What is a firewall?

A firewall can be a network appliance, or a software program that helps protect networks from unknown users and attacks. Firewalls can permit or deny traffic from entering or leaving the networks they protect, and some also perform additional functions such as:

and other options depending on the type, manufacturer and/or configuration.

What is the difference between software and hardware firewalls?

Originally, firewalls were implemented as server-based software applications, but this design has several drawbacks, including:

Voicenet's Managed Hardware Firewall takes the management and administration out of your network security, while giving you more options to customize and secure your network. In addition, our dedicated network appliance runs at "wire speed", ensuring no additional latency or performance issues. All V.M.S. (Voicenet Managed Security) customers are monitored by Voicenet's Network Operations Center 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Voicenet's NOC personnel perform upgrades and configuration changes, monitor performance, and make any other changes needed remotely, and without interrupting service.

What kind of attacks on our network will Voicenet's Managed Security protect us from?

Voicenet's Managed Security protects your network from many kinds of attacks and intrusions, and provides you with the tools and information required to take action against the originator. When an attack is detected by the firewall, an alert is sent to Voicenet's Network Operations Center (NOC), and the firewall blocks all attack traffic while still allowing normal traffic to pass uninterrupted. Voicenet's NOC will then work directly with the provider where the attack is originating from to prevent further abuse from the same source.

Voicenet Managed Security currently protects against the following types of network attacks:

As new attacks and vulnerabilities are found, new ways to defend against them are needed. Voicenet automatically updates its security systems to stay current with the technology that's used in developing network attacks, and the services it has to protect from them.


What is a Virtual Private Network?

In addition to protecting a network from attacks, a firewall must also provide access to individuals and services that are allowed onto the network. One method of doing this is to make a "hole" or policy allowing traffic inside the network. While this works for some types of access, other services or individuals may require a more secure method of gaining access to a VMS-protected network. This can be achieved by creating a Virtual Private Network, or "VPN" Tunnel.

A VPN Tunnel is an agreement between 2 firewalls (or a firewall and a remote user) on how to encrypt data between each other. In the event that data between the two sides is intercepted, it would be unusable without the key used in the encryption process.

What are the benefits of a VPN?

The many benefits of VPNs include:

Security - Limiting the amount of "holes" in a firewall by encrypting authorized traffic, and ensuring that traffic passed over the public network cannot be intercepted or stolen.

Flexibility - More services and information can be given to users that are not behind the firewall, and multiple locations can share information over the public network.

Scalability - As the number of connected networks increase, additional VPN Tunnels can be quickly added and configured by Voicenet to include new offices and users.

Cost Effective - Instead of purchasing dedicated circuits between locations, a VPN can safely and effectively transport network traffic across the Internet, or other public network.

 

Does a VMS firewall work with other Voicenet products and services?

Firewalls and Virtual Private Networks work together to provide secure communications at an affordable price. Voicenet Managed Security provides all the benefits of these technologies without the need for dedicated personnel to configure and manage it.

How much does Voicenet's Managed Security cost?

Voicenet's Managed Security starts at just $29.95 per month (plus a one-time setup fee.) There are several configurations based upon the number of networked users or VPN Tunnels. Please call us at 800.835.5710 for additional information or click here.