SpartanTec, Inc. Charleston: What is a Managed Firewall Service? Benefits and Features

Even though a managed firewall service could be fitted with all the security features needed to keep cyberthreats away, they are only as efficient and effective as their managers. You must properly manage a firewall to get the best out of it.

What is a managed firewall service?

Monitoring your network can take up significant time, resources, and cost. Managed firewall services, which are provided by security experts, offer solutions that cover administration, operation monitoring, maintenance, and monitoring of your firewall infrastructure.

The managed firewall service may include an assessment of your security risks and monitoring network traffic, depending on the offer. Any abnormal traffic patterns that are not “normal” can be detected and corrected once the MSSP has established what normal traffic looks like.

Managed firewall solutions typically include network monitoring, set-up, maintenance and modification of firewall rules. They should include

detailed analysis
reports
feedback
updates and patches

Firewalls are not plug-and-play devices. It is not possible to just install a firewall on your network perimeter and expect it to do its job. Managed firewall Charleston SC requires extensive knowledge and constant monitoring. It is just the beginning of a long process.

Common firewall problems and complexities

Only a small portion of the complexity involved in managing a firewall is represented by the resources needed. Companies should also be aware of other less obvious issues.

Balance between security and user-friendliness

If protocols are too restrictive or don’t allow users to access specific data or applications, firewall rules can be a business inhibitor. Companies can be vulnerable to data theft and security breaches if they have access to more information than is necessary to perform their job duties.

Auditing is not necessary

Although it is a good practice to analyze firewall rules on a regular basis, many companies overlook this critical step.

Incapability to keep pace with changing threats

The complexity of managing a firewall increases as the threat landscape changes and the company’s attack surface grows. Even though firewall rules and configurations may have been adequate weeks or months ago to block cyberthreats, they are no longer effective today.

Multiple locations, multiple firewalls

All of the above complexity can be too much for one firewall, but many organizations need multiple firewalls. Each firewall is unique and requires its own configurations and rules. Each firewall can multiply the work.

Complexity of industry compliance standard

Your firewall must be PCI DSS compliant if your company accepts online payments. But, simply installing a firewall to protect your network will not make you PCI DSS-compliant. As a guideline for how firewalls should install, be updated, and be maintained compliant with PCI DSS, there are more than 20 sub-requirements.

The benefits of having a service provider manage the firewall

A managed security service provider (MSSP), can help you manage your firewall. This goes beyond the problems and complexities described above.

Managed firewall services provide a variety of benefits.

Empowering digital transformation

As organizations take in public clouds, hybrid cloud, and SaaS, the IT environments are evolving. Digital transformation might be delayed since conventional security controls may not even be able to adapt to the changing IT settings. Even worse, digital transformation can be slowed down by inadequate security controls.

Monitor your network 24/7

Managed firewall services that are highly regarded will monitor and manage your firewalls from their SOC (security operation center). A fully redundant, secure SOC should be available to the MSSP. It should also have advanced security technology and emergency backup power.

Threats can be better managed by collecting data, monitoring your network traffic, and analyzing for known vulnerabilities.

Solutions customized to suit your environment

You can have your firewalls managed whether they are on-premise, cloud-based, hybrid or virtual. You can choose to have a managed firewall service that is on-premises, which is usually faster and easier to set up, or you need a cloud-based firewall to protect your growing attack surface. An MSSP can customize their managed firewall solutions to your network environment, and offer all of the above benefits.

Future-generation capabilities and features

Managed firewall solutions that are proactive can offer next-generation security tools to improve their offering. These capabilities include Intrusion Prevention Systems, Web-Filtering and Anti-Virus.

Access to the most recent threat intelligence sources

While IT environments and tools are evolving, so are the tactics and tools used by malicious actors. It is essential that IT security teams keep abreast of the global threat landscape in order to stay on top. This may prove difficult for many teams.

Close the cybersecurity skills gap

A significant talent shortage still exists in the cybersecurity industry. According to ISC2, the cybersecurity workforce gap in the United States is close to 500,000. High demand for skilled security professionals is low supply.