The number of cases rose from 59,806 in 2020 to 67,500 in 2021, even if many Australians are aware of cybersecurity. Last year, one cybercrime was reported every eight minutes, up from the one incident per ten minutes in 2020. Obviously, awareness does not necessarily translate to action. And this is true for small businesses, which also failed to implement firewalls such as Sophos UTM to protect their systems.
Sophos UTM is different from most other products in the market because its deep neural network blankets your system with unrivaled protection.
But why are small businesses still reluctant to pay for firewall and antivirus protection for their websites and networks? The answer may be attributed to the prevailing myths that exist even today.
Myth#1: Firewalls are insanely expensive
One of the common misconceptions about digital protection is the prohibitive cost for a small business. Generally, you will spend about $700 for a bundled package since your needs are also relatively light. Mega-corporations, however, do not bat an eye when dropping at least $10,000 to protect their business. The higher the risk, the more the cost. Nevertheless, do not look at the firewall as an expense but rather a necessary investment. For example, it’s far more costly to repair your reputation if hackers manage to infiltrate your system and steal customer data.
Myth#2: Nobody cares about a small business like me
You must understand that it’s not about the size but the opportunity. After all, it would be highly tempting to walk in when your door is wide open simply. In fact, many attacks target small businesses precisely because they fail to protect themselves. They also tend to have no resources to build their IT infrastructure, making them vulnerable. You can also hire IT support in Melbourne to provide another layer of protection from internal and external attacks.
Myth#3: We do not make any payment transactions, so we are safe from attack
Even if no money changes hands in your business, your customers are still vulnerable since data is the primary currency hackers want. Your visitors filling in forms online or those who just access your site become targets for attacks. Worse, if search engines detect some hidden malware on your website, you will be automatically shut down. You must have heard about phishing scams, meaning the hacker can send a fraudulent message to your visitors using your website as a front to make the request sound legitimate.
Myth#4: Built-in web security is sufficient to provide ample protection
Your administrator can protect your website somewhat by blocking harmful scripts or blocklisting ads, spam, and adult content. However, you do not know that malware can be embedded in legitimate websites that your employee will access from your computers or network. These malicious URLs serve as a gateway for hackers to enter your systems. People think they are protecting themselves from attacks by avoiding clicking on anything. But the methods are so sophisticated nowadays that you do not have to click anything for them to infiltrate your server.
FAQs about Sophos UTM
Is a UTM similar to a firewall?
The Sophos UTM is a next-gen firewall that harmonises security into a unified package. But don’t let that fool you. Simplified does not mean inferior. The UTM has anti-spam, antivirus, and content and web filtering capabilities. It scans the inbound data through Deep Packet Inspection and updates automatically to keep up with the newest virus signature. The IT support in Melbourne will also access a universal console to manage all the security functions.
Has support for Sophos UTM been discontinued?
This software is one of the best products for cybersecurity in the market today. End consumers will still be able to purchase and use Sophos UTM until December 31, 2022, which is the end of life. But don’t worry if you have already integrated it into your systems. But you switch to Sophos Firewall, with its Sophos Central Management, for even better security enhancements.
How to know which firewall is ideal for me?
You’ll need to consider some factors when choosing a firewall. For instance, you may want to insist on a VPN to protect your server. If the first one breaks down, you will need a secondary firewall as a failsafe. Meanwhile, packet filtering will examine each data packet that tries to access your system by creating a firewall.
Your antivirus software may not be enough to protect you. The best route is to create a layer of protection to detect threats immediately. However, you do not have to rack your brains about it when you contact IT support in Melbourne. You will get a good recommendation right after experts audit your needs. They will suggest the best and correct hardware and software firewalls.
