Firewalls are a critical component of any organization’s cybersecurity strategy. They act as a barrier between your internal network and external threats, filtering incoming and outgoing traffic according to a defined set of security rules. 

However, configuring and managing enterprise-grade firewalls requires specialized expertise that most IT teams lack. In order to save time and money, instead of training and hiring out an in-house IT team, working with a managed services provider like Intelinet Systems can provide immense value. Let’s take a closer look!

What are Firewall Managed Services? 

Firewall-managed services provide ongoing management, monitoring, and maintenance of your firewall infrastructure by a team of dedicated security experts. At Intelinet Systems, we take the stress out of firewall management and take care of tasks such as:

• Initial firewall configuration based on best practices
• Regular firmware upgrades and patch management
• 24/7 monitoring and alerting
• Tuning of firewall policies and rules
• Compliance reporting and audit preparation 
• Incident response and forensic analysis

By outsourcing these complex tasks to our managed IT services team, your staff can focus on core business objectives rather than devote time to learning about firewall upkeep and other IT essentials.

There are several key benefits that firewall-managed services provide. Let’s look into some of the biggest reasons so many businesses rely on our nationwide IT services for firewall management and other IT needs.

Improved Security Posture

Our managed security service providers have extensive experience designing, implementing, and supporting enterprise firewalls. 

We stay up-to-date on the latest firewall features and threat intelligence to provide hardened security configurations. Compliance with regulations like PCI DSS and HIPAA is built into our standard operating procedures to keep your business within regulation.

Reduced Risk 

Firewall misconfigurations are a leading cause of security incidents. With a dedicated team of experts managing your firewall infrastructure, the risk of errors or oversights is greatly reduced. We assume responsibility for the security of your firewalls and do everything in our power to ensure your business faces as little risk as possible when trying to keep sensitive data away from the outside world..

Cost Savings

While outsourcing firewall management has an expense associated with it, it is often more cost-effective than hiring and training internal firewall expertise. With managed firewall services, the cost is predictable and incorporates advanced technology and experienced personnel that would be costly to replicate internally.

Constant Monitoring

Around-the-clock monitoring of your firewalls is included with managed services. Abnormal activity is quickly detected and alerted. Having eyes on your firewalls 24/7/365 drastically improves incident response.

Access to Advanced Technology 

Managed Service providers have access to advanced firewall technology and threat intelligence that can be prohibitively expensive otherwise. The latest AI and automation capabilities can be leveraged to improve threat detection and response.

Warning Signs You Need Managed Firewalls

When is it time to graduate from managing firewalls in-house to pursuing managed firewall services? Aside from the hidden costs of in-house managed IT, if any of these scenarios apply it’s time to reach out to Intelinet Systems:

• You are not confident your firewall policies are optimized for security best practices. There are likely gaps.
• Firewall management competes for time with your team’s core responsibilities, causing delays.
• You find it difficult to keep all firewall firmware and patches up to date.
• There is uncertainty around whether your firewall configuration meets compliance mandates.
• No one is consistently monitoring the firewalls to spot issues proactively. History shows things slip through the cracks.
• When your firewall has faltered in the past, it took too long to identify the root cause.

Secure Your Data With Managed IT Services From Intelinet Systems

Your firewall keeps sensitive data private and helps your business hold trade secrets close and keep customers protected. Trusting DIY firewall management is never an option. If any of the warning signs we’ve discussed resonate, it is time to seek help. At Intelinet Systems, we are a managed IT service provider that can alleviate frustrating firewall issues and help you implement firewall infrastructure with appropriate security, performance, resiliency, and visibility.

Contact us today to learn more about our managed firewall solutions and other managed IT services we offer remotely and in-house for businesses across the nation.