Managemen info Systems individual Work WK5 - Essay Example

Management info Systems individual Work WK5 al Affiliation: Introduction A firewall is a hardware or software device which operates in a networked environment usually a connection between an external network environment computer and a private network. A firewall assists in providing security features via blocking any unwanted access to the private communication network. A firewall places itself between a local network (LAN) and the Internet, and subsequently filters traffic that might be considered unsafe or harmful to a company’s network.

The exemplified companies that are identified to provide some of the services supporting firewall facilities are the Cisco Systems Inc. and the Check Point Software technologies. Cisco Systems Inc. The Cisco Systems Inc. offers a variety of products that deliver firewall technology for computer security networking purposes. Some of the devices include the Cisco ASA with FirePOWER Services, Cisco ASA 5500 and 5500-X Series Next-Generation Firewalls, the Cisco IOS Firewall security solution and the Cisco ASA 1000V Cloud Firewall.

The firewall services offered by the software and hardware applications presented by the Cisco Company examine packets (data or information sent over the network) and matches them using protocols. For example, the destination address of the packets, the source port and even the destination port (Deal, 2005). The devices mentioned above represent the hardware components that possess firewall capabilities that can be installed on a network. The software applications that run on these devices provide numerous benefits that help protect a business form unauthorized and unwanted access.

Firewall technology is meant to permit only legitimate traffic within the network while monitoring for any possible threats. In this case, the Cisco IOS Firewall service provides affordable and convenient firewall technology features that can be implemented in small and medium business network environments (Deal, 2005). It ensures that the network security, reliability and availability of the company resources through safeguarding and shielding the network infrastructure against attacks. Some of these attacks entail viruses, worms, and network- and application-layer attacks.

The device can be categorized as a packet filtering firewall. A summary of the features for the Cisco IOS Firewall are listed below: 1. Escalates deployment flexibility – Provides routes for virtual and transparent firewall procedures and protocols on wide variety of WLAN, LAN, VLAN and WAN interfaces. 2. Safeguards network resources – Utilizes current routing capabilities to deliver distributed threat mitigation of computer viruses, worms, and other network and application-layer threats. 3. It aids in lowering overall cost of ownership – This is achieved via decreasing the equipment footprint and reduces power depletion within the organization.

Check Point Software Technologies The company offers network security services focused on components including IPsec VPN, Firewall, Intrusion Prevention, Mobile Access, Anti-spam, Antivirus, URL filtering and Email security. The major firewall feature offered by this company would be the Zone Alarm check point which offers a wide variety of features that benefit businesses and even single individuals in protecting their computers while connected to the internet (Yeo, 2002). The Zone Alarm Software System can be categorized as an application filtering firewall.

This is because it involves its installation on host network devices like end node computers or even servers to facilitate firewall services. Some of the security needs the Zone Alarm Firewall offers include the following features: 1. Privacy and security toolbar – This feature provides website checking, limits tracking, private browsing and the Facebook privacy scan. 2. Advanced Firewall services – This package monitors and observes programs for suspicious components. It also spots and stops firsthand attacks launched on a network that circumvent outdated anti-virus security. 3. Identity Protection – This feature monitors an individual’s credit and subsequently warns them in case there are any attempted changes to the persons credit files 4.

Two-Way Firewall – This firewall feature provides a PC with capability to be invisible to malicious computer hackers and also stops computer spyware from distributing personal data out to the Internet. Security Threats that plague Information Resources Security threats that affect information systems can be classified into two major groups. This mainly involves natural disasters and human threats: Natural Disasters Natural catastrophe like hurricanes, lightning, floods, fire and earthquakes can cause intense damage of information resources.

In such scenarios information is usually lost, or the resources tend to experience downtime or loss of productivity. Other human threats that can damage information systems include wars, riots, and terrorist attacks, which can damage or destroy hardware devices that store vital company information and subsequently render them inactive. Since most natural calamities are unavoidable, the advisable precautions an organization can take entail implementing disaster recovery plans like applying emergency procedures like ensuring data recovery and backup devices are put in place.

Additionally, storing information on different servers in different geographical locations guarantees uptime for information access in the case one information server becomes idle due to natural calamities. Human Threats Human threats on an information system are classified in sections involving the inside attacks launched by disgruntled or spiteful employees and outside attacks instigated by non-employees who want to disrupt an organization’s information system. Attacks implemented by inside or former employers are usually dangerous because they know most of security protocols and architecture from prior experience using the organization’s computers and application information systems.

Some of the human threats include planting viruses, worms, Trojan horses and direct access to unauthorized file systems and records (Vacca, 2013). Outside computer hackers have been known to flood online information resources with heavy traffic, for instance through conducting a DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attack, or spoofing IP packets, ail bombing and password cracking from remote locations. All these threats can cost a company a lot of money in terms of data recovery or crisis management following an attack.

Advisable security measures to take involve installation of Intrusion Prevention systems, firewalls and constant change of company passwords. Periodic system audits should also be carried out on the organization’s information systems. References Deal, R. A. (2005). Cisco router firewall security. Indianapolis, Ind: Cisco Press. Vacca, J. R. (2013). Computer and information security handbook. Amsterdam: Morgan Kaufmann Publishers is an imprint of Elsevier. Yeo, L. (2002). Personal Firewalls for Administrators and Remote Users.

E Rutherford: Prentice Hall PTR.