WatchGuard Firebox Cloud - UTM Firewall for AWS (BYOL)

My main use case for WatchGuard Firebox is to protect the perimeter of enterprises.

A quick specific example of how I use WatchGuard Firebox to protect the perimeter is the traffic that is filtered for the users inside to outside. We use services such as botnet detection, virus detection, and IPS. For inside traffic and inbound traffic, we use certificates and different rules that deny DOS attacks and flooding attacks.

In addition to my main use case, I also filter traffic with WatchGuard Firebox.

The best features that WatchGuard Firebox offers include the combination of WatchGuard and the antivirus service, which together work with the threat sync to detect and block attacks in real-time.

The real-time threat detection makes a difference for me because it makes my job easier. We define rules that can take actions faster than an analyst can take them. We have received the alert and we can analyze after the fact what the attack was.

WatchGuard Firebox has positively impacted my organization, but since I am an MSP, I cannot tell you in my current role what benefits it brings to the company. Before my current role, I was at an enterprise that used WatchGuard Firebox, and there were benefits such as traffic control for the users. The best thing that we got from WatchGuard Firebox was to control the traffic of the websites through the web control that Firebox offers.

When I mention web control, I noticed specific outcomes such as reduced bandwidth use, improved productivity because employees did not spend time on websites such as Facebook or YouTube, and we saved money because we did not need to use another feature or an external proxy to apply this web block.

I think WatchGuard Firebox can be improved, especially the WatchGuard System Manager, which I believe was a first attempt to administrate Fireboxes but has been forgotten over time. It needs to be improved with updated features, but I understand that WatchGuard is trying to move toward cloud administration, which I do not prefer because you lose a lot of control when it is only administrated on the cloud.

I would add that more improvements are needed in the WatchGuard Server Center, such as where you can add the users, reporting of the interaction that the user does, and filters on what users are assigned to what Firebox.

The EPDR on mobile devices has been improved, which is another needed improvement for WatchGuard Firebox.

I have been using WatchGuard Firebox for seven or eight years.

As for stability, WatchGuard Firebox has not had issues with downtime or reliability, but the WatchGuard Cloud has.

The scalability of WatchGuard Firebox depends on the study that you have to do before actually buying a Firebox.

My experience with customer support is that I have interacted with them, and they are good technicians who speak both English and Spanish.

I have not previously used a different solution, as I have always been using WatchGuard since I work with them.

My experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing is that I think the price is acceptable for companies that do not have a lot of resources to spend on cybersecurity, as WatchGuard Firebox can give you a lot of protection on one single license.

Before choosing WatchGuard Firebox, we evaluated Cisco Firepower.

My advice to others looking into using WatchGuard Firebox is to make an accurate study of the bandwidth and the users they expect to be used on their site and evaluate the devices that cover those values.

Regarding WatchGuard Firebox's AI capabilities, I do not have much opinion about it. It helps on detections, but regarding the action that it has to take, I do not see it in my work because I do not trust the AI.

In terms of WatchGuard Firebox's AI capabilities regarding accuracy and reliability, there have been a few false positives, but it is because it is a machine. You cannot teach machines to think about the best things for the company. Sometimes it blocks access to websites that are company supported. It has so many changes that we have to apply to fully trust the AI.

I would rate this product an 8 out of 10.

I have been using WatchGuard Firebox for my entire time with Turnleaf, approximately seven years and counting.

Daily, we have remote users with the main office in New York, and we have remote users in Arizona and in Caracas, Venezuela. We use WatchGuard Firebox to connect them through a site-to-site VPN connection.

I use WatchGuard Firebox primarily for the VPN connection and mostly for web filtering to manage what users are able to search on the web. The main use is for remote connection, and it is working just fine.

What I appreciate most about WatchGuard Firebox is the reliability. Users simply open the VPN client, enter their Windows password, and the VPN client is connected to our domain controller, so I do not need a different user. Everything is single sign-on, and it is very fast and straightforward to use.

The best features WatchGuard Firebox offers include the web filter, and I also appreciate the way you can see inbound and outbound traffic to detect what is happening and what is wrong with your network. The IPS functionality is excellent for preventing things such as brute force attacks and similar issues. All security features are great.

WatchGuard Firebox features such as the web filter and IPS are very easy to configure. The interface is very intuitive and full of information when you search using filters for a specific IP address or user. You can set up a variety of different filters so you are not watching a screen full of data but only specific traffic you want to examine.

WatchGuard Firebox has made a positive impact for my organization by improving security, saving time, and making my work as IT manager easier. The security improvements are good for the organization and how the company can work daily.

A measurable improvement is that I do not have to be present 24/7 with my eyes on the screen. I receive alerts directly in my inbox, or I can use my cell phone application to ensure everything is okay and running.

