Fortigate firewalls & layers of security
Advanced Security, Speed, and Reliability for Your Data
At AccountTECH, safeguarding your data is our top priority. We’ve implemented a multi-layered security framework designed to ensure your connection is fast, secure, and reliable at every step of the process. Here’s how we achieve that:
Layer 1: Connection Validation and Authentication via Cloudflare
Before users can access any data stored with AccountTECH, they must pass through a robust initial security layer:
- IP Location Restriction: Access is restricted to users connecting from IP addresses located in North America, ensuring geographic control.
- Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Users validate their login credentials using a secondary authentication method, adding a vital layer of protection against unauthorized access.
This process is hosted and managed by Cloudflare, a global leader in web security and performance. Cloudflare protects darwin.Cloud from malicious attacks, ensures secure connections, and provides a seamless user experience.
Layer 2: Secure API Server Connections at AWS
Once authenticated, every user’s connection is routed through a direct, one-to-one connection with our API servers hosted on AWS. AWS provides industry-leading scalability, speed, and reliability, ensuring that all user requests are handled efficiently.
The redundant API servers that we host at AWS are configured so that they can only be accessed by validated users logged into and using darwin.Cloud. There is no way to access the AccountTECH API servers except thru darwin.Cloud. These API servers act as a bridge between the user and our SQL servers, maintaining tight control over how data is accessed or sent.
Layer 3: Private Data Transmission to SQL Servers at CoreSite
When a darwin.Cloud API server sends or receives data from our SQL servers, it uses a private Optical Cross-Connect (OCX) between AWS and our on-premise SQL servers at CoreSite. This private connection offers:
- Ultra-fast speeds: Ensuring real-time responsiveness for all data transactions.
- Maximum security: Data bypasses the public internet entirely, protecting it from interception or unauthorized access.
- Reliable performance: Consistent, predictable data flow for critical business operations.
Layer 4: Fortigate Firewalls—The Final Gatekeeper
At the final step, all data requests—whether they’re retrieving or updating information in SQL—must pass through our Fortigate firewalls.
What Is a Fortigate Firewall?
A Fortigate firewall is a next-generation firewall (NGFW) developed by Fortinet, renowned for its industry-leading security capabilities. Fortigate firewalls:
- Inspect traffic deeply to detect and block potential threats.
- Provide intrusion prevention systems (IPS) and application control to monitor, filter, and secure data.
- Continuously adapt to evolving cyber threats using AI and machine learning.
Why Are Fortigate Firewalls Highly Regarded?
Fortigate firewalls are trusted by businesses worldwide because of their:
- Robust security features: Combining network protection, advanced threat intelligence, and endpoint security in a single solution.
- Performance efficiency: They maintain speed and reliability even while processing high volumes of data.
Redundant Firewalls for Maximum Reliability
To ensure there’s no single point of failure, we’ve implemented redundant Fortigate firewalls. This means:
- If one firewall experiences an issue, the backup automatically takes over, ensuring uninterrupted protection.
- This redundancy guarantees that your data is secure, even in the rare event of a hardware or software failure.
24/7 Monitoring by Integris
Even the best security systems require constant monitoring to stay effective. That’s why we’ve partnered with Integris, a trusted managed IT and security service provider. Their team provides:
- Live, 24/7 monitoring of our firewalls to detect and address threats in real time.
- Proactive maintenance to ensure our security systems are always up-to-date and optimized.
- Expert incident response to resolve potential vulnerabilities quickly.
Why This Matters to You
Our multi-layered security framework ensures that:
- Your data is secure: Each layer adds a new level of protection, safeguarding against potential threats.
- Your connection is fast: From Cloudflare to AWS to CoreSite, every element is optimized for speed and performance.
- You have peace of mind: With advanced firewalls, redundant systems, and 24/7 monitoring, we’re always protecting your data.
At AccountTECH, we go above and beyond to ensure your data is handled with the utmost care, offering you unparalleled security, speed, and reliability.