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Managed Firewall Services & The Top 5 Reasons You Should Consider Them

By Andrew Neita

Posted On May 7, 2021

firewall managed firewall services mss network security

Managed Firewall Services

Since early 2020, the digital threat landscape has vastly changed. What used to work no longer does, and there are countless new ways for bad actors to compromise systems. One of the biggest trends in 2020 was for small and medium size businesses to shift the responsibility of managing the firewall and other network security systems to specialized 3rd parties. Managed firewall services have seen massive growth and consolidation of providers.

If you haven’t received a call or email introducing you to these services you probably will soon, but that might not be a bad thing. While you’re running your business or your jack-of-all-trades IT guy is busy fixing the Wi-Fi, hackers are most likely strategizing ways to penetrate your network. This is where managed firewall services take over and provide an added layer of security on top of your security equipment to ensure your business is safe and won’t suffer a potential catastrophic setback.

The Benefits To 3rd Party Managed Firewall Services

In this article, we’ll discuss the top 5 reasons why it’s important to have managed firewall services and what you need to know. Now, some of the benefits to managed firewall services you may already know – and some you may not. What we’ve found is that even if you know the benefits of 3rd party managed firewall services, for some reason you haven’t strengthened your business with it. Hopefully by the end of this article you understand the sophisticated threat landscape and why hiring a 3rd party network security company makes sense.

1. Your Current Firewall Configuration Settings Are Probably Wrong

When we onboard a new client, 95% of the time they had their firewall misconfigured. Even the companies that have an IT staff most often get this important part of the setup wrong because the firewall is such a specialized piece of IT. In our experience it takes a highly trained network engineer to properly configure a firewall specific to an individual network. Even missing minor parts of the configuration can render the purchase of a firewall useless because that is precisely where hackers will spot a vulnerability. Having a properly configured firewall is just as import as purchasing the correct firewall. This is where having managed firewall services really makes sense. Before the 3rd party can monitor the network they first have to have it set up correctly, which makes this the first realized benefit a client receives when they begin their 3rd party firewall management journey.

2. Maintaining Compliance

Depending on the industry, you may experience stricter compliance but none the less, every business and organization has a responsibility to protect the data of their clients and employees. Having a specialized, highly trained team of network security engineers not only aids in keeping your business compliant but also shows customers your due diligence in providing the best security environment for their sensitive data.

3. Talent & Specialty

Scarcity in the marketplace for individuals who have this skillset is a real thing. Businesses frequently leave their security in the hands of an internal IT guy who is knowledgeable with everything but the firewall. Often we find that IT guy struggles to maintain the security of the organization. What that means is unless you are lucky enough to have a fully-trained network security engineer on staff, you’ll always be one step behind bad actors or completely exposed to all sorts of digital threats. 3rd party managed firewall service companies recruit top talent and hire only the ones that have the necessary skillset required to remotely manage firewalls and the surrounding touchpoints of our clients networks.

4. 24/7 Network Monitoring

Hackers work around the clock and so should your network security team. Network security management isn’t a 9-5 Monday through Friday responsibility. Firewall managed services provides 24/7 monitoring and threat detection protection for your business. This is important because no matter what time it is, you have trusted professionals actively protecting what matters and ensuring the safety of your business.

5. Cost

Since one of the main offerings Firewalls.com provides is managed firewall services, we are afforded the luxury of hiring & paying top talent to protect our clients. We can do this because those expenses aren’t sunk costs, they are revenue generating. Human assets can be deployed across multiple organizations and can be done so for much less than what our clients can do if they hired a full time network security engineer. Outside the salary of a full time engineer there are also costs that involve money and time to be able to find in-house employees, which may never happen. Recruiting can be expensive and can easily take well over a year. Skipping the line and getting expert firewall management for less is one of the main reasons why our clients hire us. The Firewalls.com team has the ability to deploy quickly (time) and can be had for less (money) than a full time employee.

Trust The Security Of Your Network With Firewalls.com

Our clients have trusted us with their network’s security because we offer US based support, a real person picks up the phone, we have a lighting fast ticket resolution rating, and affordable prices. Contact us to day to get started or to receive a quick quote.

What Is Aruba Instant On? APs & Network Switches for Small Business

By Andrew Harmon

Posted On April 2, 2021

access points ap aruba instant on network switch small business wifi 6 wireless security

What is Aruba Instant On?

