According to a Manta report, fewer than 20 percent of small businesses protect their networks with firewalls or anti-malware software, while another 87 percent don’t believe they’re at risk. Their low-level of defense and overconfidence in security makes them an attractive target for cyber thieves. Even SMBs that recognize lurking danger lack the proper resources to address it.
The reality is, SMBs face growing risk from network attacks, yet they have limited resources for their defense. On-premises threat protection is expensive to purchase and requires niche expertise to manage. The fallback of a patchwork security approach does little to protect them and could lull companies into a false sense of security that leaves them vulnerable.
Unified threat management (UTM) provides security through a single vendor using a single management point. Email, web, and network security are combined into one service. Along with management simplicity, it saves an SMB money compared to the cost of buying separate products from different sources. It consolidates security management and makes it easier to identify and manage vulnerability.
Businesses of all sizes are adopting cloud-based SaaS applications. The SaaS cloud market penetration is closing in on 94 percent, and almost every SMB is expected to have at least one SaaS cloud application by the end of 2017. SaaS provides scalability and easy remote access while reducing the need for on-site hardware and management. At the same time, it raises new security issues. A business that uses cloud services has extended its network beyond its walls and has more points of access to protect.
Cloud UTM delivered as a SaaS application reduces the need for complex and costly onsite hardware and management. At the same time, it raises new security issues, as it extends the network beyond its own walls and has more points of access to protect. It protects devices and cloud services connected to the network, regardless of where they are. It lets system managers track security across multiple facilities. It’s scalable, keeping the same management interface as the network is upgraded. Administrators don’t have to travel to the network’s site to address emergencies, improving response time.
Fortinet now allows cloud-based management of its FortiGate UTM through FortiCloud. FortiCloud already has seen rapid growth in adoption for managing security services. It manages over 280,000 security devices.
The FortiGate next-generation firewall (NGFW) series is an economical way for SMBs to manage all aspects of security. It offers protection against both known and new threats. Encrypted SSL traffic is inspected to guard against application-level (layer 7) attacks. The series includes devices ranging from economical entry-level ones to powerful high-end protection.
FortiCloud and FortiGate integrate with Fortinet’s Security Fabric approach. This approach covers the entire attack surface, including desktops, mobile devices, cloud services, and IoT devices. It treats the network as a whole, analyzing traffic and communicating threat information across the network.
Gartner has declared Fortinet a leader in its Magic Quadrant for UTM. It cites Fortinet’s large threat research team and good price-performance ratio. Magic Quadrant leaders excel in both vision and execution.
Tech-Refresh is a Fortinet partner that provides solutions that reduce complexity within your IT infrastructure. We can help you customize a security solution that combines the visibility and control of UTM with the ease-of-use and cost-efficiency of the cloud.
Contact us to learn more.