Do you need a firewall at home?
With the prevalence of working from home as of late, this has become an important question to answer.
If we were to answer this question two years ago, the answer would be no – software firewalls (like the firewalls built into Windows or macOS) are more than capable of protecting home users from most common threats.
Working from home means working with company property and data – should you consider a physical firewall in this case?
Let’s start by answering a simple question first – what is a firewall?
A firewall acts as a shield to an outside network (i.e., the internet). Traffic that comes into your network is filtered by the firewall, discarding any packets that are not allowed. It knows which packets to disallow by rules configured on the device beforehand.
A physical firewall will protect against outside attackers using open ports (those required for you to access internet sites and services) to infiltrate your network and, ultimately, your data. It also blocks programs on your computer from unnecessarily communicating to the internet – something that will add additional security should malware find its way onto one of your local devices.
In short, if you work from home, the answer is yes. A hardware firewall adds a layer of security to your home network that can add some extra peace of mind when working with sensitive data.
Feel free to contact us to find a solution that fits your budget and needs.