Computer crime statistics point at sites in the former Soviet Union, the Middle East, the Far East, and many other locations as places where organized computer crime originates. The criminals are either trying to make a political statement, or are after credit card numbers, Social Security Numbers, and other information that they can turn into cash through nefarious means. Computer criminals in the US attempt to hide their tracks by first going off shore with their traffic and then coming back into the US to make it appear that a foreign entity is the source.

As new software vulnerabilities are discovered in various applications, sometimes the firewall can be used to shield the business from the vulnerability, and sometimes it can't. If a particular service, like email for example, is discovered to have a serious flaw then it needs to be fixed. Sites that have shown an interest in security by installing a quality firewall are more apt to work with a consultant to keep their defenses up than a business that just hopes for the best. Security is a process, not a product.