Affordable firewalls that won’t leave you dreaming of bigger budgets
Affordable firewalls are a necessity for small businesses. Especially if they need strong network security in place fast. However, finding an affordable firewall can be tough. Not sure sure how to find SMB firewalls that give real bang for the buck?
Find the best affordable firewall you can rely on for years to come with a few options Firewalls.com recommends:
What sets an affordable firewall apart from a cheap firewall?
Firstly, what do we mean by an affordable firewall? We mean a next generation firewall that reliably delivers high-speed performance and advanced security at a cost-efficient “pound for pound” level. Many third party authorities such as NSS Labs and Gartner measure and quantify high quality, affordable firewalls. This is often done with metrics like “Total Cost of Ownership” and “Price per Protected Mbps.”
Firewall vendors are constantly racing to extend enterprise-grade, multi-gig firewalls to smaller and smaller user bases. The Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) era has grown fully ripe. Now savvy SMBs can get even newer next-er generations of NGFWs. If they know where to look.
Fortinet 40F – Affordable firewall with jaw-dropping stats
The FortiGate 40F launched in 2020 as part of Fortinet’s new F-Series firewalls. The tiny titan FortiGate 40F can reach speeds of up to 5 Gigabits per second. That’s twice as fast as the FG-50E which costs over $50 more! And don’t forget its purpose-built processor for top-notch Secure SD-WAN capabilities.
The tech specs for the FG-40F are insane for such an affordable firewall.
SonicWall TZ 350 – Affordable firewall built to stop ransomware
SonicWall launched the TZ series as NGFWs for SMBs. Now the next gen of NGFWs are sprouting up with new additions like the SonicWall SOHO 250 and SonicWall TZ 350. The SonicWall TZ350 is faster and supports more SSL VPN licenses than the TZ300.
With SonicWall Capture Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) enabled, you get a super fast cloud-based sandbox that uses AI and behavior-based scans. First, identify potential threats. Then isolate them in quarantine. Finally, detonate them before they can touch your network. This squashes the threat of ransomware right in your inbox.
Sophos XG 106 – Affordable firewall with added on-board memory
The Sophos XG 106 is a major revision of the XG 105. The XG 106 includes upgraded onboard memory RAM. XG firewalls use an integrated Solid State Drive (SSD).
Sophos XG firewalls are affordable, but still satisfy the cravings of network admins looking for advanced features, increased visibility & control, and synchronized real-time security.
WatchGuard T35 – Affordable firewall made to grow with you
WatchGuard T-Series Firebox appliances are built with scalability in mind. That means if your small business doesn’t stay a small business, you can easily expand your network security setup without having to rip and replace from the ground up.
The term “future-proof” is often used to describe the T-Series. WatchGuard makes it easy to upgrade existing services and add emerging tech to your current setup.
Small businesses can be big targets for cybercrime and often, SMBs don’t have the specialized staff or budget necessary to keep up with the arms race. Small business owners know they need network security, but question where to start. SonicWall is making “square one” much easier to navigate by introducing their newly launched TotalSecure SMB Bundles. These bundles are designed to corral all of the quintessential security products and services under a single price tag, meaning small business owners aren’t scrambling to match up compatible services and compare dozens of firewall models.
What’s in a SonicWall SMB Bundle?
The SonicWall SMB Bundles provide both the technology and services that small businesses need to lock down their network in one fell swoop. The foundation of the bundle is a next generation firewall from either the SonicWall TZ series or an SonicWall NSa 2650. The TZ 370, TZ 470, TZ 570, TZ 600, and all of their wireless counterparts make up the SonicWall TZ series, providing the cutting-edge of network security technology wrapped in one small package. These next gen firewalls are capable of utilizing SonicWall’s patented Re-Assembly Free Deep Packet Inspection (RFDPI), allowing even small offices to scan the encrypted traffic that makes up over 60% of all Internet activity.
In addition to a next generation firewall, SonicWall SMB Bundles include two years of SonicWall’s Advanced Gateway Security Suite (AGSS), a 10-User License for SonicWall’s Capture Client Advanced, and access to the Capture Security Center for management and reporting. You can find a more detailed look at SonicWall’s Advanced Gateway Security Suite in our recent article about the service.
What’s Capture Client Advanced?
SonicWall Capture Client is an antivirus platform that includes a wide range of endpoint protection capabilities like real-time malware protection, sandboxing integration (pairs well with AGSS’s Capture ATP), and increased visibility into encrypted traffic. Capture Client is a behavior-based antivirus platform, meaning your security doesn’t rely on a distance database of security signatures and known threats. The SonicWall SMB Bundles expand your protection to shutting down malware cocktails and ransomware zero days that may not have even been invented yet! Capture Client Advances identifies suspicious files and automatically kicks them over to your Capture ATP sandbox to be analyzed, safely detonated, and banished from your network before they ever have a chance to do harm.
