Companies need to have adequate security systems to control cyber threats and attacks. There are more and more attacks of this type against all kinds of businesses. That is why using UTM solutions is an option to be considered.
What is Unified Threat Management?
UTM stands for Unified Threat Management or, as translated into Spanish, Unified Threat Management.
This means implementing certain products to increase computer security in the company’s networks.
UTM combines several elements such as:
- Virus.
- Firewall.
- Antispyware.
- Anti-spam.
- Systems for the prevention and detection of intrusions.
- Filter content.
- Prevent possible leaks.
In certain cases, they contain services such as:
- Remote routing.
- Translate network addresses: NAT (Network Address Translation).
- Possibility of compatibility with virtual private networks: VPN (Virtual Private Network).
And all the elements are integrated into a single product that works in real-time.
How Unified Threat Management works
With the emergence of more sophisticated threats that combine various forms of attack targeting multiple locations within the network simultaneously, Unified Threat Management has gained ground in the cybersecurity industry, especially for businesses.
UTM
The system has a significant advantage: its simplicity and practicality allow security functions to be combined in a single console.
UTMs are created to protect against threats of different types such as viruses, Trojans, spyware, spam, spam, password theft and unauthorized access.
In this way, what is involved is to protect the communication between the Internet and the various devices that the organization’s internal network has.
Unified Threat Management is dedicated to inspecting existing traffic to and from the Internet in two ways:
- Transparent mode: Identifies threats by blocking them through negative patterns.
- Proxy mode: It acts similarly to the transparent manner, but in this case, upon receiving the information, it does a second analysis in which, if it detects a threat, it can be eliminated or a warning message issued.
Advantages and disadvantages of UTM
UTMs have solved many of the security problems that affect companies, but they also have certain disadvantages:
Advantage
They are practical and flexible when it comes to managing network security.
They reduce costs both at the time of their implementation and in the future since they adopt technologies such as SD-WAN.
They reduce the complexity of security management.
Disadvantages
The main problem is that it is a single point of defence.
They may have specific performance issues.
For some services, a subscription is required.
In addition to implementing a UTM system, many companies use another defence perimeter so that any malware that affects their system can be stopped in case of a system breach.