Firewall advice for a startup business

 

You could try pfSense. It's free and open source firewall and it's very easy to configure. 

 

This is what I would recommend as well. The pfSense Firewall is a gem.

I'm assuming you have no knowledge of IT so pfsense hardware is a good start, TP-link firewalls also are very user friendly.

However, why are you afraid of data breaches? What is your line of business? 

If you have any classified or confidential data, please consult an IT consultant or business for help in this matter.

You can have all the firewalls in the world but this won't prevent breaches if your identities, data and networks isn't secured as well.

Here are some Firewall services you can use to keep your network safe and minimize the possibilities of hacking and other instances of external attacks:

Fortinet FortiGate

It comes with multiple advanced security functionalities such as threat intelligence, sandboxing, app control, etc.

pfSense

This is an open-source firewall tool that is easily configurable as it comes with a web-based interface. You can install it on a virtual machine as well as a physical device.

Sophos UTM

This firewall provides features like web filtering, support for VPN, preventing intrusion, and so on.

Cisco ASA

You can manage this firewall using a CLI or a web-based interface. Its security features include support for VPN, content filtering, preventing intrusion, etc.

Pick the firewall service as per your business requirement. And, if you have any specific security needs for your business, you can think about getting help from professional software developers to get customized firewall services.

Here are some Firewall services you can use to keep your network safe and minimize the possibilities of hacking and other instances of external attacks:
 
Fortinet FortiGate
It comes with multiple advanced security functionalities such as threat intelligence, sandboxing, app control, etc.
 
pfSense
This is an open-source firewall tool that is easily configurable as it comes with a web-based interface. You can install it on a virtual machine as well as a physical device.
 
Sophos UTM
This firewall provides features like web filtering, support for VPN, preventing intrusion, and so on.
 
Cisco ASA
You can manage this firewall using a CLI or a web-based interface. Its security features include support for VPN, content filtering, preventing intrusion, etc.
 
Pick the firewall service as per your business requirement. And, if you have any specific security needs for your business, you can think about getting help from professional software developers to get customized firewall services.

The Community (free) version of PFSense is free:

PFSense Community Edition

https://www.pfsense.org/download/

I generally hear nothing but positive things about it. Depending on your Internet traffic, you don't need fancy or fast hardware to run it either. Common, off-the-shelf hardware will often suffice.

Edited by Shplad, 22 February 2023 - 11:34 AM.

 

Hello Experts,

 

I am the owner of a small startup. We share a Wi-Fi network with 5 other PCs.

Could you please suggest a firewall service which can be easily configuable to keep our network safe from external attacks/ hackers. I am using windows inbuilt antivirus.

Do yourself a favor and get a proper NG firewall solution, not just an old-style SPI firewall like OPNsense/pfSense. A NGFW is able to analyze the traffic based on content, not just ports and source/target. This means you want a device from a trusted vendor, and you'll have to pay for the support subscription (which includes software updates and, most importantly, signature data for new threats). 

There are a number of vendors, such as Cisco, Watchguard, Fortinet, Palo Alto, Sophos, Sonicwall and others, however Palo Alto and Fortinet are regarded as the best vendors in that segment. Palo Alto is very expensive, so I'd recommend to have a look at Fortinet which has a range of devices for smaller networks (like the Fortigate 40F or 60F, there are variants with and without built-in WiFi). The devices cost a few hundred dollars and the annual subscription does as well (depends on what services you want), it's not cheap but overall it's not expensive (I run a licensed Fortigate 50F myself at home), and at the end of the day a business expenditure like everything else. It's also a lot cheaper than to clean up after a malware infection, which has the potential to severely damage or even kill your business. So it's important to realize that IT security is a lot more than just buying devices, you also need to have appropriate processes in place (yes, even in a small startup!). 

I suggest you talk to a Fortinet VAR in your area who can also manage the device for you in case you don't want/are unable to do that yourself. However, Fortigate has excellent documentation and a simple web GUI so it should be easy to configure for someone with a decent understanding of network security. 

Lastly, if you want to go the legacy route (SPI firewall) with one of the open source alternatives then I'd suggest to look at OPNsense (not pfSense). I still wouldn't recommend to do that as the protection an SPI firewall gives you is very limited in today's world. 

Edited by Wasserkeks, 07 March 2023 - 07:15 AM.

Sophos UTM

This firewall provides features like web filtering, support for VPN, preventing intrusion, and so on.

 

Cisco ASA

You can manage this firewall using a CLI or a web-based interface. Its security features include support for VPN, content filtering, preventing intrusion, etc.

Sophos UTM is dead (still supported I believe but no longer sold), it has been replaced by Sophos XG which is based on the software platform they inherited from when they bought Cyberoam. Sophos XG had a very difficult start but it's a decent product today, although it's still buggy and there are better alternatives on the market.

Cisco ASA is dead as well, it has been replaced by Firepower which in general performs poorly against the competition.

Edited by Wasserkeks, 07 March 2023 - 07:20 AM.

No explanation of what an "NG" firewall was. So here is one:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Next-generation_firewall

 

You could try pfSense. It's free and open source firewall and it's very easy to configure. 

 

I'm not a networking expert, but I disagree that pfSense is "very easy to configure", at least for beginners. You didn't ask what the OP's skill/experience levels were. 

Anyways, it looks like the OP is nowhere to be found.

Edited by Shplad, 24 October 2023 - 09:58 AM.