Its appealing, always-on status leaves companies' private intellectual property vulnerable to unauthorized access. But it doesn't have to be that way. The security issues of DSL have gone unnoticed by many users as they've become accustomed to traditional dialup Internet access, which relies on dynamic IP addressing. An analog modem secures a connection for a one-time session, assigning a new IP address each time a user dials in. For example, a law firm that doesn't secure its network is putting its client affairs and correspondences at risk.
Firewalls can help eliminate unauthorized access to a company's network.
They work by filtering traffic and denying or permitting access based on rules such as source or type of traffic. This process keeps the network perimeter secure. But when using the Internet to communicate between offices or with partners and vendors, businesses must also ensure that their confidential information remains safe while traversing the public network. If anyone intercepted my transmissions or had access to my computer, I'd have a huge legal liability on my hands. In most cases, I've signed nondisclosure agreements in which I promised to keep a company's information secure.