I do not think there are any missing features regarding WatchGuard Firebox. I would say that they can probably make some tweaks, but nothing significant, and I feel very satisfied with WatchGuard as a product and security solution. I do not have any complaints.

There are no minor annoyances regarding improvements. Nothing comes to mind, but I could say to the WatchGuard team to continue doing what they are doing and keep pushing.

I have been working in my current field for approximately 20 years.

I have a customer service rating of five out of ten.

I have been a former user of other products in the security business such as Fortinet or MikroTik, and no one can compete with WatchGuard, which is why I am giving them the highest score.

WatchGuard Firebox has positively impacted my organization.

I have not yet explored the AI capabilities from WatchGuard Firebox, but I am eager to start using them.

I have no experience with any of the AI capabilities from WatchGuard Firebox.

I recommend WatchGuard Firebox without hesitation. You can get the right product that fits the size of your company. WatchGuard offers big solutions, small solutions, and medium solutions, but no matter what, you can use it and it is easy to deploy and easy to use.

We are currently working directly with WatchGuard through our current MSP company, but most of the negotiations we conduct are directly with WatchGuard.

My overall review rating for WatchGuard Firebox is ten out of ten.

My main use case for WatchGuard Firebox is as a next-generation firewall solution and security solution, which is used for network security. Most of the network security aspects are covered through WatchGuard Firebox, including web filtering, gateway antivirus, VPN, DNS security, and advanced threat hunting in the network layer. I use WatchGuard Firebox primarily due to the unified threat management web application tool that provides comprehensive network security.

The best features WatchGuard Firebox offers include a very easy-to-use and user-friendly interface. It has a web interface through which we access it, integrating all the network security appliances into the portal, making management very simple. It works well with WatchGuard Cloud for centralized monitoring, and services such as Gateway Antivirus, APT Blocker, DNSWatch, and Web Blocker are included. Creating inbound or outbound policies is also very easy and user-friendly. The integration part is seamless, though it is more related to small industries or mid-scale industries and not applicable for large industries.

WatchGuard Firebox has positively impacted my organization by allowing us to manage uncovered loopholes that our SIEM solution cannot completely monitor for network devices, sensors, switches, routers, or firewalls. All of this can be managed in one place using WatchGuard Firebox, demonstrating its positive impact.

In terms of improvement, I suggest that the integration part could be made a little more seamless or easier. While the management of interfaces is straightforward, certain advanced configurations can become complex in large deployments, as it mainly targets small to mid-cap industries. It could have been elaborated more to be applicable for larger organizations. Additionally, some improvements in threat intelligence integrations and SIEM integration as an out-of-the-box context would be beneficial. Regarding user experience, customizing some dashboards for analysts reviewing alerts or logs would make it easier.

Integration with other tools could be made more visible for larger clients since the product targets small and mid-cap businesses. This would enable larger organizations to take advantage of it and provide more competition against market competitors such as Fortinet or Palo Alto.

I have been using WatchGuard Firebox for more than one and a half years, starting in 2015, and it is one of our customer's firewall security solutions.

WatchGuard Firebox is generally stable, although we experienced some downtime during upgrade times, but this is acceptable as many applications or vendors have similar situations during upgrades.

WatchGuard Firebox scales well with small and mid-sized businesses and can support growing organizations by upgrading appliance models or leveraging WatchGuard Cloud management. However, very large enterprise environments with complex multi-data center architectures or larger clients may benefit more from solutions offering extensive enterprise-grade features, which WatchGuard Firebox might not provide.

Customer support for WatchGuard Firebox has been helpful during the integration process when we received technical documents and support from their technical team. They were also supportive with firmware upgrades and regularly address vulnerabilities and improve functionalities.

I previously used Fortinet before switching to WatchGuard Firebox.

WatchGuard Firebox is deployed in my organization on a public cloud platform.

I have seen a return on investment after switching to WatchGuard Firebox, as a previous client using Fortinet was very happy with the move, saving money due to its design for small-case entities and realizing value for money after the switch.

Regarding pricing, setup cost, and licensing for WatchGuard Firebox, it is very affordable, mainly focusing on small and mid-cap organizations. The affordability makes it a great option for small and mid-cap clients, and some added advantages can be acquired after taking a subscription for additional features.

Before choosing WatchGuard Firebox, I evaluated other options in the market, including Palo Alto Network and Fortinet, and found WatchGuard Firebox to be cheaper, more reliable, and of better value for money.

Specific outcomes I have seen since using WatchGuard Firebox include saving time, as during threat hunting activities, the red team had their activities, and we could not catch all the alerts or logs with our SIEM. Through this, we were able to catch all the logs, analyze them, and create relatable SIEM logs and rules to catch those alerts. We later integrated more logs from WatchGuard Firebox into the SIEM solution, Rapid7, which helped a lot in managing network logs.

