FortiExpress Brings Facts to You

By Carley Wessler

In this summer heat, nothing beats air conditioning and a cold beverage.
Next week, Convergent Technologies Group is offering that to our customers – with the bonus of inside access to the latest information security in the business.
We’re hosting the FortiExpress – an information security lab on wheels – at Hardywood Park Craft Brewery, 1601 Overbrook Road, #A. The event will kick off at 4 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 4.

FortiExpress is an innovative resource created by Fortinet, our preferred partner for information security products. The lab is an 18-wheeler that brings Fortinet’s Network Security Platform to life.

Actually, Fortinet commissioned a pair of mobile labs, which are on the road in the “FAST & Secure” tour with stops in 100 cities and logging 25,000 miles over 270 days. We’re honored to bring the FortiExpress to Central Virginia.

Here’s why your business needs you to attend:

• Technology showcase – don’t just take our word for it. Explore the full suite of Fortinet security products that offer the latest in security threat detection from the best in the industry.
• Demonstrations – see for yourself how the best security products are both fast and easy to implement.
• Mobile data center – set up for performance testing.
• Networking – talk with other IT leaders across the region and learn about the changing threat landscape and ways to improve your security infrastructure.

Unfortunately, we can only fit so many people in the mobile lab, even when it’s expanded to its full 1,200-square-foot presentation size, and you don’t want to miss this opportunity. To reserve your space, simply click here to register online to reserve your space. The live presentations and demo will run from 4:30-5:30 p.m.

And once you’ve taken in everything in the FortiExpress, we’ll be offering refreshments and beverages at Hardywood until 7 p.m. We look forward to helping you learn more about the right security products that will protect the heart of your enterprise.

Carley Wessler is an account executive at Convergent Technologies Group.

What To Look For In A Modern Firewall Solution

By Convergent Technologies Group
Your network is the central nervous system of your business—connecting employees, partners and customers and data. The value of that data found on your network is what makes every organization a target for breach. The risk from internal and external threats is very real. The compromise of sensitive financial information, personal data, or intellectual property by malicious outsiders or careless employees can cost an organization dearly.
A strong network protection platform is one that can stop internal and external threats from reaching its targets without hindering access to vital information resources. That’s where the Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) comes in.
More comprehensive than traditional traditional firewalls, a NGFW is a vital component of an effective, multi-layered cybersecurity platform. But with so many firewall options out there, how do you choose the solution that provides the right level of security for your business? When evaluating next generation firewall solutions, it’s important to look at platforms that meet your requirements for security, reliability, performance, ease-of-management and affordability.
Here are 6 factors to consider:
1. Reduced Complexity and Expense
Some of the less-expensive choices out there that are far less affordable than they seem. Many firewalls have additional charges for advanced features, and some of them actually stagnate the network. A good next generation firewall should simplify network management instead of making it cumbersome.
2. Point Product Consolidation
An effective next generation firewall consolidates the capabilities of multiple point products, eliminating problems resulting from incompatibilities between point products and piecemeal upgrades and replacements.
3. Advanced Security Protection
Modern cyber attacks come from all directions, and your next generation firewall platform needs to offer defense-in-depth protection to block them all. A NGFW that works hand-in-hand with an Internal Segmentation Firewall (ISFW) is the best approach. The ISFW sits inside your network to protect your highest-priority assets from APTs that have penetrated the network perimeter or insider threats.
4. Exceptional Visibility And Control
The most effective NGFWs give you the flexibility to protect your entire network from one view. Look for platforms with intuitive drag and drop controls and single pane of glass, centralized management for 360-degree network visibility and ease of administration.
5. High-Powered, Reliable Performance
A firewall only has to go down for a few minutes before culprits infiltrate the perimeter. And your network security can’t come at the expense of productivity. When evaluating next generation firewall solutions, ask for throughput comparisons from multiple vendors.
6. Credible Ratings and Endorsements
The single best way to determine the next generation firewall that meets your needs is to ask the experts here at CTG. Before investing in a comprehensive next generation firewall, make sure all vendor claims are validated by industry tests, and customer and analyst endorsements.
An independent systems integrator is your partner to help you identify your needs and security goals. Convergent Technologies Group works with best in class technology like Fortinet, to develop and implement network security solutions that offer the highest level of protection for your most valuable data assets.  We chose to work with the Fortinet because we believe it offers the best in its class technology and has been chosen by NSS Labs as the industry's top solution for security effectiveness, speed and total cost of ownership.
Contact Convergent Technologies Group here.