Aruba Instant On Wireless Access Points and Instant On Network Switches are network devices designed to help small businesses deploy fast, secure, & reliable wireless connectivity in just a few minutes. Put another way, administrators can manage Instant On networks from anywhere with ease and trust that the latest security intelligence protects their networks around the clock.

Aruba Instant On takes advantage of Smart Mesh Wi-Fi to provide reliable wireless performance with built-in router functionality. On top of that, check out these other attractive benefits of Instant On:

Multi-Site Management allowing administrators to easily secure and maintain multiple networks under one platform
Site Inventory features that make it easy to see all the switches, access points, and other devices on your network at a glance
Application Visibility and Control to ensure bandwidth is always routed to your most important services
Easy Guest Access to connect customers and visitors
Enterprise-Grade WiFi that smoothly hands off connected devices between access points

How Does Aruba Instant On Work?

An Aruba Instant On AP acts as a network router as well. In short, this means plugging in directly to the Internet right out of the box allows network setup to begin immediately.

Aruba Instant On devices require no licenses, subscriptions, renewals, or prepaid contracts. In other words, Instant On APs and network switches include all needed software and services, right out of the box.

How Do I Set Up Aruba Instant On?

Deploying and configuring an Instant On AP or Switch is as easy as downloading the Instant On smartphone app. The mobile app provides guided setup and plug-n-play deployment. So no experts required.

Need to set up wireless access in an especially tricky location like an outdoor stadium or campus? The Aruba Instant On AP17 includes a ruggedized chassis that withstands the wear and tear of an outdoor deployment.

How to Manage Instant On

Remember that mobile app for network set up? Use the same Instant On application to remotely manage, monitor, and edit network settings from anywhere, any time. Prefer working on the big screen? The web-based portal.arubainstanton.com shares all the same great features as the Instant On app, but on a browser.

From the app or web portal, you’ll be able to restrict resource allocation to stop bandwidth hogs, block unwanted clients, and easily create separate networks for guests and employees.

Are Aruba Appliances Expensive?

Surely something with this many positives must have a big drawback, right? Well, it’s not going to be the price-point. Instant On access points are competitively priced to meet the needs of lean budgets and small offices.

For instance, small offices can join in the WiFi 6 revolution at the modest price-point of $220 MSRP for the Instant On AP22.

SonicWall TZ370 Review & Why Now’s The Time To Upgrade Your Small Business Firewall

By Andrew Harmon

Posted On March 12, 2021

Firewalls reviews SonicWALL sonicwall firewall Sonicwall tz sonicwall tz300 tz350 tz370

SonicWall TZ370 Review

The SonicWall TZ370 is among a group of new firewalls with a 7 in their model number released in 2020. So why do they share that lucky number? Because they run on SonicWall’s latest operating system, SonicOS 7.0. And that means they can handle all the latest and greatest security and networking features you can think of. The TZ300 was one of SonicWall’s most popular small business firewalls, and the TZ350 has been a worthy successor. With that said, why is the TZ370 even better than its predecessors? Read on for a look at the features and benefits of this firewall in our SonicWall TZ370 review.

Are SonicWall Firewalls Any Good?

Originally founded in 1991, what is now known as SonicWall released its first small business firewall more than 20 years ago. And the company has been a leader in the network security space ever since. Numerous third party organizations recognize SonicWall as a one of the top cybersecurity companies in the game, and its feature-rich, high-performance firewalls back that position up. Gen 7 firewalls offer top-notch throughput with excellent connectivity options for small business to enterprise deployments.

SonicWall’s security & networking features available through these firewalls are among the best out there as well. They include:

Capture ATP sandboxing and its Real Time Deep Memory Inspection (RTDMI)
Reassembly Free Deep Packet Inspection (RFDPI) – offering security analysis of all traffic in real-time
TLS 1.3 support to inspect encrypted traffic
Integrated Secure SD-WAN
High-speed VPN
Zero-touch deployment
Single-pane-of-glass cloud management
24×7 Support

Those features are on top of the other services you’d expect, like antivirus, antispyware, content filtering, and antispam to name a few. Now back to our TZ370 review.

What Businesses Would Be A Good Fit For The SonicWall TZ370?

The TZ370 works best for small business and small branch office deployments. That goes along with a recommended user count of up to 25, meaning it can comfortably secure a typical smaller office environment. On top of that, zero-touch deployment allows businesses to have this firewall up and running in no time. As small businesses and branches typically don’t have IT staff or expertise, this is a valuable tool. Adding to that flexibility, for those looking at adding WiFi, the available TZ370W serves as a Wave 2 wireless access point as well.