The feature I rely on most day-to-day is centralized monitoring, so I do not need to navigate through multiple interfaces for various network applications. In one centralized monitoring, I have all the tools integrated, allowing me to block or allow or create any policies on behalf of all the network products. This is very helpful, mainly for the firewall application, as we can create any sort of firewall rules or perimeter rules to ensure our tenants are secured.

My advice for others looking into using WatchGuard Firebox is that if you are a small or mid-sized business entity looking for a complete network security solution, then you should consider WatchGuard Firebox. However, if you are a large client with a multi-cloud architecture or multi-region offices, it might be better to look for other solutions. For small to mid-level enterprises seeking value for money, WatchGuard Firebox is a one-stop solution for all network security needs.

Regarding WatchGuard Firebox's AI capabilities, I think it is a secure and reliable source, but it could have improved in governance and security, particularly in triggering alerts or reviewing policies from the logs it catches. While there is room for improvement, it is great compared to other SIEM solutions, as most logs we cannot find through SIEM could be obtained through WatchGuard Firebox. It helps us focus on network security and get more granular reports or logs, which is an added advantage, though some improvements in AI capabilities or traffic rules would be beneficial.

I would rate this review as a nine out of ten.

My main use case for WatchGuard Firebox is modifying firewall rules and managing the entire university environment. A specific example of how I use WatchGuard Firebox to modify rules or manage the university environment is allowing access from the outside to the internal servers.

I consider the best features that WatchGuard Firebox offers to be the security, flexibility, and strength it has as a firewall. Regarding the security, flexibility, and strength I mention, these features have benefited me in my daily work by having strong IDS protection, protection in terms of the EPDR antivirus platform with WatchGuard's cloud platform, and all the features the tool itself has.

WatchGuard Firebox has positively impacted my organization by providing a reliable and secure environment facing outward, and the ability to manage our internal rules. A concrete example of how that reliable and secure environment has improved the daily work or operations of the university is being able to identify attacks, with WatchGuard Firebox, the firewall, mitigating them has provided more security for the whole university.

The aspects I think could be improved in WatchGuard Firebox include the issue of licenses, as there is no equipment with large resources and the only way to do it is by having a virtual environment and then applying the license there.

I would like to elaborate more on the challenges I have encountered with the licensing system by saying that the license costs could be improved, as they are too high.

I have been working in my current field for two years.

I consider WatchGuard Firebox to be quite stable.

I rate the scalability of WatchGuard Firebox as quite scalable for the infrastructure we currently have.

My experience with WatchGuard Firebox's customer support is that they should have better communication channels.

Before implementing WatchGuard Firebox, I was using MikroTik.

The process of implementing the VPN for external users has been simple; there were no issues.

I have seen a return on investment with WatchGuard Firebox in terms of security.

My experience with the pricing, implementation costs, and licenses of WatchGuard Firebox was not good; there had to be many negotiations and we are still not satisfied with the licensing.

Before choosing WatchGuard Firebox, I evaluated other options, specifically Palo Alto.

My impression of WatchGuard Firebox's spam-blocking capabilities is that they are quite useful, especially the management of the EPDR or EPP of the antivirus platform, which is very effective.

I have noticed a significant reduction in bottlenecks in the systems after implementing WatchGuard Firebox, resulting in quite good performance improvements.

The high-speed ports in WatchGuard Firebox have helped maintain productivity during usage peaks in my organization by remaining stable, with no major issues regarding bandwidth, as it has been quite balanced.

The features of WatchGuard Firebox I consider most valuable for maintaining network security are the IDS and IPS protection for attacks, which are critical for attack mitigation.

My advice to other professionals who are considering using WatchGuard Firebox is that it is an interesting tool in terms of competitiveness with other technologies and it is very secure. I give this product an overall rating of eight out of ten.

We distributed WatchGuard Firebox as a selling point for business-to-business solutions. We configure those Fireboxes for certain companies and provide technical support for companies who have problems configuring their Fireboxes.

We deployed WatchGuard Firebox in various companies, including partner companies and government offices. When deploying WatchGuard Firebox, we ask the client or customer if they want us to configure it based on their current setup or if they do not have a certain Firebox yet. If we want to configure WatchGuard Firebox automatically when there are no Fireboxes present, but if there is an ongoing or another brand of Firebox, we certainly configure it the way the old one does. The transition from other brands or vendors' Fireboxes is not significantly different when it comes to deploying WatchGuard Firebox. Most likely, it is an easy deployment when it comes to WatchGuard Firebox.

I configured the endpoint security of WatchGuard Firebox. At the same time, I did not examine the access points for WatchGuard Firebox, so those are the three products that I handled for the company.

WatchGuard Firebox has a unified platform that allows you to easily go through each product of WatchGuard Firebox. For example, you have your two-factor authenticator, you have your Fireboxes, you have your endpoint security, and so on. Those four pillars or mostly the products of WatchGuard Firebox can be handled into one platform or one dashboard, and it is accessed through the cloud. When it comes to the user experience, WatchGuard Firebox is one of the good products out there considering its price.

WatchGuard Firebox has a user-friendly platform that is beginner-friendly, so you do not have to go with the CLI or the Command Line Interface. You just have to click the configuration right there on the dashboard, so you do not really have to have a background in the commands that you have for configuring WatchGuard Firebox itself. WatchGuard Firebox also has a good reputation when it comes to securing your network, for example, your network in your company. It has a different approach when it comes to its endpoint security, and it has many features, such as Zero Trust. A lot of things are right there in those Fireboxes, so I would say that it is user-friendly, and at the same time, if you want to go into detail with those configurations, you can still do so. It is user-friendly and good for those who want to really configure it in an advanced way.

WatchGuard Firebox does really simplify things a lot when it comes to configuration. You do not have to be on-site. For example, when configuring an off-site Firebox, such as a satellite office, you do not need to go right there; you just have to configure it on the premises of your office and then send WatchGuard Firebox to that off-site office. It is already configured there, and you just have to turn it on. This is a really simplified way of configuring things. At the same time, WatchGuard Firebox has good quarantine blocking of certain attacks. Right there and then, you can see what are the things that your team or the SOC, for us the cybersecurity team, what are the threats that are going on in our network. So it really simplifies things a lot for us.

WatchGuard Firebox has spam blocking features. We configure it out; most likely, you do have to configure certain settings when it comes to the protocol or the network protocols that you have there or the ports related to emails. WatchGuard Firebox has that feature, and it is a good feature when it comes to that Firebox.

A recommendation for using WatchGuard Firebox is to stick with what is secure. Some configurations are meant to lay low on the threat blocking, so just configure it with Zero Trust and be mindful of your configuration because it may have consequences when it comes to lowering the guard when using WatchGuard Firebox.

WatchGuard Firebox does have some features that need enhancement. The dashboard itself has an outdated appearance, just the looks of WatchGuard Firebox; it looks really outdated. But again, as long as it is working, it is still working. When it comes to the looks, the dashboard of WatchGuard Firebox needs some revamping or updating. Overall, I do not have any more needs for improvements for WatchGuard Firebox itself.

It has been a while since I configured one of their Fireboxes; going for a year already.

Most likely, I did not encounter any bottlenecks or errors or reductions in system performance after deploying WatchGuard Firebox. It has some limits, but I did not encounter any issues when it comes to WatchGuard Firebox itself.

None for my end for now.

WatchGuard Firebox does figure things out a little bit much easier when it comes to technical support. They do have features like hiring them or utilizing their service as a service, so they could provide you with a security operational center. They will be the ones to protect or configure your Fireboxes, and they will send you real-time reports. When it comes to technical support, WatchGuard Firebox is really out there when it comes to helping customers or end users or support itself.

The tech support of WatchGuard Firebox is 8 out of 10. It is because of the time; they operate on US time, so mostly when it comes here in the Philippines, it is a real bummer. But most likely, if your case is urgent, they will be the one to give you full-on support.

I did work with FortiNet and Sophos.

The price itself for WatchGuard Firebox varies. We are a business-to-business entity, so the price really depends on the understanding of WatchGuard Firebox plus the end user. We do have some government contracts for bidding, so I do not have a specific price for each Firebox.

Some pros of WatchGuard Firebox over FortiNet are the software or firmware used. FortiNet uses an open-source firmware, making the dashboard difficult to navigate because it looks outdated. At the same time, it is open-source rather than the proprietary software of WatchGuard, which is a US brand. The looks of WatchGuard Firebox have certain differences. The support itself from WatchGuard as a good US company provides excellent technical support, in contrast, FortiNet's technical support is lacking, so users often need to refer to forums and manuals, making it hard for them to solve their problems. Those are some pros and cons I see when comparing those two products.

We primarily distributed WatchGuard Firebox as a business-to-business solution. WatchGuard Firebox is deployed for various companies and government offices. The deployment is often straightforward, with options for either automatic configuration when no previous Fireboxes are present or mirroring the configuration of existing Fireboxes from alternative brands. An effortless transition when implementing WatchGuard Firebox is typically reported when replacing another brand. I would rate WatchGuard Firebox a 10 out of 10.