What is a Firewall and Does My Practice Need One?

What is a firewall for?

A firewall is a system that is designed to prevent unauthorized access from entering a private network.

It blocks unwanted traffic and permits wanted traffic.

Its purpose is to create a safety barrier between a private network and the public Internet—where there are malicious actors who try to penetrate a private network to cause harm.

As mentioned in our infographic, the name firewall comes from the construction term that describes a brick wall placed in between two structures.

If there is a fire on one side of the building, the firewall is the barrier that contains the fire and keeps it from spreading over to the other side. It keeps the fire from destroying the entire building.

A network firewall works the same way. It stops harmful activity on one side (the public Internet) from entering the other side (your private network).

Yes, your practice needs a firewall.

We’re not talking about the ones you can get for free—your practice needs robust firewall protection because you handle highly sensitive patient data on a daily basis.

Free solutions provide only the most basic features and will not be enough to stop intruders from attacking your private network. On the other hand, paid firewalls offer advanced options, 24/7 technical support, and the ability to be easily used across multiple computers and locations. They can also be customized and regularly updated as new malware emerge.

With cyber attackers constantly looking for ways to infiltrate your network and steal your data, your practice needs to build the best defenses. Getting a state-of-the-art firewall solution and a HIPAA-certified team of IT engineers is the best way to start.