Would you trust the security of your network to a firewall that has not undergone firewall testing? It happens all too often. Smaller offices without dedicate IT staff often sit behind smaller firewalls, even home grade devices. These work fine for most basic needs, but are they secure? It is possible to secure a home device properly, but you need to employ some method of firewall testing in order to be certain that all openings have been properly closed.
Firewall testing does not have to be complex. In fact, a non-technical person can execute the firewall testing process by simply going to a site that activates a port scan of your firewall. This firewall testing process is quick and relatively simple: It looks for a way in to your network and provides easy to read results after the firewall testing process is complete.
Firewall testing is a process that networks of all sizes should use. The easy web site test can also be run on huge network setups, but generally, those systems require detailed reports for compliance for many requirements put on by the other companies they do business with. Banks, government agencies and the like all have more strict data security requirements for networks they connect to and share data with. A professional, paid firewall testing has to be done in cases where such strict compliance is demanded in order to prove that you are capable of keeping any shared information from outside access.
Still, even the smallest networks could benefit from some level of firewall testing. Just because you do not have strict demands placed up on you does not mean your data is any less valuable, or the integrity of your network any less important. Keeping as many points of entry closed as possible will make you less vulnerable to attack and make it more likely that a hacker will move on to an easier target.
