Managed Firewall Services – What’s that all about?
Do you think firewall problems are best solved by setting off the sprinkler system in the server room????? Then this article’s for you. We’ll explain a managed firewall and why you may need one.
A managed firewall is an ordinary firewall with go-faster stripes. Security experts proactively manage it on your behalf. It embraces modifiable rules, putting you in charge. Firewall managers instantly implement policies and updates. Your whole system is proactively monitored, and threats are made visible through regular alerting, reporting and feedback.
In the movie, Taken, Liam Neeson ruthlessly pursues his daughter’s abductors with the single-minded ferocity of a half-starved wolverine pursuing a muskrat for breakfast. Interestingly, our niche firewall specialists display the same unrelenting dedication. They bring a proactive, structured approach to updates, including manual firmware updates in real-time (the firewall specialists; not the wolverines, of course.)
Faster intrusion protection
A suite of managed firewall services offers companies faster intrusion protection through specialist monitoring. Whereas with an unmanaged firewall, businesses wouldn’t necessarily have the same level of monitoring, reporting, or a resource available to address concerns as they happen. It’s like you having a house alarm, that you don’t monitor when your are on holidays. Somewhat pointless…
The difference between managed and unmanaged firewalls can be illustrated by reference to the arcade game, Whack-a-mole (see image above), in which moles stick their heads out of holes at random intervals, and the player has to whack them on the head with a plastic hammer to eradicate them.
Imagine, if you will, that these arcade game moles are system threats from cyber-crooks with malicious intent. With a wholly passive, unmanaged firewall, there’s no one to whack the cyber-crooks into lunar orbit in real-time. But with a managed firewall, a dedicated, highly-trained digital mole-whacker (a firewall specialist) stands ready 24/7 to whack those pesky moles as soon as they dare show their cute little faces.
Having more than one firewall
Some organisations have many firewalls (the collective noun for firewalls is ‘conflagration.’ At least, it should be, we think.) Such companies are not showing off – it’s just that their businesses have grown, and there’s more to keep an eye on.
Sometimes, larger organisations cannot prevent a brain drain of ninja-grade firewall experts. Because, being young, they want a career shift to less challenging occupations such as lion taming, becoming a navy SEAL or training as a kamikaze pilot. Such organisations see high value in hiring third-party specialists. And, of course, once you have a managed firewall service, adding additional firewalls is more manageable as your business expands.
Skill famine
Like a bloke with restless leg syndrome, firewall technology never stands still. And with increasing complexity comes the demand for niche skills to remain up-to-date. Managed firewalls have more tools than a retired carpenter, ensuring your business is always on its digital toes. Keeping IT specialists on staff costs a lot, however. Especially if you only need them now and again. A managed service offers companies a pay-as-you-use model, freeing in-house IT staff to focus on high-value parts of your IT environment
Where No Firewall Auditing or Reporting exists
If your company does not regularly audit its firewall rules and configuration, it may be exposed to all manner of cyber-badness perpetrated by cyber-baddies with global reach (apologies for introducing IT jargon so late in this article.) A managed firewall service might be worth considering here. Firewall specialists regularly audit firewalls and maintain standards 24/7
Leveraging New Capabilities
Firewall capabilities seem to expand faster than the universe nowadays. Managed firewall services can quickly leverage new capabilities as needs arise.
Managed Firewall Solutions and Managed Security Services
It isn’t hard to list the benefits of a managed firewall service. Here are just a few:
- Enhanced network protection
- Regulatory compliance
- Comprehensive monitoring and reporting
- Instant response to suspicious firewall activity
- Closing skills gaps
- Reduced cost
If you think you might benefit from a free firewall audit, contact us now, call 0818 900 000. One of our digital ninjas (experienced infrastructure specialists) can check your current kit and make recommendations.
On the other hand, if you misunderstood what this article was about and all you wanted to do was Whack-A-Mole, head for your nearest games arcade.
