Unified Threat Management: All You Need To Know In 2 Points

Introduction

The world of the internet and the IT sector is growing exponentially. It has covered a major segment of the internet world. With the exponential growth of the internet comes the online treat. Many IT solutions have been working on programs, including antivirus and firewalls, to prevent online threats.

1. What is UTM? 
2. How Does UTM Protect Users And Networks?

1. What is UTM? 

UTM in networking means Unified threat management, which is the single solution to all the threats online. There are different types of online threats, the most common of which is the malware attack, which can target various internet parts. Many companies use other software to prevent such attacks. Having different programs to prevent these effects can be difficult because it has to be managed and updated regularly. With additional software and vendors, it becomes difficult to keep track of all the information.

Unified threat management is the all-in-one solution to the online threat that users face. A Unified threat management appliance provides antivirus, anti-spam, content filtration, and firewalls to help protect users’- data. Back were the days when companies had to use multiple software to protect the data, but now all has been made simple with UTM threat management. There are many advantages of using a unified threat management device, such as-

• Simplicity- Simplicity is the key advantage of unified threat management, as it works as the cybersecurity solution to all big and small businesses. With a unified threat management system, users need not go for software programs to perform a single task, thus minimizing the level of threat protection they provide. 

It has been seen that hackers mainly target smaller businesses because of their low-level security systems. In recent years, small businesses have been the most common target for hacking, and the reason was the lack of proper security over the network or servers they work on. For a small business, it becomes difficult to handle multiple programs for multiple vendors., For this purpose, they need to have a security team to update and manage the data.

This is where UTM in-network is useful as it provides the solution to all the online threats at a price point available for all. In UTM unified threat management, the security is provided to the user at the base level with the initial plan. Therefore, users can opt to pay an additional price for availing of extra security services like VPN( Virtual private network) and IPS ( Intrusion Protection System). 

• Fast Response Time- The ability to increase the response to the threat is much faster than that of multi-system security. With a single system, it gets easier for the user to monitor, manage, analyze, and upgrade the system’s security. With ongoing faster response time, there will be reduced maintenance with a unified threat management system.
• Lower Cost– Installing Unified threat management costs less than a multi-system solution to the online threat. The cost of installing the security system is impacted by the resources used, such as computers, maintenance costs, and the management’s security team A multi-system security solution system uses multiple software programs for protecting against online threats. With numerous software programs comes the complexity in the management of the system they use. For this, an admin and a security team must keep up with the data updates and alteration to all the threats that have occurred, which also increases the cost of the system. 

• With a unified threat management system, all the programs are abstracted into one single unit, which can be managed by a single person and not requiring a security team to work on the security. This also results in the meager maintenance cost of the security system. 

• Centralized Security- UTM gets integrated with multiple platforms, making data processing faster with a quicker response to security threats by reducing the resources required. With the ability to integrate with the platforms you are using, you get a centralized security system for protecting your data. 
• A centralized security system makes it easier for the user to identify which part of their system is the threat’s target, allowing faster responses to threat. 

• Awareness To Threat- APT (Advanced persistent threats) and polymorphic attacks affects your system with several code changes, making it difficult to be identified under a single component. UTM can identify all the upcoming threats which can be worked on under the framework of the unified threat management system you are using.  

2. How Does UTM Protect Users And Networks?

Despite all the programs constricted into a  single unit, how does unified threat management protects users and the networks? Dealing with multiple threats using multiple programs can be difficult, which is what UTM threat management is based on. UTM helps create a single point of defense within a single console, making it easier to have stronger protection against online threats.

But UTM does have some drawbacks, which comes with a single line of defense against the online threat. For the same reason, many users prefer having an added layer of software protection to prevent malware that bypasses UTM threat management. 

UTM protects against most common online threats with software for data protection, imbibed into a single unit.

• Deep Packet Inspection- With deep packet inspection technology, a unified threat management system scans and analyzes all the network data. UTM scans the incoming data for viruses, malware which includes any malicious attachment hidden in the data. Deep packet inspection analyzes the incoming data and neutralizes the attack. 
• Inspection Of Packet Headers- Unified threat management systems analyze any upcoming threat based on the data of all the previous attacks that have taken place. With a single unit in action, it becomes easy for UTM to predict and stop all the attacks before they take place. 
• Access Denied To Unwanted Website-  With advanced web filtration, UTM analyzes the website you are visiting and determines whether it will be harmful to your network or not… It then prevents you from accessing the website if it detects any threat. 
• Updating Antivirus Definition- UTM automatically downloads the update for antivirus and antimalware definitions. There are multiple threats released online every day for which your security system needs to be updated regularly. Unified threat management automatically updates the threat library with a stable internet connection. 
• Admin Function- Admin functionality is required for navigating through the security system. A wide range of security functions is given to users within a single console, making it easy for admin to update all the monitoring reports.  UTM’s functioning is divided into these methods and using these methods, UTM works to give users security over the network they are using.UTM’s functioning is divided into these methods and using these methods, UTM works to give users security over the network they are using.

Conclusion

UTM can be the best option for small and intermediate businesses. Being imbibed into a single unit, unified threat management can be the all in one solution users can look upon for protection against online threats. You need not have multiple vendors and programs to get complete protection against an online threat, making it easy for security admins to analyze the security threat.

If you’re curious about learning more about handling cyberattacks and defending your devices, then Jigsaw Academy’s Master Certificate in Cyber Security (Blue Team) is all you need to feed your curiosity. It is a 520-hour-long online course, particularly focusing on defensive Cybersecurity technology.