By Alicia Angelica Villanueva

With the rapid growth of technologies today, it comes with the continuously increasing number of risks to our privacy and security. The more we use advanced technologies in our daily lives, the more we face the risk of cyber attacks that cybercriminals take as opportunities to hack and to invade not just our personal information but even also our personal lives.

For the past months, data privacy and cybersecurity have become issues for large companies because of the threats that cyber attacks brought that led to data breach. As data concerns become headlines, authorities warn us to become even more careful and watchful with all the personal information we are giving digitally.

But in reality, cybercriminals often target small and medium-size businesses (SMEs) rather than large companies. In fact, in a survey, “2017 State of Cybersecurity in Small and Medium-Sized Businesses” conducted by Ponemon Institute in September 2017, 61 percent of respondents said that they had faced cyber attacks, meanwhile, 54 percent experienced data breaches.

This is what pushed NEC Platforms to create an advanced version of the usual firewall that we have.

In an intimate event last April 11, NEC Platforms, Ltd., in partnership with Synetcom, officially launched the Unified Threat Management (UTM) SA3500G at Okada Manila.

Since cyber attacks have become a serious threat to businesses, NEC Platforms offers the SA3500G as an all-in-one solution to combat cyber threats and attacks through an easily installed device that will help businesses to add extra security to their network. This device will prevent cyber issues that come from dangerous sites, unauthorized access to the Internet to enter the network. Through its multiple functions, the UTM will trace and clean the virus included in every downloaded file both on email and web browser.

“The main function of this product is that blocking cyberattacks, network threats, and IT admin can keep company policy what they want to accept or deny. The concept is that all in one box, high performance, and easy installation,” said Masanobu Kawashima, Assistant Manager, NEC Platforms, Ltd.

During the launch, dealers were also able to see the product demo led by NEC Telecom Software Philippines Product Specialists Sonny Candazo Jr. and Brain Nolledo and were showed how to install the UTM SA3500G in seven-easy steps:

1. Access by a browser.
2. Select mode — Bridge Mode or Router Mode.
3. Set password.
4. Set IP address.
5. Login to WebGUI.
6. Set security.
7. Activation

Threat Management Functions

Firewall

The UTM SA3500G’s main purpose is to set a barrier between safe and untrusted networks and sites. It monitors the incoming and outgoing traffic and  it also prevents access to and from a private network.

Antivirus

Trojan Horse, Spyware, Ransomware, and Worms are just some types of viruses being developed and produced by cybercriminals to hack accounts and gather private information for monetary gains. These viruses are often found in downloaded applications, files, and emails which UTM can immediately detect before it is allowed in a network. The device will clean a downloaded file that contains a dangerous code or virus and will rewrite the contents of the file. Also,  antivirus software is continually updated to help protect the network from the latest threats.

Web Guard

Let’s face it. Everyone in the workplace is at risk of accessing dangerous websites especially for employees who download or stream movies. But with UTM’s Web Guard, accessing to a dangerous site is denied when traffic to an unsafe site is detected.

IDS/IPS

The UTM will prevent unwanted network attacks that are already detected in previous intrusions. It detects patterns and registered as abnormal traffic or protocol. Thus, further communications from the attacker will be prevented.

URL Filter

Since WiFi is considered as one of the necessities of a company, accessing to different social networking sites (SNS) is inevitable. SMEs can reduce the usage of SNS or non-business related sites by blocking URLs and categorize them to the Content Filter page. This would deny the access of an employee trying to open the blocked URL.

URL Keyword Filter

Like the URL Filter feature, it also denies the access to blocked non-business related URLs, however, URLs with specific character strings are inaccessible since a particular character is registered beforehand as blocked.

Application Guard 

On Thursday, Nepal banned the popular online game PlayerUnknown’s Battleground, also called as PUBG, mentioning negative impacts to its players’ mental health and socialization skills.

“We issued a circular Thursday to all internet service providers, mobile operators, and network service providers in Nepal to block PUBG,” said deputy director of Nepal Telecommunications Authority Sandip Adhikari.

Meanwhile, in a local city in the Philippines, Naval Mayor Gerard Espina released a notice stating whoever employee caught playing any mobile game during office hours would be terminated. This was after many complaints were brought to him saying “a significant number of employees were reported playing mobile games.”

Recently, playing online mobile games like Mobile Legends, PUBG, and Rule of Survival became an issue in various workplaces. It decreases the productivity of employees without noticing that it is already affecting their work.

With UTM’s Application Guard, the admin can set up in a browser on which applications he/she wishes to be blocked. So when an employee tries to access an app, it identifies and prevents access. Downloading a heavy-game app is denied.

“What’s the difference between firewall and UTM?  Of course, firewall has firewall function only, and UTM, there are many significant functions to protect your network and your devices from cyber attacks and network threats. That’s why firewall is not enough for protecting recent attacks. So when we think about cyber attacks, most likely, big corporations come to mind, but in reality, SMEs are actually being targeted or threatened more frequently. So, nowadays, cyber attacks are serious threats to your business,” added Masanobu.

More than that, SA3500G has many useful management functions such as Device Map, Device Manager, Threats Statistics, Alert/Notification/Monthly Report by Email, etc.

“I’d like to say this, this product is made in Japan,” said Masanobu in jest. “It means it is high quality, it is difficult to break. In fact, we do not have any defect unit for more than 3 years since we started the production.”

Pricing

NEC’s UTM SA3500G is already available and open for SMEs who want to upgrade their cybersecurity to another level. The SA3500G hardware comes with a 1-year license including Hot Spare Send Back Service. Please contact Synetcom or their resellers for the pricing.