That's because most businesses, especially in India, take a reactive approach towards cybersecurity, where they only deploy security systems and measures for preventing a single type of cyber attack or security issue, usually after something bad happens. They don't realize that there are more ways than one in which cyber attacks or data loss can happen. On the one hand, cybercriminals and hackers are adopting newer and different techniques to breach enterprise networks and existing security systems to steal or destroy critical business data. On the other, there are many ways in which businesses stand to lose data due to internal causes. To protect themselves from these evolving, multi-pronged threats, businesses must adopt a proactive approach towards cybersecurity. And the simplest way to do that is by installing a next-generation firewall solution.

A next-generation firewall solution ensures that your enterprise IT infrastructure remains protected from a range of different types of cyber threats. It not only protects harmful external entities from gaining access to the enterprise network but also prevents vital bits of information from leaving the organization. And by doing so, a next-generation firewall keeps you safe from many different cybersecurity problems.

What a next-generation firewall protects you from

A next-generation firewall system, when integrated into your IT infrastructure, minimizes the likelihood of any security-related mishaps from impacting your business operations. Following are a few of the many problems that a next-generation firewall can defend you against:

Malware

Malware attacks are among the earliest forms of cyber threats to threaten businesses as well as individual network users. Cyber attackers, by constantly reinventing the ways in which malware programs work and also changing the ways in which they are planted into enterprise networks, have ensured that malware still remains a potent threat to business organizations, especially in developing markets where cybersecurity is often neglected. Hence, it is no surprise that India saw a 53% rise in malware attacks in 2018. And the effects of malware attacks can be variable and highly devastating. These attacks can corrupt business applications, cause hardware failure, and potentially lead to permanent data loss leading to have financial costs. The average cost of a malware attack on a company is reported to be around $2.4 million.

Although many businesses implement security solutions that promises malware protection, most of these solutions are unable to detect and stop malware that are programmed to be undiscoverable. However, a next-generation firewall solution is perfectly equipped to deal with constantly evolving malware threats. Thus, businesses must use such solutions to minimize the likelihood of being targeted by covert malware attacks.

Data leaks

Data leaks and breaches can be extremely hard to deal with for businesses when they happen. Losing critical data through such breaches can lead to businesses losing their competitive advantage. They also risk losing heavy amounts of money in the form of fines to legal authorities if they lose personal information belonging to their customers. Additionally, they also risk losing their reputation and future business opportunities, which can end up being detrimental to their long term sustainability. And data leaks don't have to be because of external entities and hacking attempts.

Sometimes, data leaks can happen because of internal agents. Employees can, mostly out of carelessness and sometimes intentionally, leak sensitive information from their organization. Data leaks in this manner can be hard to prevent for businesses that are not equipped with countermeasures for these practices. And such practices can be very hard to even detect in the first place without monitoring each individual employee all the time. Having a next-generation firewall solution can help enterprises in these situations. Security administrators can define the conditions and policies for using the different kinds of data they possess. They can choose specific files or even specific pieces of information that they want to prevent from leaving the organizational network at all costs. This enables the next-generation firewall system to prevent those pieces of information from leaking out, regardless of who initiates the action. Thus, accidental and even deliberate data leaks can be prevented using a next-generation firewall.

Ransomware

Ransomware attacks, although recently emerged, have already impacted a majority of global businesses, leaving many leading businesses’ cybersecurity teams at their wits' end. Attackers are realizing the value of critical business data to businesses and are stealing it to extort hefty amounts from them by denying them access to their data. Although businesses are doing their best to come up with preventive measures against the rising ransomware attacks, there seems to be no respite in sight for them. It has been estimated that by the end of 2019, businesses will be targeted by ransomware attacks every 14 seconds. And these attacks are expected to cost businesses worldwide billions of dollars. And due to the general unawareness surrounding cybersecurity in the region, India is among the top six nations that are targeted the most by ransomware attacks. Thus, securing your enterprise networks from potential ransomware attacks is crucial.

Using a next-generation firewall can ensure that all your organizational data stays completely safe, away from external parties. This can enable you to prevent your critical data from leaving the organizational network and falling into the wrong hands. A next-generation firewall monitors all the applications that run within an organization's IT network and looks out for anomalies in behavior. It prevents malicious software from communicating with external entities, thereby preventing outsiders, including ransomware attackers, from gaining control over your business data.

If there is one thing that you absolutely must do to protect your organizational data, devices, and applications, it is to get a firewall installed. And to ensure all-round safety in the face of evolving and diversifying cyber threats, you must insist on using a next-generation firewall solution that offers a comprehensive range of capabilities from anti-malware to data leak prevention. This will give you a strong and secure foundation for implementing newer technologies and process improvements to achieve high levels of business performance.