What is a WatchGuard Firebox and Why Do Businesses Need One?
Firebox is the cornerstone of any security when using WatchGuard. If you want to have basic security for your business, these are essential. With threats constantly evolving, it is important to stay on top of these threats as they become more creative with their techniques. The important part to remember with Firebox’s is that they aren’t a singular feature that works across all types of business, there are different levels of protection available.
The WatchGuard Firebox
So what exactly is it? It’s a next-generation firewall, with modern features to allow businesses to have protection from cyber threats whilst still enabling visibility and good connection. Instead of being classic cyber fence-like protection which previously may have been enough to stop threats, Firebox’s have multiple layers of security allowing users and businesses to continue using the network whilst threats are being blocked.
The Firebox has a large number of features included as part of the security:
- Intrusion Prevention Services (IPS)
- Secure VPN access
- Web and content filtering
- Application control
- Advanced malware protection
- Network segmentation
- Threat detection and reporting
These are all key features to prevent intrusion or disruption into systems or data.
Why Are They Needed?
There is a naivety with smaller businesses that because they are small and have a minimal digital footprint that threats tend not to target them. The issue with that though is, regardless of the businesses size, those with the weaker security are the ones targeted most.
As businesses now rely on more digital software than ever previously necessary, that opens up more opportunities for hackers and threats to target. Despite this increase, the firewall can monitor and control traffic on the network.
Without the correct protection, these are some of the issues which may occur: data breaches, ransomware attacks, operational disruption, compliance issues, financial losses and reputational damage.
Key Benefits of WatchGuard Firebox
Advanced Threat Protection is one of the biggest differences to normal firewalls due to it doing more than simply allowing or blocking traffic at the door. Continuously monitoring traffic behaviour prevents any malicious activity with the help of Intrusion Prevention Services (IPS), malware detection and DNS filtering. The result of using all of these is a much safer central network from which less attacks will occur and unauthorised access attempts.
Secure remote and hybrid working is also available when using WatchGuard’s Firebox’s which is a key area to consider especially after the pandemic when everyone was told almost immediately to start working from home. Since then a lot of businesses have slowly recalled their workforces however, hybrid has become a normality in most of those companies due to it’s flexibility. That does mean though that security is also needed in the remote clouds so that employees can still access everything securely away from their office. Included in the Firebox is VPN capabilities that allows employees to connect without exposing sensitive information.
Crucially for IT teams, being able to see and control what is happening across the network is just as important as the other factors mentioned before. Sometimes it can be due to the setup already in place being complicated which causes issues with security. When there are too many areas to watch, some threats can gain access to confidential information undetected and cause a lot of damage before eventually being identified. Firebox provides detailing monitoring, reporting and traffic visibility allowing for the IT teams to act faster and more efficiently on threats whilst combining several security services into a single platform. By having the Firebox these teams can make informed security decisions rather than reacting after a problem occurs.
What Firebox’s does WatchGuard have?
Depending on the environment it is needed for, WatchGuard has a varied set of Firebox’s. From the T115-W up to the M590 there is something for all enterprises.
If it’s a startup business or a home office, something like the T115-W is perfect as it can only handle a smaller number of users. It is a cheaper alternative to the Firebox’s built for big establishments and also compact so ideal for this environment where strong security is enabled without consuming a large amount of space.
For a small business, the T125 is the next step up. Capable of handling up to 25 users, it is better for those who operate out of small office spaces like an estate agent or a high street store. Because it handles more users, its performance is also higher than the T115-W to accommodate this. The T145 is another step up once again from this, up to 75 users for this Firebox, this one is ideal for the businesses which rely on cloud features to store information and have remote access for employees. With stronger VPN performance and faster connectivity, this product is better for office spaces where there is multiple departments to handle simultaneously.
For large SMEs, the T185 is the right choice for security. Hosting between 75 – 200 users, this is the best tabletop appliance and largest capacity a T-Series Firebox can currently handle. If the enterprise has multiple locations it operates from then the T185 is best for them. Capable of handling high network traffic too this box is designed to tackle heavy simultaneous demands without affecting network performance.
The M-Series is another step up again – this time it’s aimed at mid-market and enterprise organisations. Where the T-Series was a tabletop appliance, this is a rack-mounted appliance and with that comes enterprise-grade VPN and UTM performance and are built for organisations where uptime is essential.
M290 and M390 are best for the medium sized businesses – similar to the T185 in the number of users it can handle however with these, they can also enable additional control for businesses who require advanced security controls.
For the M590 and M690, this is for some of the largest enterprises with 250+ users and high traffic environments. These are more than just security in case something happens, these are for businesses which rely on the fastest and best performance networks to perform. With a much larger throughput than other Firebox’s and with a significantly larger VPN capacity the M690 Firebox is best for environments where there is multiple offices linked back to a HQ and cloud services are essential assets to the operations of the company.
Conclusion
In conclusion, a WatchGuard Firebox gives businesses the layered protection they need to stay secure against modern cyber threats. Whether it is for a small office, a growing SME or a larger enterprise, choosing the right Firebox helps protect data, support secure remote working and keep networks running smoothly. With cyber risks continuing to evolve, having a reliable firewall solution in place is no longer optional, it is essential.
If you want to speak to the security team about Firebox’s, get in touch with them here or give them a call 01488 647 647