The Top 11 Firewall-as-a-Service (FWaaS) Solutions

Microsoft Azure Firewall operates as a cloud-native network firewall security service designed to safeguard cloud workloads running on Azure. This service offers intelligent threat protection through traffic inspection in all directions. It is a fully stateful firewall service that features high availability and unrestricted cloud scalability.

The platform can deliver advanced capabilities including signature based IDPS, aiding in the swift detection of threats by recognizing specific patterns. It has access to a continuously updated library with over 58,000 signatures across more than 50 categories. It also has layers 3 to 7 filtering and real-time threat intelligence feeds (sourced directly from Microsoft Cyber Security). The platform facilitates hierarchical policies allowing for global and local management as well as the configuration of DDoS protection plans and Web Application Firewall policies.

Barracuda CloudGen Firewall is a secure and efficient security platform for businesses that integrates public cloud platforms and environments into their networks. The platform combines several essential components such as firewalls, IPS, and URL filtering to provide comprehensive coverage. To ensure the platform remains agile, more resource-intensive tasks (like sandboxing) are offloaded to the cloud. It also addresses the connectivity needs of modern enterprises by facilitating secure SD-WAN connectivity, bypassing the need for a central gateway which can be costly and hinder the responsiveness of cloud-based applications.

The CloudGen Firewall allows a high degree of automation, offering agility and flexibility in operations. It supports automated protection across multi-cloud deployments and facilitates SD-WAN automation across multiple cloud providers, both on-site and virtual. The firewall itself offers a robust level of protection including stateful packet inspection, as well as DDoS protection, to comprehensively protect your organization. The firewall supports optimization of direct internet uplink selections, ensuring faster access to cloud-hosted SaaS applications. Additionally, it allows the replacement of expensive MPLS connections with up to 24 bonded broadband uplinks per SD-WAN connection. This enhances application performance and provides built-in redundancy.

Cato delivers FWaaS through its Cato Cloud platform; this converges networking and security capabilities into a single, streamlined tool. The Cato cloud is a SASE platform that is grounded on a vast global private cloud network with over 65 points of presence (PoPs). This platform collates all enterprise traffic (including data centers, branches, and mobile users) thereby streamlining application-aware corporate security policy enforcement for both WAN- and Internet-bound traffic.

The Cato Cloud maintains a centrally managed infrastructure with a cohesive, application-aware security policy, reducing the IT burden of managing multiple firewalls and security tools. This interconnected infrastructure also improves security outcomes by ensuring that threats are comprehensively and robustly dealt with. The Cato Cloud uses cloud traffic visibility to automatically extend coverage to new applications, without an admin user having to onboard the new device. It also has a comprehensive view across all network traffic, ensuring that there are no blind spots or overlooked information.

Check Point’s Quantum Security Gateway is a comprehensive security solution and unified management platform. It is built upon Infinity Architecture which is designed to safeguard against sophisticated Gen V cyber-attacks, protecting networks, data centers, endpoints, and IoT setups. The FWaaS capabilities are provided by cloud-based virtualized appliances, making these solutions lightweight and responsive. This has the benefit of preserving data privacy and complying with various geographical requirements.

The solution delivers AI-driven security policies that can proactively thwart zero-day attacks. This platform not only ensures the safety of your on-site network but extends coverage to remote users through a remote access VPN feature, enhancing secure connectivity by enforcing multi-factor authentication and data encryption. This platform promotes efficient security operations and can reduce operational time by up to 80%. This makes it a robust choice for enterprises looking to streamline their security management processes without compromising on protection levels.

Cisco offer a streamlined security solution that adapts to evolving on-premises and cloud applications. Cisco Secure Firewall operates as a unified platform that integrates workload and network security management, facilitating quicker detection, response, and remediation of threats. This is in addition to its capabilities as a firewall. The platform’s architecture is designed to adapt to the demands of dynamic application environments, with the flexibility to provide secure enterprise access from any device, anywhere, at any time. Crypto Accelerator, specifically designed to inspect encrypted traffic at scale, ensuring optimal performance without compromising security.

Cisco’s NetWORK provides an agile and automated solution to synchronize policies across varying dynamic applications and networks. Their Secure Firewall integrates effectively with core networking functionalities, facilitating enhanced protection for users and applications alike, irrespective of the scale of the business or the complexity of the network. Cisco also enhances threat detection capabilities with scalable log management systems, such as Cisco Security Analytics and Logging. This assists in meeting compliance standards and refining security posture for robust protection against evolving threats. With Cisco’s Secure Firewall, businesses can look forward to a security infrastructure that is both adaptive and integrated.

Cloudflare offers a Web Application Firewall (WAF) designed to provide robust security powered by global intelligence, delivering a constant stream of data and intelligence. Cloudflare’s firewall has an ML component which helps to build powerful rulesets that can identify and stopping a range of threats, including zero-day and other attack variations. These rulesets can also be customized to suit business policies and to respond to specific threats. Cloudflare’s Firewall-as-a-Service (FWaaS) is characterized by its scalable nature that adjusts according to your business requirements. Admin users can interact with a unified dashboard and policy management interface that streamlines firewall configuration and facilitates uniform security policies globally.

The service hosts a ‘Magic Firewall’ feature that operates on the Cloudflare global edge network, allowing you to implement filtering policies that work in the cloud, thereby preventing unwanted traffic from reaching your network. The firewall provides several flexible response options, including blocking, logging, rate limiting, or challenging, thereby enhancing its adaptability to different security needs. It also offers intelligent Layer 3 DDoS protection that can be activated through Magic Transit. Cloudflare’s FWaaS delivers comprehensive application security facilitated by a global network and an integrated rules engine that delivers uniform security.

