels

VPN tunnels allow secure remote access to the main corporate network. Through the use of VPN tunneling users can establish encrypted connection to head office network resources from any remote office. The main benefit of using VPN tunneling is data confidentiality, privacy and information integrity.

Application Control

The application control feature allow administrators to manage and control the use of applications installed in the endpoints within the network. Application control helps in enforcing security policies and optimization of available network resources such as network bandwidth. Also, application control can mitigate risks associated with excessive usage of applications.

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Web Filtering

Hillstone firewall provide web filtering feature that helps in blocking access to unsafe websites. Besides, it can also flag inappropriate content and even block websites that appear to violate company security policies. Network administrators can use web filtering feature to define URL categories and apply filtering rules that restrict access. In short, web filtering can be optimized to help reduce the risk of malware infections. Employee productivity can be enhanced by assuring them of a safe internet browsing experience.

Anti-Malware Protection

Anti-malware protection helps in detecting and preventing the spread of malware within the local area network. The antimalware protection feature uses employ different techniques to identify and block malicious files. Some of these techniques include signature-based scanning, heuristic analysis, and sandboxing. When setup very well, the antimalware can assist the firewall in identifying corrupted files and quarantine if need be. As a matter of fact, corrupted files get blocked instantly.

Network Address Translation (NAT)

This firewall supports Network Address Translation. Network Address Translation is a system that allows private IP addresses to be translated to public IP addresses. On the other side, NAT also enables a public IP address to be translated into a private IP address. Therefore, NAT can help in conserving IP address space. In so doing, it enhances network security by hiding internal network structures. Also, it enables secure deployment of applications.

High Availability and Load Balancing

The high availability feature ensures there is continuous network protection. High Availability and Load Balancing uses techniques such as active-passive failover and load balancing to offer redundancy in case of failover. With High Availability and Load Balancing feature there will be a seamless changeover from main link to secondary in the event of network failures. The same process applies in case of hardware failures e.g. power supply blow up or WAN port malfunction etc.

Importance of installing network firewall

Installing a Hillstone firewall can provide several benefits to an organization. Below we highlight some of the advantages of deploying a Hillstone firewall for your business:

Network Security

The firewall offers robust network security and protection. To start with, it protects against unauthorized access. Secondly, it protects against external threats from internet. Thirdly, the firewall protects against malicious activities, particularly, malicious applications installed by network users. In short, the firewall will act as a barrier between the local area network and the public networks. This network security solution monitors traffic from the internet even as it controls network traffic. All these geared towards enforcing security policies and prevention of potential attacks.

see; HR Payroll software

Threat Detection and Prevention

The firewall features advanced threat detection and prevention technologies. Intrusion detection and prevention systems (IDPS) being of the technologies built into the firewall. IDPS can analyze network traffic patterns and identify potential threats. IDPS usually takes proactive measures to block detected threats or mitigate the risk through quarantine. Intrusion detection and prevention systems majorly helps in safeguarding the corporate network from various types of attacks. Some of attacks that have been stopped by IDPS include malware attacks, attempted network intrusion, and unauthorized access to servers.

Granular Control

Having granular control over network traffic enables administrators to define and enforce predetermined network security policies. Granular control can regulate access not only to applications but also to websites and server services. Such control ensures that only authorized traffic is allowed into the local area network. The end result is minimal exposure to risk factors, and reduced incidences of unauthorized access. Also granular control can stop data leakage, and misuse of network resources.

Secure Remote Access

The firewall is designed with capability to support virtual private network (VPN). The VPN offers the assurance to the remote workers of a secure remote access to the corporate network. Therefore authorized users can use VPN to establish encrypted connections from remote locations. Thus, users can be assured of data privacy and general information integrity. Be that as it may, secure remote access remain crucial factor for remote workers. That is the way employees at branch offices, and partners can access the corporate network securely over the internet.

Application Control and Optimization

Application control is a firewall feature that enable network administrators to manage and control the use of applications installed by the users of the network. Therefore, through application control, the network administrators can actually optimize the use of network resources such as network bandwidth. Thus, more important applications can be given more priority over less important ones. This strategy will mitigate the security risk associated with the installation of unauthorized applications in the user computers. Still application control can lead to fair usage of network resources without which users might misuse important company resource availed to everyone.

Web Filtering and Content Control

Web filtering feature is very important to network administrators. Network administrators use Web Filtering and Content Control to block access to websites that violate company policies. Web Filtering and Content Control has played a very important role of reducing the risk of malware infections within corporate networks. Also, this feature improves employee productivity through the enforcement of and compliance with company security policies.

Scalability and Performance

Hillstone firewalls have been designed to handle high volumes of network traffic. Despite the high volume traffic passing through the firewall every second, the firewall still maintains optimal performance. The firewall is also highly scalable. Hence, it can accommodate the changing needs as the network grows. All in all, the scalability ensures that the firewall can handle increased traffic volume without compromising network security. Still, scaling the network should not slow down the operation of the firewall.

Centralized Management

centralized management consoles enable network administrators to monitor and manage multiple endpoint devices from a single interface. This simplifies the management and administration of the corporate network. Moreover, there is increased visibility onto the network. Company IT security policies can be implemented with a lot of ease due to the centralized management console. What is more, network administrators are provided with a unified view of the entire network including activities taking place on each endpoint.

All these firewall benefits collectively contribute to strengthening the overall network security. This is achieved through the protection of sensitive data, and minimization of the risk associated with cyber threats and attacks.