Nowadays, cyber attacks are more sophisticated and more complex than ever before. As attackers become more skilled and more dangerous, you need a security system that can keep up.
You're probably not going to like it, but the truth is that attackers have the upper hand, as they have the resources to spread themselves across thousands of compromised systems. A Geo-IP service gives you the means to tip the scales in your favor by dramatically reducing the attackers' opportunities.
How exactly does Geo-IP filtering work?
At its most basic, a Geo-IP filter works by checking the IP address of incoming Internet traffic to discern its country of origin. If the traffic comes from a country which you have selected to filter out, the firewall will decline that data access to the protected network. And it is not just limited to countries. You can also block high-risk proxies or Internet service providers.
There's a number of reasons why this can be extremely useful. Let's take a look at some of the top advantages that make Geo-IP filtering a valuable tool for your business:
- It improves security Cyber criminals look for vulnerabilities in your network security system and take advantage of your network's open ports. Having the ability to block unwanted traffic is a great first line of defense.Attackers are always searching for weak spots in your security network, little cracks they can use to make their way into your system. One mistake on your part is all they need to start pulling out important data out of what you thought was a secure environment.Geo-IP filtering shaves off unwanted and malicious traffic by limiting the amount of traffic entering your security environment, and does it without limiting your business needs.
- It increases legitimate traffic
If you're a local company and you're only interested in doing business around your city, ask yourself this: "Does the whole world need access to my business?" Probably not.A Geo-IP service allows you to eliminate a lot of unwanted traffic coming from different parts of the world that are irrelevant to your business and restrict it to just the location you currently service. That's how you make sure you only get legitimate traffic, the kind that will benefit your business.However, you need to keep in mind that blocking a country is very different from filtering a country.Fully blocking a certain country could result in blocking a certain company or network within that country that maybe you don't want to keep away. A good Geo-IP service can filter a country to allow specific businesses that have co-location services in that area.
Port filtering is also a very important feature. It can sort the legitimate browser users from hackers that are trying to compromise your whole website security by using specialized software to force guess your passwords.
- A Geo-IP Service reduces management time Regardless of how you divide it, there are only 24 hours in a day. Time is limited. Therefore, time is important. Less traffic means less processing and less analyzing. And this ultimately translates into more time to focus on other aspects of your business.In this day and age, Geo-IP filtering is a vital layer in network defense to prevent your private information from escaping your secure domain.Adding it to your security environment means going the extra mile to protect your business against cyber attacks. But not just any software will do. You need a Geo-IP service that is effective, intuitive and easy to use if you want the best results for your business.
There are plenty of firewalls who try Geo-IP, but if you want the best technology available on the market, then you should contact us!