IT Network Security

IT Network Security
As a payroll-outsourcing provider, we provide IT security network internally, which is part of the protocol for our clients who have trusted their data in our premises. To ensure that our client's data are protected from internal and external threats, based on our experience, it requires an investment of money and knowledge to ensure its security. The threats in IT are growing, previously we needed anti-virus, a firewall was required to protect our computer. Then, we needed an anti-malware to protect us when we open websites. Next, we needed an anti-spam to avoid junk mails and a VPN (virtual private network) to ensure a secure connection from one computer to another through the Internet. The list is growing and can be costly. Therefore to maximize our IT security, we should be able to spend our time and money wisely to protect it.
Once we tried to install firewall software, and then microtik - a very affordable appliance - however; it could not solve the problem in providing load balancing from two ISPs (Internet Service Providers). Fortunately, in 2011 when we needed a VPN, our supplier introduced Fortinet that produced a product named the Fortigate. Fortigate is a single appliance that can provide multi-function solutions. It includes an IDS (Intrusion Detection System) and an IPS (Intrusion Prevention System) at reasonable price.
In the beginning, similar to what I have read in Gartner, the world leading information technology research and advisory company, that not every reseller could provide a good support to set up the Fortigate. Until recently, through Fortinet forum, I met a person who is able to set-up Fortigate according to our needs.
As we meet the client's demands to provide the solution so that client's employees are able to access our system, we invest more time to learn about Fortigate and have become Fortinet's Partner.
One of the features why Fortigate is highly recommended is because of what Gartner defines as the Unified Threat Management or a multifunction network security. Rather than obtaining a special appliance for each specific threat, this appliance can cover all threats and is able to generate a single report about the threat that is able to attack our IT network. Of course this offers better solution.
As depicted in Magic Quadrant from Gartner, Fortinet is located in the "Leaders" and "Visionaries" quadrant, which can only be competed by several companies including Check Point Software Technologies. However, in terms of affordability, Fortinet actually offers more reasonable price, because of a proprietary Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) that is dedicated in scrutinizing data up to an application level such as Facebook or even SSL (Secure Socket Layer) data.
Standard features of Unified Threat Management that Fortinet can provide are:
 1. Firewall
 2. Virtual Private Network
 3. Intrusion Detection and Prevention System
 4. Anti malware
 5. Anti virus
 6. Web--filtering to limit access to certain websites to the employees
 7. Load balancing to make 2 ISPs can be utilized optimum
 8. Traffic optimization
 9. Application control to monitor the usage of application in the company
All above functions can be processed with a high throughput rate, for example Fortigate 60D is a type with a firewall that can process up to 1.5 Gbps. The cost of this type approximately is similar with the cost of a laptop.  This UTM is useful for small businesses and branches that do not have a special IT person designated in the location.
There are some other features that can be added on to Fortigate, but the main reason, I used Fortigate, besides creating VPN, is that this appliance can handle one-time passwords created by a Forti-token which provides an assurance those that are able to access our network are those that have been registered.
High-end Fortinet products have been used in Nasdaq. These high quality products have been tested in NSS labs; the world's leading security research and advisory company that have added the credibility of Fortinet.
For further information regarding, "how we can help your IT network?" please email to sutjipto@widyapresisisolusi.com