What is Firewall as a Service (FWaaS) and is it Right For You?
December 18th, 2023 | 3 min. read
By Jordan Pioth
If your organization has outdated network security, it can lead to network vulnerabilities.
Network vulnerabilities can lead to cyberattacks that can cost your organization hundreds of thousands of dollars to repair, lead to sensitive data breaches, and even result in permanent damage to your network.
Firewall as a Service can improve your organization’s network security and help you avoid the consequences of cyberattacks by malicious actors on your software.
Coeo knows how important reliable network security is to an organization and has delivered thousands of solutions to organizations to improve their network security and help prevent cyberattacks.
By the end of this article, you will know what FWaaS is, the key features of FWaaS, and if it is the right fit for your organization.
What is FWaaS?
Firewall as a Service (FWaaS), also known as a cloud firewall, is a cloud-based firewall that provides network security functions such as traffic inspection.
This solution enables your organization to deploy, manage, and scale firewall security without the need for expensive on-premise hardware and infrastructure.
Not only does this make the service less costly, but it also increases its flexibility.
FWaaS allows you to secure your network no matter where you are or what device it is being accessed from.
This makes it a better technology for a remote work environment because it can secure employees working from remote locations.
FWaaS delivers more capabilities than traditional firewall services providing more in-depth security.
For example, instead of offering only the network traffic inspection that traditional firewalls include, FWaaS also provides next-gen firewall capabilities such as intrusion prevention and detection and URL filtering.
The key features of FWaaS
FWaaS provides many network security features that ensure your data and network are constantly secure. The key features of FWaaS include:
Cloud-based delivery
Arguably the most important feature of a FWaaS solution is the cloud-based delivery. FWaaS is delivered entirely through the cloud so there is no need for physical appliances to be installed on the premises of your organization.
As a result, this service is much more flexible and scalable than older solutions since it does not require physical appliances to be installed in your office locations.
This also enables your organization to more easily secure your employees working remotely.
In addition, because FWaaS is a cloud-based platform, it is much easier to manage and maintain.
For example, if your organization does not have IT resources or has IT resources that are focused on other initiatives, your FWaaS provider can co-manage the solution with your team or manage your solution for you.
Enforced security policies
FWaaS enforces security policies to direct traffic between networks and ensure that only authorized and secure communication occurs.
Further, your organization can control the security policies within your network to personalize it to your network needs.
These policies can be configured based on specific data traffic criteria such as the source, destination, and application. This also enables you to block traffic based on different criteria.
Improved scalability
FWaaS can easily scale with your growing organization. Traditional firewalls would typically require additional equipment and hardware to be installed to compensate for the growth of an organization.
Instead, a FWaaS enables you to easily scale your service by simply adjusting your service plan or subscription.
Centralized management
FWaaS solutions typically offer a centralized management portal for your team to easily manage and monitor your network security.
This centralization simplifies the administration of your solution enabling you to manage your entire security service from a single console ensuring consistent security policies across the network.
Is FWaaS a good fit for your organization?
Now you understand what FWaaS is and the key features of the service.
However, it is also important to determine whether FWaaS is a good solution specifically for your organization so you can make the best decision to accomplish your objectives.
If your organization has poor network security, it could cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to repair your network following a cyberattack.
To prevent this from happening, a FWaaS solution may be a good choice for your organization.
If your organization is looking to reduce costs and avoid installing unnecessary equipment into your infrastructure, FWaaS may be a good choice for your organization.
Additionally, if your organization is having difficulty scaling your current security solution you may have an increasing number of network vulnerabilities.
So, if you are looking for a security solution that is able to scale with your growing organization, an FWaaS solution may be a good choice for you.
Also, if your organization is having difficulty monitoring and managing its current security service because of poor visibility issues and wants to manage this centrally, FWaaS may be a good alternative.
However, if you already have a reliable network security solution with no network vulnerabilities, you may not need an FWaaS solution.
Determining if FWaaS is the right fit for your organization
Now you understand what FWaaS is, the key features of FWaaS, and whether it is the right solution for your organization.
This will help you make an educated decision on whether FWaaS is something your organization should invest in.
Organizations can’t afford to have network vulnerabilities that result in cyberattacks.
This can cause many consequences to your network and organization as a whole and can even be detrimental to the success of your business.
Having an FWaaS solution can improve your network security so you can avoid these issues in your network.
Coeo understands how important reliable network security is to an organization and has delivered thousands of network security solutions to customers to improve their security and help them avoid cyberattacks.
We want you to know what FWaaS is and its features so you can determine if FWaaS is the right fit for your organization.
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 what FWaaS is and its features, check out this article to learn about the different services of SSE:
When he's not creating content for Coeo, Jordan loves to watch sports, hang out with friends and family, and anything sneaker-related.