What is a Firewall, and Why do I Need One?
Healthcare Compliance Associates • October 7, 2022
As a healthcare practice, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) requires that you safeguard your patient’s protected health information (PHI). This confidential data is highly susceptible to hackers via internet traffic. A firewall monitors your incoming and outgoing network traffic and, based on is a pre-determined set of security rules, permits, or blocks data. The firewall is a barrier between your internal network and incoming traffic, thereby blocking viruses, ransomware, and types of malicious software (malware).
How does a Firewall work?
Firewall security rules filter traffic coming in from unsecured or suspicious sources. These filters protect your computer and network against potential attacks by limiting traffic at your computer’s entry point (port), where information exchanges with external devices. The firewall also controls access levels: who has access to the system and how much information each user can access.
Firewalls
Your firewall can be software or hardware, but best practice recommends that you have both. A software firewall is a program downloaded onto your computer that controls traffic through ports and applications. For hardware, you maintain equipment installed between your network and the gateway to external networks.
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