Firewall(FW)

A firewall is the first line of defense for a business network. It decides which traffic is allowed to enter and exit the company based on rules established by an administrator.

Modern firewalls are so-called Next-Generation Firewalls (NGFW): in addition to traditional filtering by IP addresses and ports, they can also inspect traffic content, identify applications, prevent intrusions (IPS/IDS), and filter malicious domains.

In practice, a firewall is the central element of network security, connecting the internet, internal LAN and VLAN segments, VPN access, and guest Wi-Fi networks into a single, controlled unit.

Practical examples

Typical example: a company uses a pfSense or FortiGate firewall, which opens public access only to the VPN and the mail relay. All other internal systems (ERP, file server, printers) are accessible exclusively from the internal network or via VPN.

Business relevance

Without a properly configured firewall, the business network is exposed directly to the internet. This means a higher risk of breaches, ransomware, and unauthorized access to internal services.

Common mistakes

The most common mistake is default configuration — the firewall is present in the network, but the rules are too broad. Another typical problem is the lack of logging. Third: firmware that is not updated.

How VitalIT helps

At VitalIT, we set up, configure, and maintain firewalls for small and medium-sized enterprises, most commonly on the pfSense/Netgate platform.