As the threat landscape continues to evolve, businesses are under increasing pressure to protect their networks and sensitive data. One solution gaining popularity is Firewall as a Service (FWaaS).
FWaaS provides a cloud-based firewall to protect against unauthorized access and malicious activity. Thanks to its extensive benefits, the FWaaS market is continually growing and is expected to reach USD 8.28 billion by 2029.
This blog post will explore FWaaS and how it can benefit modern businesses of all sizes.
What is Firewall as a Service (FWaaS)?
Firewall as a Service (FWaaS) is a cloud-based security solution that provides virtual firewalls to protect networks and applications. It involves outsourcing firewall management to a third-party provider who delivers the firewall functionality via a cloud-based subscription model.
With FWaaS, businesses can unlock flexibility to scale up or down their security needs based on changing requirements. It also offers real-time threat intelligence and automatic updates, ensuring businesses have up-to-date protection against emerging threats.
Traditional Firewalls vs. FWaaS vs. NGFWs
| Point of Difference | Traditional Firewalls | Firewall as a Service (FWaaS) | Next-Generation Firewalls (NGFWs) |
| Definition | A security system that monitors and filters incoming and outgoing traffic based on predetermined rules. | A firewall as a service is cloud-based, firewall managed, and maintained by a third-party provider. | Next-Generation Firewalls combine traditional firewall technology with additional features such as intrusion prevention, application control, and advanced threat detection. |
| Deployment | On-premises | Cloud-based | Can be either on-premises or cloud-based |
| Security functions | Basic packet filtering | Advanced security functions such as IDS/IPS, VPN, application control | Advanced security functions with an emphasis on application control and threat intelligence |
| Scalability | Limited scalability | High scalability due to cloud-based deployment | Highly scalable with support for distributed environments |
| Maintenance | Requires manual updates and patches | The service provider manages updates and patches | Automated updates and patches with real-time threat intelligence |
| Cost | High upfront cost | Subscription-based pricing model | High initial cost with ongoing maintenance fees |
| Management | Requires dedicated IT staff for management | The service provider handles the management | Advanced management and reporting capabilities with centralized control |
Why Do Companies Need FWaaS?
Businesses continue to embrace cloud infrastructure providers such as AiNET. With this technological shift comes the need for an advanced and modern security solution. This is when FWaaS comes into action to add that protection element and take data security to the next level.
Benefits of Using a Cloud Firewall/FWaaS
FWaaS is ideal for companies looking for a more cost-effective, efficient, and secure way to manage their firewall infrastructure. Some of the benefits that FWaaS provides for businesses include, but are not limited to
- FWaaS identifies, filters, and blocks malicious traffic such as malware and bad bot activity. Hence, the network choke points are not created.
- FWaaS or cloud firewalls allow for quick and easy integration with cloud infrastructure.
- Cloud firewalls provide businesses with scaling options; scale up or down to handle more traffic more efficiently.
AiNET — Your Access to a Secure Cloud Network!
The digital landscape is filled with malware and other security threats. To cope with this issue, AiNET allows businesses to scale, agile, and upgrade their data infrastructure on an end-to-end protected cloud.
With our unmatched suite of cloud solutions, companies can access everything from public, private, hybrid cloud storage, or dedicated data centers, in one place — with enterprise-class security protocols!