As cloud platforms and remote work become the norm for modern businesses, traditional on-premise firewalls are proving inadequate for today‘s distributed environments. Cue firewall as a service (FWaaS), an innovative new approach to network security tailored for the cloud era.
In this comprehensive guide, we‘ll explore what makes FWaaS the go-to solution for forward-thinking companies:
What Exactly is Firewall as a Service?
FWaaS delivers firewall capabilities as a cloud-based service instead of an on-prem hardware appliance. With FWaaS, businesses can secure traffic across distributed networks and branch locations without needing to install or manage firewall hardware at each site.
FWaaS solutions provide centralized firewall management and traffic filtering across distributed networks.
Key capabilities include:
- Centralized policy management
- Real-time traffic monitoring
- Threat detection and response
- Secure web gateway filtering
- Integrations with cloud platforms like AWS, Azure and GCP
Unlike traditional firewalls, FWaaS:
- Runs on the provider‘s cloud infrastructure
- Is accessed as a subscription-based service
- Protects dynamic, cloud-based environments
These characteristics make FWaaS ideal for today‘s mobile, cloud-first enterprises.
The global FWaaS market is forecast to grow at 29% CAGR from 2022-2026 to reach $9.5 billion according to Fortune Business Insights. What key trends are accelerating adoption?
Key Market Trends Propelling FWaaS Growth
There are several pivotal developments driving organizations to embrace firewall as a service models:
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Public Cloud Adoption – By 2025 over 95% of new digital workloads will get deployed on cloud-native platforms according to Gartner. As enterprises shift from private data centers to public clouds, traditional firewalls hamper visibility and data protections. FWaaS seamlessly bridges security across cloud environments.
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Remote and Mobile Workforce Expansion – The pandemic triggered a rapid, irreversible expansion of remote and hybrid work. Gartner found over 70% of companies will adopt a flexible work model by 2023. Centrally securing this mobile workforce spread across endpoints can only happen in the cloud.
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Digital Business Acceleration – With consumers flocking online, companies are digitizing operations at warp speed. The need to securely embrace e-commerce, fintech and digital experiences outstrips legacy firewall capacities. FWaaS brings the scalability to match.
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Channel Partner Delivery Model – Traditional firewall vendors relied on channel partners for deployment and management. As partners shift toward managed services and cloud-first offerings, they actively steer customers to FWaaS alternatives that align.
The data shows FWaaS sits at the nexus of multiple high-growth technology trends making it the next-generation solution for forward-minded enterprises.
Pros and Cons of FWaaS Solutions
Before exploring architectural nuances and provider selection further, let‘s examine some core advantages and potential limitations of FWaaS solutions.
Benefits
Lower Costs
Without hardware to install and maintain, FWaaS reduces capital expenditures by 40% or more based on estimates from Gartner and other analysts. Pay-as-you-go pricing provides cost flexibility to scale up and down.
Easy Deployment and Management
FWaaS providers handle installs, configuration and management—saving IT teams upwards of 500 hours yearly. Appliance firewalls conversely require manual intervention across distributed sites.
Increased Agility and Scalability
Adjust firewall capacity up or down to match demand dynamically based on cloud hosting elasticity, and implement policy changes globally in minutes versus hours or days.
Reduced Business Disruption
With no hardware failures, FWaaS minimizes network downtime for always-on security and productivity. The SLA-backed solution offers 4+ more 9’s of uptime than traditional firewalls prone to outage.
Integrates with Cloud Platforms
FWaaS solutions integrate natively with major cloud providers to consolidate security stack. Transitioning apps to the cloud no longer requires compromising visibility or data protections.
Potential Drawbacks
Dependence on Provider Infrastructure
If the provider‘s network goes down, internet connectivity could get disrupted. Multi-cloud and hybrid FWaaS deployments effectively mitigate risk for 99.999%+ uptime.
Limited Customization
Although many offer robust features, customization options can be narrower than for on-prem hardware firewalls. Though configurability gaps continue shrinking rapidly.
No Capital Expense Write-Offs
Ongoing service fees mean losing tax write-offs available for hardware purchases. However improved cash flow, risk and TCO advantages tend to outweigh the tax benefits.
Now let‘s dive deeper into how FWaaS stacks up to legacy firewall approaches.
FWaaS vs. Hardware Firewalls and Host-Based Firewalls
FWaaS takes a fundamentally different approach to securing networks compared with hardware and host-based firewalls.
Hardware Appliance Firewalls
Hardware firewalls are network security devices deployed as an appliance, usually at the network edge. They filter traffic based on predefined rule sets.
Pros: Maximum control and customization; Capital expense eligible for tax write-offs.
Cons: Costly; Complex to scale; Management overhead; Prone to hardware failures.
Ideal For: Single physical sites; Highly regulated sectors like finance and healthcare.
Host-Based Firewalls
Host-based firewalls secure individual devices, either as software or firmware integrated into OS.
Pros: Granular, device-level security; Effective for BYOD environments.
Cons: No network-level visibility; challenging management at scale.
Ideal For: Securing personal and executive devices; complementing network firewalls.
Firewall as a Service
FWaaS delivers firewall functionality from the cloud, decoupled from hardware ownership.
Pros: Agile, elastic security for dynamic environments; Reduced TCO; API-based integrations with cloud platforms.
