A third-generation firewall technology known as an NGFW Malaysia , or next-generation firewall, can be used in hardware or software. Imposing security policies at the application, port, and protocol levels prevents complex assaults. There are several options for next-generation firewalls on the market right now.
There are also notable discrepancies between what is enabled in different NGFW products, even though they all strive to address the same essential pain points. Businesses need to consider the vendor and the effect when buying a next-generation firewall because these factors will affect how much the device will cost to purchase and maintain.
1. Evaluate the Cost of Annual Ownership
You should check this out right away. You must be aware that every NGFW requires an annual renewal of contracts, updates, and subscriptions (different vendors call it differently.) Many people are surprised to learn that a one-time purchase is insufficient and that they must “pay again” each year. Most critically, certain essential features only operate if these subscriptions are renewed.
IPS, URL filtering, application control, antivirus, antispam, sandbox, and other crucial features may be among them. The complete list is dependent on the particular vendor. If you don’t renew your subscriptions, your NGFW becomes a standard firewall. Although the annual ownership cost can change, it often amounts to 30% to 40% of the initial purchase.
2. Set Priorities
Many believe that NGFWs are a magic fix for all information security issues. However, this is untrue. NGFWs only offer protection against a small number of potential network attack vectors. Many methods could ensure complete security. And if someone makes such a claim about you, they are trying to trick you or don’t know what they are talking about.
The purpose of the NGFW solution is to minimise the attack surface. Remember to use additional forms of defence. You should only spend your last dollar and turn down other tools if you have the money to get an NGFW. Prioritise and assess your cash resources. The acquisition of an NGFW is not the beginning of the organisation’s IT security. This is merely one more component of a multi-layered protection strategy.
3. Adjust the NGFW.
Even with the default settings and a few clicks, don’t count on NGFW to thoroughly safeguard your business. Any NGFW will need to be polished and continuously modified to account for evolving threats. Remember that information security is a process rather than a finished product.
4. Be Prepared to Solve Issues and Schedule Your Time
It is wise to make technical contingencies before purchasing an NGFW. Whether deployment services are provided, your solution supplier will only finish some things for you. Since information security is a continuous process, you will need to address brand-new issues as they appear. And this is due to their various qualities, not because NGFWs need to improve.
You’ll need to invest effort in customising everything to meet your demands. If you don’t, you risk using the default settings, which only utilise 20% of the NGFW features. Even setting up one SSL inspection feature requires a lot of work. (If security is your priority, you must turn it on.)
Sites and programmes that stop functioning after the SSL inspection is enabled must be manually checked. Nobody will carry it out for you. Problems could arise during various deployment phases and when your new NGFW is in use.
5. Establish a budget for employee training.
The NGFW product is reasonably complicated. Regardless of how the companies try to make it simpler. There are many features and pitfalls in it. It would be best if you didn’t presume that you will quickly become proficient with a new product.
Therefore, before purchasing, ensure to account for the cost of educating the staff who will use it. You may receive training as a gift occasionally; it all relies on the value of the agreement and your partner’s loyalty.
6. Consider Technical Support.
You’ll undoubtedly need to speak with technical support. Do not overlook this matter. You risk being abandoned with your troubles if you don’t. Look for reviews or talk with other customers directly to get their opinion on technical help. When selecting a vendor, the issue of technical support might occasionally be the deciding factor.
7. Get Ready for New Features and Licensing
Presentations frequently feature demonstrations of how stunning and valuable something is. However, you discover that not all capability is accessible after payment. The reports previously displayed to you are not present, the sandbox is inoperable, distant users cannot join, there is no centralised management, etc.
Of course, it is your vendor’s responsibility to comprehend your needs and offer a solution specifically tailored to them while outlining any potential limitations or enhancements from the outset. You should be guided through the checklist by a good companion. He must bring out all the crucial details, foresee potential issues, and naturally offer solutions.
However, checking everything beforehand is also a matter of professionalism. It will be awkward to approach your management regarding more money immediately following the purchase.
8. Test products before buying them.
You can only blame yourself after purchasing without doing a pilot project (and curse the vendor who “set you up”). Make sure to put your faith in marketing pamphlets. In cases where datasheets offer excellent performance indicators, you should rely on something other than them.
Sadly, every single seller does this. Conducting at least a few tests before making a purchase is strongly recommended. The most crucial difficulty is the actual performance of NGFW on your existing traffic.
9. Examine the HTTPS Traffic
Another thing that plenty of people need to pay attention to when selecting NGFW solutions is this. A significant extra component is SSL inspection. Many firms opt for a model that closely matches their typical traffic loads and ignore HTTPS traffic to save additional expenditures.
And when they turn on the SSL inspection, they find their gateway is utterly unprepared for it. It is only helpful if your NGFW examines SSL, VPN, and other encrypted traffic. So make sure you consider SSL inspection as an additional loading element. Otherwise, you’ll waste your money, so avoid doing that.
10. Carefully Consider Your Vendor Selection
Undoubtedly, every business has a partner with a history of providing IT products. It’s convenient to work with such partners. However, NGFW is not a server, switch, or, most definitely, a stapler that can be purchased from anyone nearby. It’s only sometimes valid that your existing supplier has the required abilities.
The qualities of the partner determine the success of the deployment and, consequently, the security of your business. The first thing you should consider when picking a supplier is his technical expertise and experience. Again, a pilot project will be helpful in this situation. This will enable you to test the NGFW within your infrastructure, choose the appropriate configuration, evaluate your partner’s skills, and establish whether he can offer sufficient technical assistance.
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Article published by Myblogtime.com
