There are so many “as-a-Service” options today and not all of them may be right for your enterprise. One that makes a lot of sense, however, is Firewall-as-a-Service (FWaaS). FWaaS provides the functionality of a Next Generation Firewall without the high capital expenditure associated with an on-prem solution. As is typical of SaaS solutions, it operates on a pay-as-you-go model, eliminating the need for high upfront capital expenditures associated with traditional hardware firewalls.
What Makes FWaaS Unique
Like most as-a-Service solutions, a FWaaS solution takes care of routine maintenance tasks like patching and updating, removing the burden from your internal IT teams. But when you choose Fortinet’s Firewall-as-a-Service, you get more than just an auto-updating firewall. You also gain access to Fortinet-certified security experts who ensure that firewall configurations align with industry best practices, providing critical oversight to avoid costly mistakes.
With firewalls, there is no room for error, as one misconfiguration can expose your network to threats, compliance violations, or data breaches. The assurance that your solution is managed by professionals brings significant value in the form of mitigated risks, peace of mind, and reduced reliance on a single firewall in-house expert.
Selective Deployment
Enterprises today are no longer protected by a single perimeter firewall. They have firewalls dispersed across multiple sites. Some are used for segmentation purposes, others secure SD-WAN outposts, and hybrid enterprises need firewall protection in the cloud. All these firewalls are deployed for different reasons and thus require different service combinations.
With FWaaS, you decide what to protections to deploy and where based on the processes, assets or locations you need to secure. While they all may require IPS, others may not require SSL/SSH inspection while a select few may require sandboxing or DNS filtering. This allows you to optimize your costs by only purchasing the necessary services. Once deployed, Fortinet’s FWaaS provides you centralized management, visibility, and reporting for all your deployed FWaaS implementations across your enterprise. With Fortinet’s FWaaS, you can optimize costs and security at the same time.
More Key Features of Fortinet’s FWaaS
A Fortinet FWaaS solution provides the same high-performance security as their on-prem NGFWs, but in a cloud-hosted model. FWaaS deployments can be operational within minutes, not days, offering rapid implementation. Other benefits include:
- Dynamic scaling that easily adapts to business growth, cloud migration, or changes in infrastructure without hassling with new hardware purchases or configurations
- Cloud-native scalability that is ideal for remote users, branch offices, and hybrid infrastructure
- Built-in auditing, logging, and reporting tools make it easier to meet compliance frameworks like PCI DSS or HIPAA
- AI-driven threat protection to detect unknown threats, suspicious behavior, and evolving attack vectors
- Integrates with other security services like Secure Web Gateways (SWG), Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA), or SD-WAN for additional layers of protection
In addition to normal updating and patching, FortiGuard will feed your FWaaS with up-to-the-minute information concerning malware signatures, botnet activity, or malicious IPs amongst other advanced threat information. This gives you the leverage to combat the newest threats before they hit your network without no intervention on your part.
FWaaS and Your Business
Switching to a Firewall as a Service solution makes a lot of sense from a business point of view.
- FWaaS helps preserve capital that can be applied to other components that directly relate to your business objectives
- FWaaS ensures consistent enforcement of security policies across all locations and devices to guard your business processes across all locations
- FWaaS offloads routine firewall tasks from your in-house IT team to drive greater productivity and efficiency
To fully leverage the benefits of FWaaS, it’s essential to evaluate which firewall services best align with your business needs. IntegraONE can conduct a thorough assessment of your security requirements to ensure your protection strategy is tailored to support your business objectives. Discover today how firewall protection can be delivered to your organization as a seamless, scalable, and highly efficient service.