Cons: Limited customization compared to hardware appliances; Dependence on provider SLAs.
Ideal For: Multi-site networks; Remote users; Public cloud-based environments.
As this overview illustrates, FWaaS with its cloud delivery model provides distinct advantages for securing today‘s distributed, mobile environments.
Now let‘s look at some typical use cases.
Prime Use Cases for FWaaS Solutions
FWaaS is especially well-suited for:
Multi-Site Organizations
For retailers, restaurant chains and distributed enterprises, FWaaS secures all locations affordably without multiple hardware deployments. It brings previously impractical firewall capabilities to temporary sites.
Remote and Mobile Workforces
Secure remote employees anywhere without backhauling traffic or needing to deploy firewalls locally off-network. Particularly effective for road warriors, temporary sites.
Public Cloud Environments
GetNative integrations with AWS, Azure and GCP to protect cloud workloads and simplify security stack. Unified policy controls previously disjointed platforms.
Mergers, Acquisitions and Divestitures
Quickly, inexpensively onboard new sites or entities pre- or post-transaction.
IoT and OT Networks
Scale up IoT device protection rapidly without new firewall hardware. Microsegmentation capabilities secure critical OT networks.
Industries embracing FWaaS already include:
- Financial services
- Insurance
- Retail
- Logistics
- Education
- Telecommunications
- Technology
- Smart Cities
Sectors like transportation, energy, manufacturing and healthcare remain early on adoption curve but primed for migration.
Evaluating FWaaS Providers
While FWaaS solutions share similar core capabilities, providers differ widely across critical factors for finding the optimal fit.
Market Landscape Overview
The competitive market for FWaaS services continues consolidating as merger and acquisition activity accelerates.
Above is a snapshot of leading players‘ positioning. Top considerations include:
Security Posture – Depth of features, threat intelligence, microsegmentation capabilities
Network Performance – Latency, uptime history, mitigation triggers
Ecosystem Integration – Cloud platform support, native partnerships
Ease of Use – Configuration complexity, policy migration assistance
Understanding provider strengths and limitations guides optimal vendor selection. Next we‘ll explore other key factors.
Key Selection Criteria
While FWaaS solutions share similar core capabilities, providers differ widely in key areas important for finding the best fit. Carefully vetting choices across these elements ensures you select the right solution for your needs:
Integrations
- What cloud platforms/environments does the solution integrate with?
- Does it offer pre-built integrations with tools like CASBs, SWGs and more?
Certifications
- What compliance certifications does the provider meet? (PCI DSS, HIPAA, FedRAMP, etc).
- Do they undergo independent audits to validate security controls?
Customer References
- Can they provide customer references from companies in your industry?
- What do customer satisfaction scores reflect?
Features
- Does the feature set match your use case requirements?
- Do they offer capabilities like application filtering, threat intel sharing, microsegmentation?
Support
- What channels provide technical and customer support?
- How fast do they resolve cases? Is support included or come at additional cost?
Cost
- Does the pricing model align with your budget constraints?
- Will it scale cost-effectively with business growth?
- Do they offer a free trial?
Now we‘ll provide guidance on how to successfully transition to a FWaaS solution.
Migrating to FWaaS: Key Steps to Take
Transitioning from legacy firewalls doesn‘t have to be complex with the right planning and partnerships. Here is an overview of key steps for migration:
1. Discovery and Planning
Document existing firewall topology, rulesets, configurations and dependencies across all sites. Map out FWaaS end state home region, management portal design and access tiers.
2. Design and Configuration
Work with FWaaS provider to configure new solution inline with current policy and settings for non-disruptive cutover. Onboard user directories and access controls and phase data transit.
3. Testing and Validation
Test that FWaaS solution filters traffic per expectations. Confirm policies, performance meet requirements under load against normal and malicious scenarios.
4. Cutover
Decommission legacy firewalls and direct traffic through validated FWaaS environment securely. Continuously monitor metrics pre- and post-switchover.
For complex global network environments, a phased migration may make most sense by location or application to minimize disruptions.
Throughout the transition, leverage experienced partners to optimize success. They can also assist with setting up integrations with complementary cloud security tools.
Properly orchestrated, FWaaS migrations unlock immense security and economic gains with minimal disruption.
The Future of FWaaS
The growing strategic value of FWaaS platforms will spark continued innovation across several fronts:
Increased Automation – Providers will integrate more self-healing technologies like auto-scaling to adapt policies to emerging threats and usage spikes automatically without admin input.
Advanced Analytics – Expect more sophisticated dashboards providing extremely granular visibility into network traffic patterns down to machine learning informed insights to optimize security protections.
Predictive Intelligence – Next-gen FWaaS solutions may ingest feeds of known attack signatures and leverage AI/ML to predictively block emerging zero-day threats before they spread based on pattern anomaly analysis.
Shift from Trusting Networks to Zero Trust – A core tenant of zero trust architecture calls for verify-always firewall policies. As microperimeters get embedded across hybrid environments, FWaaS adoption will likely accelerate further.
The need for agile, scalable connectivity without compromise makes firewall as a service the go-to for forward-looking companies. By following best practices around provider selection and network transitions, IT teams can readily embrace the promise of FWaaS too. Reach out if we can help assess if FWaaS makes sense for securing your expanding digital environments.
