Firewalls are a good first step in protecting your organization from hackers. But they do have their limitations. The top 10 firewall limitations include:

• Viruses. Not all firewalls offer full protection against computer viruses as there are many ways to encode files and transfer them over the Internet.
• Attacks. Firewalls can't protect against attacks that don't go through the firewall. For example, your firewall may restrict access from the Internet, but may not protect your equipment from dial in access to your computer systems.
• Architecture. Consistent overall organization security architecture: Firewalls reflect the overall level of security in the network. An architecture that depends upon one method of security or one security mechanism has a single point of failure. A failure in its entirety, or through a software application bug, may open the company to intruders.
• Configuration. A firewall can't tell you if it has been incorrectly configured. Trained professionals have the talent and experience to properly configure firewalls.
• Monitoring. Some firewalls can notify you if a perceived threat occurs, however, they can't notify you if someone has hacked into your network. Many organizations find they need additional hardware, software and network monitoring tools.
• Encryption. While firewalls and Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) are helpful, they don't encrypt confidential documents and E-mail messages sent within your organization or to outside business contacts. Formalized procedures and tools are needed to provide protection of your confidential documents and electronic communications.
• Management. Firewalls stop incoming threats but organizations still require a formalized management, destruction, and archival procedure for their electronic documents. Electronic messages taken out of context can put an organization in financial jeopardy.
• Masquerading. Firewalls can't stop a hacker from masquerading as an employee. Hackers have a number of ways to acquire user ids and related passwords.
• Policies. Firewalls are not a replacement for a strong Security Policy and Procedure Manual. An organization's security structure is only as strong as its weakest link. Security professionals have the experience needed to help protect your reputation.
• Vulnerabilities. Like a deadbolt lock on a front door, a firewall can't tell you if there are other vulnerabilities that might allow a hacker access to your internal network. Organizations frequently rely on Security Vulnerability Assessments to help them manage their risks.

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