Network security is critical for any business to survive the current market which is infested by more sophisticated threats than ever. It is for this reason that business owners should invest in the security of firewalls, particularly managed firewalls, as the first line of defense. When properly integrated, a firewall will not only make it difficult for an intruder to gain access to confidential information, but it can assist in catching the intruder. There are many reasons why managed firewalls are preferred compared to their distant and outdated cousins, the traditional firewalls. But let’s take a look at some of the more important differences:
Efficiency and Performance
Traditional
Traditional firewalls work like traditional servers and hardware. You purchase what you need for today and pay for upgrades and support separately. This typically translates into a large sum of money every 3-4 years for new equipment, and then a constant fee to keep the system updated, patched and support. If you make changes within the 3-4 year period that require more resources, then you better break out the pocket book and prepare for another large investment in your equipment.
Managed
Managed firewalls bring the same value and scalability as managed servers. They can be updated in real-time with little to no downtime. When their performance is lacking due to new features and rules, you simply add more resources to them in the management system. Chose the wrong solution? No worries, you can switch to another solution easily with the assistance of the included support. Massive updates and changes need to be done to your managed firewall? Again, no problem! The solution can be migrated and upgraded easily as needed by the security specialists.
The large investment upfront for new solutions and licensing go away with managed firewalls as this is typically a part of the solution and support. Stop investing in new equipment and move to a managed solution that is always up-to-date, and always secured.
Monitoring and Alerts
Traditional
Traditional firewalls need constant attention and regular security updates to provide alerts for the most recent security concerns. Unfortunately, this means that both you and the firewall manufacturer need to keep the appliance up-to-date and setup the proper alerting for new issues. Not to mention that if your appliance is outdated, which happens every 2-3 years, you need to purchase another one to keep up with security vulnerabilities.
Managed
A managed firewall is continually monitored and updated to ensure that it is current and that all alerts are appropriately acted upon. Due to security and health events correlated and analyzed daily by experts, unnecessary downtime, as well as other unseen issues causing harm to any system, can be avoided once traditional is replaced with managed firewalls.
Working with Experts
Traditional
Firms working with conventional firewalls are often lacking some of the experience the expert services bring in the new era of managed services. You’ll need to find someone to assist with managing your regular device administration, updates, and security, making it harder to deal with the network security issues, and likely leaving you exposed to new threats.
Managed
Security for your environment should not be taken lightly and having an experienced security team when you need them can be business changing in today’s technology climate. Managed security provides the proper attention and skills for your environment. Not to mention giving you the much-needed comfort to ensure that all is well. Having a team of well experienced certified security specialists always ready to help in the configuration and management process is a plus for any organization.
Reporting
Traditional
Organizations that still go it the traditional way hardly get information about activity taking place in their networks. Being in the dark about occurrences gives little or no chance of detecting trouble before it wreaks havoc in the network.
Managed
Managed services constantly provide information about all activity in your network. This is particularly important for companies that need to know the weaknesses in their system, exactly how many threats were avoided, and where they came from. More than that, managed services also provide details about bandwidth usage over time, web usage and even how effectively your workforce is using their time.
License Renewals
Traditional
Companies that rely on traditional methods must always renew their licenses on time to enjoy full protection. This is quite a hassle for the IT department who would rather work on other aspects apart from ensuring that license renewals are on time.
Managed
When you seek managed firewall solutions, someone else will be responsible for annual license renewals. This means that your business will not incur additional costs annually when there is the need to get new licenses. Fixed costs allow companies to budget for their annual spending better than they would if they only relied on traditional means where licensure costs tend to fluctuate over time.
Customized Solutions
Traditional
Ordinary firewall solutions are quite rigid as the user has to take whatever the firewall has to offer. The traditional approach can pose limitations to businesses with unique security needs unless properly guided by a security expert that understands your business’s technology needs.
Managed
Customization is one of the unique selling points of managed firewall services. Your support team can effortlessly manage the configurations to suit your organization’s unique needs and change the solution as your business grows.
The traditional approach to security of installing it and forget it is no longer viable for organizations. Just as threats are dynamic, so should be the means to avoid them. Organizations need to consider managed firewall solutions to help them keep up with changes without necessarily increasing security costs. It is the only way to ease the burden of your IT department and ensure the best network security that guarantees better business. Remember to look for a reputable company that understands your needs and has the skills & capacity to fulfill them in time.