FortiGate is a comprehensive network security solution that offers a range of functionalities centered around its FortiOS operating system. The platform facilitates unified networking and security across diverse environments including remote offices, campuses, data centers, and clouds. FortiGate leverages ASIC architecture that promotes improved performance while minimizing resource consumption. It enables users to seamlessly manage applications, users, devices, and access through a singular dashboard, ensuring a cohesive approach to security management. This central management console simplifies the IT management processes.

FortiGate NGFWs utilizes AI and ML technologies to enhance security performance and threat intelligence. These features, combined with FortiGuard global threat intelligence, offer automated protection against both known and unknown threats. In addition, FortiGuard Labs, (comprising a team of skilled threat hunters, researchers, analysts, engineers, and data scientists), focuses on developing and enhancing AI-powered security services. They also offer expert assistance through FortiGuard Expert-driven Security Services, aiding businesses in navigating the complex security landscape with informed guidance. FortiGate takes pride in offering a range of unique features including Universal Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA), an inline sandbox, and SOC-as-a-Service, making it a comprehensive and effective solution.

NordLayer Cloud Firewall is a Firewall-as-a-Service (FWaaS) solution that protects private networks and cloud infrastructure and prevents unauthorized access. It is a suitable solution for businesses operating on hybrid cloud networks via NordLayer virtual private gateways.

NordLayer Cloud Firewall offers scalability, availability, and extensibility. There is no requirement for hardware components, and the solution can be readily deployed and integrated into existing hybrid cloud environments. It features a cloud-based control panel for simplified operations and management and incorporates automatic updates for constant optimal security.

The solution enables organizations to control access to internal cloud resources with precision. Firewall rules can be generated at a virtual private gateway level, and can be applied to individual members or entire teams. Rules can also be configured based on source, destination, and service provisions. This facilitates organizations in managing remote worker access to necessary resources securely and prevents access to otherwise unauthorized areas.

NordLayer Cloud Firewall also provides DNS filtering to block malicious websites and filter harmful or inappropriate content. Business managers can define the types of content that employees should not have access to on company-managed networks. This increases data security and protects team members from harmful activities or phishing websites.

NordLayer Cloud Firewall is a part of NordLayer’s Secure Service Edge (SSE) solution. This solution integrates various network security solutions such as FWaaS, Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB), Secure Web Gateway (SWG), and Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) into one comprehensive cloud-native service. With the cloud firewall service, organizations can exercise precise control over access to their internal resources and cloud tools. The service thus provides an advanced layer of control and security to organizations that operate using a hybrid cloud network and NordLayer virtual private gateways.

Palo Alto Networks Next Generation Firewall leverages Machine Learning (ML) technologies to power nuanced threat detection and management. The firewall also uses deep learning techniques to analyze data in a human way, enhancing its ability to counter nuanced, elusive threats effectively. This managed service is supplemented with zero-delay signatures; these update every internet-connected Next-Generation Firewall (NGFW) within a network to ensure that security settings are always effective. The cloud-native firewall solution is designed to integrate seamlessly with AWS.

The platform offers heightened visibility across Internet of Things (IoT) and other connected devices, allowing for swift and precise device profiling. This feature uncovers details such as device type, vendor, model, and firmware. It utilizes cloud scale for comprehensive device usage analysis and profile validation. The aim here is to streamline device management processes, ensuring that no device is left unmonitored. Palo Alto Networks’ firewall can be procured via the AWS Marketplace, promising integrated security and agility, without compromising speed and versatility.

Sophos’ MDR service delivers firewalls and a host of other security tools as part of its managed cybersecurity offering. Organizations can defer as much or as little control to Sophos as they wish. This means that organizations of all sizes and configurations can tailor the service to suit their needs. The Sophos Firewall is a network protection solution designed to safeguard your business from modern threats while enhancing the performance of SaaS, SD-WAN, and cloud application traffic. The Xstream architecture facilitates intelligent TLS 1.3 decryption, removing potential blind spots and allowing efficient and easy policy implementation.

The firewall also offers deep packet inspection capabilities that work efficiently to prevent ransomware and breaches. This is powered by SophosLabs Intelix insights. The platform introduces performance-based routing which automatically adjusts and reroutes traffic based on real-time performance metrics. The firewall also facilitates easy orchestration of complex network structures with a simple point-and-click interface. Overall, the platform is highly scalable, offers high-speed connectivity options, and powerful performance across various price points, catering to different business needs.

Zscaler Internet Access (ZIA) is a key part of building a comprehensive cloud-native zero-trust platform. It is aimed at fostering secure and swift internet and SaaS access. ZIA funnels all connections through the Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange; this acts a central hub, reducing data compromises and losses. Within this framework, the Zero Trust Exchange is engineered to offer comprehensive coverage in terms of cyber threat protection, data safeguarding, and access control. It can counteract malware, ransomware, and other high-level threats through utilizing AI technology. Additionally, it features AI-powered phishing detection, dynamic risk-based policies, an intrusion prevention system, and a sandbox feature to respond to malware attacks.

ZIA streamlines security operations by reducing costs and complexity typically associated with securing hybrid workforces. It allows for direct-to-internet and SaaS access, effectively removing the need for edge and branch firewalls, which can be both costly and complex to maintain. The system has a meticulous identity verification process and provides context for every access request, calculating a dynamic risk score before establishing connectivity. This robust cyber protection suite is complemented by data protection measures that offer holistic, zero-configuration protection across numerous channels, preventing sensitive data leakage.