The security and connectivity features mentioned above simply weren’t available a few years ago on a desktop device – as the TZ370 is. Additionally, with ever increasing speeds offered by internet providers, an older device means small businesses are most likely paying for a connection speed the firewall can’t support. We’ll get to just how fast the TZ370 is in a moment. But in short, it supports gig speeds even with security services turned on. Those older devices in its class don’t come close. So if your business has a previous generation firewall, whether TZ or otherwise, it’s time to take a look at upgrading. Need more reasons why? Let’s dive into its tech specs as we continue this SonicWall TZ370 review.

SonicWall TZ370 Specs

Firewall Throughput: 3 Gbps

IPS Throughput: 1.5 Gbps

Threat Prevention Throughput: 1 Gbps

IPSec VPN Throughput: 1.3 Gbps

Maximum Connections (DPI): 200,000

Connections per Second: 9,000

Interfaces: 8x1GbE, 2 USB 3.0, 1 Console

View the Datasheet

SonicWall TZ370 Pricing & Availability

The SonicWall TZ370 retails for under $700 as a standalone appliance, with the wireless TZ370W about $100 more. That places the TZ370 among the leaders in price to performance in the desktop firewall class. To take full advantage of its security, connectivity, & management features, choose a services bundle. TotalSecure Advanced Edition covers all the bases, with the less comprehensive Essential and Threat Editions also available.

SonicWall security bundles come in one, three, and five year subscription options. And because we mentioned upgrading from an older firewall, note that you may qualify for special pricing under SonicWall’s Secure Upgrade program. Visit our site or talk to an expert at 866-645-2140 to learn how to get a TZ370 for your network.

What Is SonicWall TotalSecure Threat Protection?

By Andrew Harmon

Posted On February 11, 2021

firewall bundles gen 7 ngfw nsa firewalls SonicWALL threat edition threat protection tz firewall

What Is SonicWall TotalSecure Threat Protection?

SonicWall Threat Protection (aka; SonicWall TotalSecure – Threat Edition) extends enterprise-grade security to small businesses and branch offices – and even home offices – by enabling advanced security, visibility, and content filtering. With the release of SonicWall’s Generation 7.0 TZ firewalls and the SonicOS 7 operating system, even desktop firewalls are able to deploy advanced security services. These new models feature modernized user interfaces, integrated SD-WAN, and network topography in several new TotalSecure suites.

Bundle your new hardware with the basic Threat Protection suite, the Essential Protection suite, or the Advanced Protection suite to make the most out of your security investment. This article cracks open the most modest of these new TotalSecure bundles to examine what services are included in the SonicWall Threat Protection suite.

SonicWall Threat Protection Suite

The SonicWall Threat Protection suite (available in the TotalSecure – Threat Edition bundle) includes:

Gateway Anti-Virus & Anti-Spyware

Stop viruses and spyware with real-time scanning and multi-layered protection through the Reassembly Free Deep Packet Inspection (RFDPI) engine. The RFDPI engine scans all inbound, outbound, and intra-zone traffic for viruses, Trojans, key loggers, and other malware in files of unlimited length and size across all ports and TCP streams. Block advanced threats with machine learning and a worldwide network of security sensors that are constantly updating a cloud database of millions of threat signatures. On top of that, SonicWall Capture Client uses static AI engines to determine threats before they have an opportunity to execute.

Intrusion Prevention Service

Prevent outside threat actors from setting foot in your network! SonicWall IPS blocks malicious worms and remote code execution. It also bolsters your security by segmenting networks into individual security zones to stop threats from propagating across zone boundaries.

Content Filtering

Want to block Netflix, Facebook, YouTube, and gaming sites from your network? Deny access to illegal, unproductive, and/or inappropriate sites by filtering content based on users, devices, groups, or time of day. Enforce acceptable use policies and block access to both HTTP and HTTPS websites containing content deemed objectionable.

24×7 SonicWall Support

Ensure you’re always armed with the latest firmware updates. Plus, get unfettered access to an intuitive web portal for round-the-clock support from the SonicWall team.

Basic DNS Security

Provide authentication for the origin of Domain Name Service (DNS) data to safeguard against dangerous web content. Basic DNS protection adds a substantial layer of defense between your employees and the public Internet.

