Organizations that connect to the internet and operate using a network connection know how important reliable network security is.
Without proper network security, your organization could be the victim of a cyberattack that could cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to repair your network. Further, a cyberattack could also cause sensitive data breaches.
Because of this, it is important that organizations secure their network and protect their data. For organizations who are evaluating FWaaS solutions to secure their network, it is helpful to understand the challenges with the solution before making this purchase.
Coeo understands how important reliable network security is to an organization and has delivered thousands of security solutions to organizations to improve their network security and help them avoid cyberattacks and data breaches.
By the end of this article, you will understand the problems of FWaaS solutions and if it is the right fit for your organization.
The Problems of FWaaS
FWaaS technology is a solution that many organizations can benefit from. However, as with many services or solutions, there are potential challenges that can occur that need to be considered before implementing this technology.
The potential problems of FWaaS include:
High latency
FWaaS solutions typically route traffic through cloud-based infrastructure to inspect and filter traffic to ensure no malicious actors or data compromise the network.
Because of this process, however, FWaaS may increase the latency of your network since data has to be inspected.
Data inspection can slow down the data causing latency issues such as slow download or upload speeds and slow load page times when using the internet.
When looking to improve network security, your organization must evaluate an FWaaS solution’s impact on application performance, user experience, and network throughput consumption in addition to its security benefits to determine whether it is the best solution for your organization.
Integration challenges
FWaaS is an updated technology that is more advanced than most other network security solutions.
For this reason, implementing FWaaS into your network that already has existing network infrastructure can be complex and make the implementation process more difficult.
More specifically, existing network infrastructure such as applications and security policies may not integrate well with FWaaS.
Additionally, integrating FWaaS with on-premise systems, legacy environments, and diverse cloud services may require more detailed planning, configuration, and management to ensure a secure and reliable network.
To avoid these issues, it is important to have a more robust understanding of your existing network infrastructure before purchasing an FWaaS solution and discuss this with your prospective provider so you can determine whether it will integrate smoothly with your current infrastructure.
Security vulnerabilities
Though an FWaaS solution’s objective is to secure your network and protect sensitive data, misconfigurations, inadequate security controls, and vulnerabilities in your provider’s infrastructure can all create security vulnerabilities.
To avoid these issues it is important to identify a reliable provider who best meets your organization’s needs.
Additionally, your FWaaS solution must be continually monitored and managed either internally or by your provider and regularly updated to maintain its effectiveness.
If your organization is monitoring your FWaaS solution internally, it is important to identify and follow best practices for managing and monitoring it so you can avoid network vulnerabilities.
Limited network control and visibility
If your FWaaS solution is managed by your provider, your network control and visibility may be limited.
Depending on your provider, you may have limited visibility into your network compared to other on-premise services, dedicated firewall appliances, or if you were to manage your FWaaS solution internally.
This limitation can impact your organization’s ability to tailor and personalize security policies, configurations, and other policies to meet your organization’s needs.
To avoid this, it is important to identify a provider that meets your organization’s needs and enables you to either view your network or co-manage the solution and provide more personalization.
Is FWaaS the right solution for your organization?
Now you understand the challenges with FWaaS and how to solve them. However, it is also important to understand whether FWaaS is the best solution for your organization.
If your organization needs improved security and prefers a cloud-based alternative, an FWaaS solution may be a good choice to help you avoid a cyberattack.
Further, if your organization is looking to reduce costs and avoid installing unnecessary hardware and software equipment, FWaaS may be a good choice for your organization.
Finally, if your growing organization is having difficulty scaling your current security solution you may have an increasing number of vulnerabilities that can effectively be addressed by the use of FwaaS.
Keep in mind, though, that if your organization has existing network infrastructure installed already that is increasing the complexity of integrating an FWaaS solution, it may not be the best alternative for you.
Additionally, if your organization is finding it difficult to personalize your security solution and wants to control and manage the solution internally, an FWaaS solution may not be a good fit for your organization.
However, depending on the provider you choose, your FWaaS can be more personalized with a co-managed model.
Determining whether FWaaS is the right fit for your organization
Now you understand the challenges with FWaaS and whether it is the right solution for your organization. This will help you determine whether your organization should invest in an FWaaS solution to secure your network.
Network security has become critically important to every organization that utilizes a network connection and relies on the internet to perform daily activities.
Without proper security, your network’s vulnerabilities can lead to cyberattacks potentially costing your organization hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Coeo understands how important reliable network security is to an organization and has delivered thousands of network security solutions to organizations to help them improve security and avoid cyberattacks and data breaches.
We want you to understand the challenges with FWaaS so you can determine whether it is the right solution for your organization before committing to purchasing this technology.
If you would like to speak with our team to learn more about FWaaS or network security or ask any questions you may have you can schedule an appointment.
Now that you understand the problems of FWaaS and whether it is the right solution for your organization, check out this article to learn about the security initiatives that can address these issues:
