Firewall as a Service (FWaaS)
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Retire the hardware refresh cycle. Keep the protection.
A physical firewall at every branch means patching, maintenance costs and eventual replace or retire. As your footprint grows, so does the pile of aging appliances that need firmware/hardware updates and a technician on-site when something fails.
Firewall as a Service (FWaaS) delivers next-generation firewall protection from the cloud, applying the same policy to every user and location without the hardware lifecycle. As part of GTT’s Secure Connect SASE framework, FWaaS scales with your business instead of forcing you to plan around box refresh cycles.
Appliance-based firewalls weren’t built for a distributed enterprise
Hardware made sense when most traffic passed through a handful of central locations. That assumption breaks down once your workforce, applications and traffic are distributed across dozens or more sites and the cloud.
Organizations still relying on appliance-based firewalls run into a consistent set of limitations:
- Hardware refresh cycles force periodic capital spend regardless of actual threat evolution
- Remote and branch locations lack the same level of protection as headquarters
- Firmware patching requires manual coordination across every physical device
- Scaling protection to a new site means provisioning new hardware first
- Legacy firewalls inspect network traffic but miss application-layer threats
With FWaaS, your organization can
- Apply next-generation firewall protection to every location without deploying physical appliances
- Extend Layer 7 application-aware inspection alongside traditional network firewalling
- Scale protection to new sites instantly as part of your cloud-delivered security stack
- Unify firewall, intrusion prevention and threat intelligence into a single managed service
- Integrate firewall policy directly with ZTNA, SWG and CASB across your SASE architecture
The GTT FWaaS difference
Protection without the appliance
Every physical firewall you deploy is another device to patch, maintain, monitor and eventually replace.
Without GTT
- Firewall protection requires hardware at every site
- Ongoing annual expenses for maintenance
- Hardware refresh cycles force periodic capital expense
- New sites wait on procurement and installation
With GTT
- Cloud-delivered firewall policy applies everywhere, no appliance required
- Maintenance included as part of the overall solution
- Protection scales through software, not new equipment purchases
- New locations gain full protection as soon as they connect
Results
Your security posture stops being tied to a hardware replacement schedule
Application-aware threat prevention
Traditional firewalls inspect packets. They often miss the application-layer behavior where
modern threats actually operate.
Without GTT
- Inspection stops at the network and transport layer
- Threats disguised as legitimate application traffic go undetected
- Policy enforcement can’t distinguish between applications sharing a port
With GTT
- Layer 7 visibility extends protection to the application layer
- Deep packet inspection identifies malicious behavior inside allowed traffic
- Granular, application-specific rules govern access and behavior
Results
Threats hiding inside otherwise normal-looking traffic get caught before they reach your network
One unified security stack, not a pile of point tools
Firewall, antivirus and intrusion prevention purchased separately rarely share intelligence
or a management console.
Without GTT
- Firewall, antivirus and IPS run as disconnected tools
- Security teams switch between multiple dashboards to investigate an incident
- Policy changes require updates across several disconnected systems
With GTT
- FWaaS unifies these capabilities into a single managed service
- One console gives full visibility across every protection layer
- Policy updates apply consistently across the unified stack
Results
Your team spends less time reconciling tools and more time acting on what they find
Firewall policy that works with the rest of your SASE stack
A firewall that operates in isolation from your other security controls creates blind spots at the seams
Without GTT
- Firewall rules operate independently from access and web security policy
- Coordinating policy across separate security tools is manual and error-prone
- Gaps between disconnected tools become the path attackers exploit
With GTT
- FWaaS integrates directly with ZTNA, SWG, DLPand CASB
- Unified policy enforcement spans the full SASE architecture
- Consistent enforcement closes the seams between security layers
Results
Firewall protection becomes one coordinated layer in your security architecture, not an isolated piece
How it works
1
Assessment and policy design
We evaluate your current traffic and application usage patterns with your existing security stack to design firewall policy that reflects your actual risk profile rather than a generic template.
2
Cloud deployment and integration
FWaaS activates as part of your SASE architecture, integrating with your existing ZTNA, SWG, DLP and CASB deployments so policy applies consistently across every layer.
3
Ongoing monitoring and policy updates
Once live, GTT continuously monitors traffic and threat intelligence, updating firewall policy as new threats emerge so your protection evolves without requiring manual intervention on your end.
Discover more in our Cloud Security portfolio
GTT’s SSE services integrates six key security services into a single unified solution:
Secure Web Gateway (SWG)
Provides comprehensive protection for users accessing the internet and SaaS applications. It enforces acceptable use policies, blocks malicious websites and prevents threats like malware and phishing in real time.
Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB)
Discovers and controls the use of SaaS applications. It gives you visibility into shadow IT enforces data loss prevention policies and ensures compliance for both sanctioned and unsanctioned cloud services.
Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA)
Replaces legacy VPNs with secure application-level access. It grants access based on user identity and device posture, not network location, ensuring that only authorized users can access specific private applications.
Secure Remote Access
Enables users to safely access enterprise applications from anywhere by verifying identity, enforcing least-privileged access, and applying continuous security controls independent of location.
Data Loss Protection (DLP)
Provides security control that prevents sensitive data from being exposed or exfiltrated by identifying, monitoring and enforcing policies on data across users, devices, applications and networks.
Frequently asked questions
What are the benefits of working with a Firewall as a Service provider?
Businesses that partner with an FWaaS provider can see reduced firewall management complexity, improved scalability, cost-effective protection, real-time updates and improved security.
What features should a Firewall as a Service provider have?
The best FWaaS providers, like GTT, will offer advanced threat protection (ATP), intrusion prevention systems, ZTNA, user segmentation, application visibility and simple user interfaces.
Does FWaaS work for any business size?
Yes. The beauty of managed services, for SaaS, IaaS and FWaaS, is the scalability. That scalability allows providers to continue supplying service as businesses grow.
Can a Firewall as a Service provider help with integration?
Yes. Most FWaaS systems integrate with existing cloud-based services. GTT’s experts can help you seamlessly integrate security services into your existing systems.
Complete your solution
Managed SD-WAN
Transform your WAN with dynamic network traffic management for flexibility, speed, security and cost control.
SASE: Secure Connect
Enable secure and controlled access to applications from anywhere.
Managed Hybrid Cloud
Public cloud flexibility with private cloud confidence, integrating with other clouds across the globe
Cloud Connect
Optimize your business-critical applications and connect to leading Cloud Service Provider
Our Gartner rating
Firewall protection that scales with you, not against you
Stop planning your security posture around a hardware refresh schedule. Enjoy next-generation protection everywhere your business operates, without the appliances.