Firewall-as-a-service (FWaaS) is an outsourced software-as-a-service (SaaS) firewall solution that a cybersecurity vendor provides to a company as part of a network security strategy. Managed firewall services lift some of the hardware and maintenance burden from IT admins and security teams that would otherwise be responsible for every part of the firewall.
FWaaS is beneficial for any business that needs a comprehensive managed firewall service and a faster deployment schedule.
How FWaaS works
- What technology is used for FWaaS?
- How difficult is it to set up FWaaS?
- What are the differences between FWaaS and a firewall?
- What is the core functionality of FWaaS?
- Bottom line
What technology is used for FWaaS?
FWaaS is a cloud-based firewall solution by a network security vendor that organizations can remotely access and deploy on their own networks. Because the firewall resides in the cloud, it’s a scalable solution — businesses can add new services to protect as their security infrastructure grows. FWaaS is a remote-accessed, virtualized technology.
This technique of hosting firewalls on remote servers isn’t exclusive to a single type of firewall. It can be applied to a wide variety of firewall technologies, like packet-filtering firewalls, application-level firewalls, next-generation firewalls (NGFWs), and stateful inspection firewalls.
FWaaS are capable of the same functionality as software- or hardware-based firewalls implemented on-premises. Traffic inbound and outbound for a business network’s user devices, applications, and servers is routed to the firewall server where it’s monitored and scanned for malware, as well as suspicious and malicious activity.
A zero-trust approach to network security
A zero trust network access (ZTNA) architecture can be deployed in tandem with FWaaS and secure access service edge (SASE) solutions through the same cloud.
Zero trust can be made a part of the virtual firewall’s authentication and network access control capabilities. By removing the inherent trust of endpoint devices and users, a firewall is able to assume every user, inside or outside the network, is a malicious individual until proven otherwise.
Teams can allocate the task and computational power of minimizing access privileges to their third-party FWaaS contractor, which can work perfectly alongside the micro-segmentation of the network and its resources.
How difficult is it to set up FWaaS?
FWaaS solutions, in terms of convenience, once more beat software and hardware firewall solutions by being the easiest to set up. For most vendors, the setup process is as simple as logging into the service through the provided web panel on all devices and servers that need to be protected.
The login is the most time-consuming part of the setup process. After that, the process is fairly similar to on-premises firewall solutions, only from a centralized command center for the entirety of the network.
Through the FWaaS server, teams must determine the number of segments in their network and any internal locations that the firewall’s monitoring and scanning may be required. The configuration step follows, as the enforcement of policies is automatic and covers all the devices, applications, and users within the parameters of the network.
Since FWaaS solutions are designed for companies with little technical experience, the setup process is designed to be as easy and straightforward as possible, leaving any complex work for the hired services of the third party.
What are the differences between FWaaS and a firewall?
FWaaS is one of three types of firewalls when categorized based on the method of delivery with some overlap.
Software-based firewalls are security applications installed directly on network devices. They need RAM and CPU resources just like other applications on a network, but have established access privileges to the incoming and outgoing network traffic.
Hardware firewalls are dedicated physical devices that are deployed on the outer wall of the network and between critical points of traffic. They work in a nearly identical manner to software firewalls with all network links, switches, and routers passing through them. They pose a lower weight to the network’s resources and can be more easily deployed on a wider scale, making them more suitable than the alternative for organizations with large and complex network structures.
FWaaS solutions are virtual firewalls or software that’s hosted by a third-party provider on a remote server that they own and maintain, but lease out to organizations as a security SaaS solution. Unlike firewalls deployed traditionally, FWaaS doesn’t use up any of a network’s CPU and RAM resources and can be scaled to cover any change in the number of devices added to or removed from the network.
See more: Why Firewall-as-a-Service (FWaaS) is Important?
What is the core functionality of FWaaS?
The primary purpose of FWaaS is to outsource network security. Firewall services provide multiple benefits that differentiate them from other firewalls.
Streamlined scalability
FWaaS is a type of SaaS, which awards it the scalability benefit of many SaaS solutions. Organizations can easily contact the service provider and increase capacity anywhere, from a few new devices to multiple servers, without needing to manually implement them into the infrastructure.
This capability is especially important for a network security solution as it’s ill-advised to connect a new device, user, or application to a company network without extending the firewall to it.
Integration with cloud and web services
Because FWaaS solutions are already delivered remotely through an internet connection, extending their radius to include your cloud tools and web applications and services is more streamlined compared to hardware and on-premises software.
Furthermore, they’re more flexible and are best integrated with other network security tools that are cloud-based, such as SASE, zero trust network access, and web application firewalls (WAF).
Remote worker-friendly
The inclusion of devices and users that aren’t directly connected to a network is the biggest struggle of on-premises firewalls. FWaaS, however, can easily be extended to remote and hybrid workers accessing network resources through their own internet connections, whether it’s using personal devices or company-issue.
This capability is the reason FWaaS solutions are playing a big role in the cybersecurity landscape as more companies adopt more flexible work models that include remote, hybrid, and international options.
Centralized network access and visibility
Centralizing the location of network traffic monitoring and management across the architecture improves network visibility and access through the same centralized means.
Through an internet connection to the FWaaS web client, IT teams gain uninterrupted access to a single dashboard that enables them to manage and oversee the entirety of the network’s traffic, and user and application behavior.
The same system can then be utilized for policy setting and wide-scale enforcement, ensuring no segment of the network received late policy updates.
See more: Firewall-as-a-Service: Ultimate Guide & Definition
Bottom line
On-premises firewall solutions, whether software- or hardware-based, require a lot of resources; from skilled technicians and security experts to actually purchasing and installing the needed hardware. FWaaS alternatives, on the other hand, outsource the entirety of the technical work required to host a firewall.
Additionally, and like most SaaS providers, FWaaS oftentimes offer flexible payment models that only charge for the amount of data traffic scans and the number of devices, users, and applications covered by their security.
That makes FWaaS more accessible for smaller companies looking to upgrade their cybersecurity and reduces the costs in the long term, even for more established organizations.