Network Topology with Host Info

Increased visibility lets network administrators monitor and control traffic at a granular level, leaving no doubt about whether your network is secure. Display hosts, access-points connected in a user’s network based on device name, mac addresses, IP addresses, and more.

Which Firewalls Offer SonicWall Threat Protection?

SonicWall TotalSecure Threat Protection rolled out with SonicOS 7 and, as such, is only supported on Gen 7 SonicWall firewalls. This generation includes the SonicWall TZ270, TZ370, TZ470, TZ570, TZ670, and SonicWall NSa 2700. However, the basic Threat Protection bundle is only available on the TZ270, TZ370, & TZ470.

Top 3 Wireless Firewalls for 2021 – Which Wireless Firewall is Right for You?

By Andrew Harmon

Posted On January 14, 2021

firewalls fortiwifi fwf-40f meraki mx firewalls ngfw small business tz270 wireless

Top 3 Wireless Firewalls for 2021

Wireless firewalls simplify deployments for small businesses. Small offices are sometimes, well, small. Sometimes that power outlet is just a few feet too far to reach your desk. Or the Internet line from your ISP is juuust out of reach of your rack. Looking to shed the cords and cables for a hassle-free network security deployment? Wireless firewalls allow greater flexibility, mobility, and can even save on Total Cost of Ownership.

For the best wireless firewall to simplify your network security setup, Firewalls.com recommends:

What’s the difference between a wired & wireless firewall?

Wired firewalls pass data between the public Internet and other wired devices on your network through a physical ethernet cable connection. Wireless firewalls operate over a radio frequency that allows wireless devices to communicate with one another and the Internet without being hard-wired into a switch, firewall, or router.

While the wired setup has its advantages, it can be frustrating or sometimes impossible to deploy a firewall in an exact desired location as you are at the mercy of cord length and outlet placement. Plus, once a device is plugged into wired infrastructure, that machine needs to stay in that spot or risk coming unplugged.

A wireless firewall on the other hand, can be deployed in just about any location and users on the wireless network can move their machines wherever they like—assuming they stay in wireless signal range! Wireless firewalls also cut down on clutter and excessive equipment by reducing the number of cables, power supplies, and network switches needed to keep your network infrastructure powered and connected.

Fortinet FortiWifi FWF-40F Wireless Firewalls

The Fortinet FortiWifi FWF-40F wireless firewall can pump a serious amount of data over the airwaves! With a Threat Protection Throughput of up to 600 Mbps, most small offices will boast more than enough performance and security for their purposes.

This wireless firewall secures your network against advanced cyber threats with a SOC4 (system-on-a-chip) internal security processor that enables SD-WAN, accelerates performance, and integrates into the Fortinet Security Fabric.

The Fortinet Secure Fabric consolidates security tasks with automated tools and strategies such as:

Security-driven networking that unifies user experience across the network
Zero trust access which protects remote workers and users both on- and off-network.
Automated security operations driven by AI to prevent, detect, isolate, and respond to incidents automatically
Dynamic cloud security to guard cloud infrastructure and secure cloud applications

Wireless Support: 3×3 MU-MIMO 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wave 2 with 3 External Antenna (or antennas, or antennae)

SonicWall TZ270 Wireless-AC Firewalls

The TZ270 wireless firewall is a new addition to the SonicWall firewall family, released in the last quarter of 2020. Wireless networking tag teams with Zero-Touch Deployment to make installing this firewall on a small business network a snap. With the new features of SonicOS 7.0 powering it, the TZ270 wireless firewall integrates firewalling, switching, and wireless capability with a single-pane-of-glass management dashboard to put superb visibility and control of your wireless network right at your fingertips.

Wireless Support: 2×2 802.11ac Wave 2 with 2 External Antennas

Meraki MX64W Wireless Firewalls

The Meraki MX series of wireless firewalls are 100% cloud managed with SD-WAN capabilities, application-based firewalling, and auto-provision VPN, among many more advanced features. Plus, Meraki firewalls piggyback on the Cisco SNORT engine to deliver real-time signatures for up-to-the-minute threat intelligence generated from millions of security sensors around the world.

In addition to simplifying deployments in physical space, Meraki further simplifies network security with seamless firmware updates and an intuitive browser-based management.

Wireless Support: Dual-band 802.11n/ac Wave 2, 2×2 MU-MIMO with 2 spatial streams & 2 External Antenna

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