What’s Capture Security Center?
Capture Security Center is your new network security command center, bringing all of the moving parts and loose ends of your security posture and tying them into one easy-to-navigate dashboard. Bring governance and compliance together in a single screen, centralizing all of your security operations in an automation-friendly management & reporting powerhouse. This service is perfect for small businesses that may not have the specialized skills or staff necessary to manage large, complex infrastructure.
What’s In It For Me?
The SonicWall SMB Bundle sweeps down your checklist of security needs and marks every box along the way. Not only are small businesses getting solid perimeter firewall protection, but they’re granted SSL traffic inspection, intrusion prevention, content filtering capabilities, advanced sandboxing with Capture ATP, behavior-based scanning, visualized reporting, and more. And if a threat should ever slip past your defenses and do some damage, Capture ATP allows windows users to literally rollback and erase the damage left behind. That’s right, even a successful attack won’t have a lasting impact thanks to the rollback features included with the Capture suite.
You’re a small business owner with a lengthy laundry list of tasks and some DIY self-reliance. You can do your own research. You can learn. But cyber security is something that needs to be done and done right, so you’re not going to just charge into the fray. So, how hard is setting up a secure network, really?
The degree of difficulty can range from fairly straightforward to hair-pullingly complex. The specific goals and pain points of your organization will be driving factors in the type of hardware you purchase, the endpoint protection you run, and the shape of your network. This post is an ideal starting point for the fearless small business owner ready to ascend the cyber security summit. Here are three questions every small business owner should ask themselves before setting up their network.
Question 1: What are my unique goals?
Network security solutions are not one size fits all. Small business owners should consider the unique challenges that face their industry, their location, and the specific needs of their business. While a powerful content filtering service may be a make-or-break factor for a school district, that same service may be irrelevant to a marketing agency that relies on unfettered access to content. Retailers face PCI compliance requirements in order to secure their POS systems, but a contracting business that rarely processes in-person transactions has little use for a PCI compliant buildout.
Outline the average workday in your office and list which aspects of network utilization are critical for optimizing productivity and reliability. If your organization requires nimble network performance, you may pursue a leaner, dynamic security solution that won’t be bogged down with excessive UTM applications. If your organization deploys mobile workers or operates a web of remote offices, you may want to focus your efforts on VPN tunnels, email security, and secure remote access.
These considerations ultimately influence your decisions regarding the size, brand, and throughput of the firewall you purchase. If you seek reliability and beginner-friendly management, an appliance from SonicWall’s TZ Series could be a great fit. If you want to assign performance-heavy services, subscriptions, or apps on your network, you’ll find that a WatchGuard Firebox T Series appliance can handle the intense workload smoothly. And if you’re an adventurous early-adopter type that swept their school science fair multiple years running, you’ll have a ton of fun exploring the steeper learning curve and nuanced capabilities of a Sophos XG Firewall.
Question 2: What licenses, subscriptions, or services will run on my firewall?
If network security is a car, the new firewall box you just got in the mail is the chassis and engine of that car. You can put it in drive and go, but cars have come a long way since basic stop-and-go functionality. Consider your add-ons. While technically optional, you’re probably not going to stick with a car for long if it doesn’t have A/C, radio, ABS, seatbelts, power steering, or cupholders. You may not need or want all of these options, but most everyone will find a few they can’t go without.
Corporate email breaches and phishing represent some of the most aggressive threats in 2017 and that trend will only grow in 2018. Cloud-based sandbox environments guarding your inbox, such as SonicWall Capture ATP, may prove invaluable assets to protecting users. AntiSpam clients can mitigate the dangerous and endlessly irritating deluge of junk mail barraging mail servers. Sophos Intercept X is a powerful next-generation guard against ransomware and is designed to seamlessly supplement whatever hardware or security features you already run.
Your answers to Question 1 will help to develop comprehensive answers for this question. The unique needs of your organization dictate the number and types of security licenses you employ, so make sure to overturn every stone.
Mix and match. Bundle to save money. Test-drive some free trials. Your options are endless!
Question 3: Exactly how hard is configuring a firewall?
You’ve got a shortlist of firewall appliance options. You’ve got a pretty good idea of the licenses and security services you want to employ. Surely you’re nearing the peak of this massif, right? Unfortunately, the most complex step still awaits: configuration.
The infrastructure of your network will need to be diagrammed and implemented. NAT policies and rules must be put in place that instruct your firewall how to respond to various situations and stimuli. You will likely want to segregate the users on your network into smaller, more manageable user groups. Configuration is a complex process that requires plentiful considerations.
