Keeping Your Network Router Secure - It's Your First Line of Defense
If someone offered you the job of "Company Punching Bag," would you take it? The job description would sound something like this:
The applicant must:
Be willing to take a beating from all sides
Enjoy getting yelled at even if they have nothing to do with the problem
Keep their stuffing in while someone is constantly trying to knock it out
Sounds like a lame job, eh?
Well, that's what it's like to have the job of a business network router. Hackers and bots from around the world are punching away at the public IP address on the router, hoping to make it hemorrhage data they can exploit. Meanwhile, computer users inside the network are blissfully unaware of the protection the router is providing, and when the internet seems slow, they voice their displeasure about the poor performance.
The good news is that routers don't have feelings, phew! But if a business owner or manager wants to keep their staff and data safe while at the same time maintaining network performance, they need to give their router the help it needs.
Here is a short but not exhaustive list of what a network router can do for a business.
Stop malicious attacks from the internet (aka the firewall)
Connect remote users and branch offices to the primary office via VPN (Virtual Private Network)
Segment network traffic and devices into logical groups (e.g., Management / Staff / Public)
Control Wi-Fi access and security
Provide content filtering and gateway anti-virus to keep junk off the network
So you see, a network router needs to juggle quite a few things at the same time and do it in such a way that the users don't even notice it's going on. So choosing the right router and router security services is critical to a successful operation.
How to choose the right router:
How many people and devices will need access to the internet connection? More users mean more horsepower is required, and router manufacturers will use the user count to guide customers to the right product.
How fast is the internet service coming into the building? In recent years internet service providers have ramped up speeds dramatically, and older routers have not been able to keep up. The router's job is to inspect the little packets of data coming into the network, and every model has a maximum throughput. So no matter how fast the connection, if the router is at its maximum throughput, the users will not get their promised speeds.
What are the bandwidth requirements of the users? If cloud apps, HD videos, and social media are in high demand, the router needs to accommodate the volume.
Do people need to connect to the network from outside the office? Router VPN technologies allow secure tunnels between business locations and users working from home. When purchasing a router, be attentive to the upper connection limit for the VPN, so there is adequate capacity.
Does management want to block non-productive content from the internet? Industrial-grade routers have a full suite of security services, including things like content filtering, which assists in productivity but, more importantly, keeps a lot of junk off the network.
Ok, so we're off to a great start, and we have a good router monitoring the network gateway, ready to take all the punches. But like any technology, routers have a lifecycle that businesses need to work within. The typical lifespan of a router is 5 to 7 years. That's not to say the router will stop working after that, it can probably chug along well beyond ten years, but it won't be pretty. Late in its career, the router's performance will be outstripped by the devices around it. At this point, users start yelling at the poor thing, the manufacturer stops supporting it, and ironically, the router becomes a security liability.
So for the business owner or manager, keeping the network router secure looks like this:
Carefully choose a current model that meets all the business needs and has some room for business and user expansion.
Keep the licensed security services up to date.
Upgrade the firmware regularly to fix bugs and help the unit fend off any new malware released in the wild.
When the time comes, be willing to replace 'old faithful' with a newer, more capable model. Remember, routers don't have feelings.
For over 20 years, we at Gennix have trusted the Sonicwall name because their industrial-grade routers work exceptionally well and rarely break. Our technical team is well-versed in their operation and can configure them to do just about anything a business network needs doing.
So if you believe your network router needs replacing, reach out to us for a no-obligation assessment and quote. Sonicwall has a generous trade-in program that offers customers new hardware and security services at a discount.
We are confident you will be delighted with a Sonicwall router and Gennix's ability to make it work to perfection. Don't let the internet knock the stuffing out of your old router. It will be too late by then.
