Firewall is an essential part of a company’s network security architecture. This crucial component acts as the front line of defense against external threats. Limiting the types of traffic that can enter the network and blocking attacks attempting to take control of network access significantly reduces the company’s cybersecurity risks.
Considerations When Choosing a Firewall for Your Company
Company Size
Small-scale companies have different needs compared to medium-sized and large-scale enterprises. Depending on the protection provided by a Firewall, it has a maximum throughput. Traffic volume exceeding this threshold will cause latency as the Firewall fails to balance it.
As a result, the Firewall must meet the networking needs of an organization. Small and medium-sized enterprises can choose a Firewall with smaller throughput than enterprise-level companies. Even within enterprise-scale companies, there are several options available for medium-sized, large, and high-end enterprises. Corporate data centers also have their own Firewall requirements.
Company Distribution
In the past, most companies had all their employees and IT infrastructure on-site. However, cloud technology and remote working have led to changes in company distribution.
For companies with remote workers, a Hardware Firewall that protects the headquarters’ network at each location may not be the right choice. Similarly, connecting remote offices to the Internet and cloud applications through a corporate Firewall may not provide the best user experience.
The best Firewall you can use is a cloud-based Firewall-as-a-service (FaaS) solution. This solution protects an organization’s assets and users wherever they are. This solution can be implemented more quickly than a local physical Firewall. FaaS also provides optimal network security and user experience for connecting to cloud applications and internet solutions.
In-House or Managed
A Firewall is not a “set it and forget it” security solution. Existing rules need to be configured and updated periodically and must be monitored for events and alerts leading to potential security incidents. This requires IT and security expertise as well as time and resources.
Companies that do not have the internal security expertise needed to manage their Firewall may need to consider Managed Firewall as opposed to In-house Firewall. Firewall management is a common part of Managed Security Services (MSS), and third-party providers like Hypernet can also offer support for incident response based on detected intrusions.
Threat Visibility and Usability
Many companies have a broad security architecture consisting of many standalone solutions. While this provides good threat handling coverage, it also complicates the monitoring and management of these solutions effectively. NGFWs must offer threat visibility and policy management in a single console – including the ability to dig into security alerts with actionable threat intelligence.
Protected Devices
Today, companies likely have hybrid data centers with on-premises and cloud applications and workloads, as well as Internet of Things (IoT) devices connected to their networks.
All of these devices introduce new security risks and have unique security requirements. Depending on the assets a company wants to protect, they may require a Firewall that offers specific functionalities. The Firewall used needs to understand the unique types of traffic generated by devices to secure them effectively.