Firewalls.com provides some resources to the DIY network builder such as our manufacturer-specific training videos, YouTube tutorial library, and premium support if you get yourself in a pinch. Nonetheless, we still recommend leaving the details of configuration in the hands of a professional.
No matter what brand you roll with, Firewalls.com has in-house engineers dedicated to mastering each system and this is evidenced by a suite of certifications, awards, and reviews Firewalls.com has earned over the last two decades. After all, we are Firewalls-dot-freaking-com, so we’ve done this a time or two! You’re a small business owner who still has a lot of ground to cover. Why not consider having our expert team do the configuration for you while you get a head start on the next summit?
An Even Easier Option for the Small Business Owner
If you’ve asked yourself all three of these questions and feel empowered to secure your own network, congratulations! We’re rooting for you, you cunning small business owner, unafraid to confront new challenges.
If these questions raised some doubt, no problem. There are easier options. Firewall-as-a-Service is the perfect choice for a small business owner looking to deploy a secure network with as little muss and fuss as possible. Think of it like renting security layers: we’ll bring the firewall, the services, the configuration, and the expertise. Just show us where to plug in and we’ll lock down your network, mitigate threats, and minimize network downtime with a convenient, discreet deployment.
Small business firewalls come in a variety of brands, sizes, and options. The firewall is the heart of your cyber security infrastructure, so choosing the right appliance to fit your small business will be a task requiring both insight and foresight. Below, you will find a handful of things that we believe all owners should consider before investing in small business firewalls.
Software vs Hardware
There exist two distinct types of firewalls: software and hardware. While virtual software-based firewalls are great at protecting individual users, they become costly and over-complicated when several users are trying to operate on one network. In this case, a hardware solution is better suited to the job. A single firewall appliance extends protection to all users on a network.
If your organization consists of just a few users, software firewalls could be a workable option. However, if your organization is made up of more than 3 or 4 users, a hardware appliance is an obvious improvement over their software counterparts.
Ease of Use
If you’re running a small business, chances are your payroll may not comfortably accommodate a full-time system administrator role. With other job roles and departments vying for bigger budgets and more attention, an info sec department that requires minimal upkeep is a godsend. Therefore, ease-of-use should play a key role in your decision when purchasing a firewall.
Firewall manufacturers are racing to accommodate the needs of small business owners who can’t dedicate entire workdays to studying the nuances of cyber security. This is accomplished by providing intuitive user interfaces, visualized reporting, and straight-forward alert systems.
Scalable
The ultimate goal of the small business is to grow. Success means more employees. Success means more complicated procedures and systems. Success means bigger networks, more data, and more numerous attack surfaces. Watchguard’s Extensible Threat Manage (XTM) is touted under the motto “future proof” because it was designed specifically to scale to changing needs.
Firewalls.com recommends hardware that is advertised to accommodate twice the number of users that currently inhabit your network. Not only does the extra strength ensure you’ll never run into performance issues, but it leaves you some breathing room for when your organization grows.
Versatility
Along similar lines to scalability, small business owners should consider how susceptible a firewall is to change. Small businesses have the unique ability to test several different programs and applications before deciding which ones best fit their goals. The software and web applications that you’re working with today may not be the same applications that your business utilizes next year.
If small business firewalls are going to survive the long haul, consider how the firewall interacts with the other hardware and software. Small businesses should never find themselves in a situation where their decision-making options dependent on whether their firewall can accommodate the changes or not. Look for appliances that are versatile, adaptable, and can play well with others.
The Sophos Intercept X endpoint protection was built to run alongside any other Anti-Virus clients in use.
Bad news. Your buyers’ journey is not over when you click “Confirm Order.” Save that sigh of relief until your firewall has been unboxed, configured, and deployed.
Properly securing your network requires that the settings of your firewall appliance reflect the needs, strengths, weaknesses, and blind spots in your network. Just as every small business operates in their own unique way, their firewall should be customized to fit those needs.
Firewalls.com recommends that small business owners take advantage of our Configuration Service, built on a proprietary 100-step configuration methodology that ensures your firewall is tailor-made to suit your network.
As mentioned earlier, small businesses may not always have a large budget set aside for hiring in-house sys admin. Luckily, there is no shortage of third parties available to do the legwork for you. Firewalls.com offers both Managed Services and Firewall-as-a-Service bundles. The gist of it: you plug your small business firewalls in and we handle it from there. If there’s a problem with your network, we alert you and fix it. Then, you go back to your workday. Next time someone asks you about your business’s network security, you can scoff and brag “Oh, I have people for that.”
