I deal with Barracuda WAF-as-a-Service and usually recommend it for private and government companies.
Barracuda CloudGen WAF for AWS - PAYG
Barracuda NetworksExternal reviews
External reviews are not included in the AWS star rating for the product.
Impressive Automation and Easy Cloud Integration with Deep Threat Protection
Advanced threat analytics have strengthened compliance efforts but licensing and SIEM need work
What is our primary use case?
What is most valuable?
The automatic security updates are excellent. These updates help our customers transition smoothly between interface versions. We started with an old Barracuda interface, implemented everything there, and then moved to the new interface, which is very good and helpful.
Barracuda WAF-as-a-Service's real-time attack detection feature has improved our customers' threat response strategies significantly.
I have found value in the actionable analytics provided. Our customers have seen benefits such as access to a lot of data and the ability to analyze real-time threats through the actionable analytics.
What needs improvement?
I assess the impact of Barracuda WAF-as-a-Service on compliance efforts regarding security events as good in terms of compliance, although there are a few issues. There is one issue regarding local data storage, as they do not have that capability, and we are storing the data in another foreign country, which is against the law. Data is supposed to be within the South African border.
In my opinion, the main direction for improvement should be around the licensing part, as it should not be quite complex. The price of their licensing model is a bit steep. However, for other features such as web application threat detection and data compliance, they are very good, especially for application trafficking and caching. The pricing and SIEM integration sometimes create challenges, and we need to get professional help with those areas.
For the next release, Barracuda WAF-as-a-Service should include advanced APIs and perhaps AI-driven detections. They can improve the integration with SIEM and SOAR.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working with Barracuda WAF-as-a-Service for quite a few years.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
There are competitors to Barracuda WAF-as-a-Service. Depending on a client's requirement, I would recommend it, but there are competitors such as F5 and Cloudflare, and it depends on what the client wants. Sometimes, clients might want a firewall and choose something like Fortinet or Cisco secure firewall.
What other advice do I have?
The price of their licensing model is a bit steep, but for other features such as web application threat detection and data compliance, they are very good, especially for application trafficking and caching. I am happy with it; it is just that the pricing and SIEM integration sometimes create challenges, and we need to get professional help with those areas.
Implementing Barracuda WAF-as-a-Service is quite complex, and you need to have substantial knowledge in this area. I rate Barracuda WAF-as-a-Service an overall score of six.
Dependable Network Protection with Great Support
Simplified Control Centre Management with Powerful SDWAN TINA Tunnel
2. Separate management and data plane.
3. SDWAN feature with TINA Tunnel
2. Complex Configuration for new users.
2. Simplified management for Enterprise grade network infra.
Advanced Security + SD-WAN with Centralized Management and Strong VPN
2. Cetralized Management(Seperate data and management plane)
3. VPN, SDWAN along with its own TINA VPN tunnel has added advantages.
2. Bugs on SDWAN features with friquent software update for bug fixing seems inconsistent.
3. Initial configuration seems quite complicated.
2. Clear visibiltiy of the traffic on each firewall.
3. Centralized management using controller helps efficient management.
Security management has reduced ransomware risk and now protects cloud workloads efficiently
What is our primary use case?
We primarily use Barracuda WAF-as-a-Service for raising security incidents by proactively blocking malware, ransomware, and phishing attacks to reduce breach risk and response time. Apart from that, we use it for streamlining added sites without performance drops, which also helps to support the growth of our teams. Additionally, we reduce hardware costs by decommissioning on-premises firewalls during our cloud migration with minimal disruption and a familiar UI for quick adoption.
When I mention reducing breach risk and streamlining added sites, there is one specific case I want to tell you about where Barracuda WAF-as-a-Service helped us directly. About three to four months back, there was a ransomware attack where it reportedly sent notifications to the admin panel, and Barracuda blocked the malware and phishing attack, sharing an advanced report with our team. This allowed us to directly contact the team, minimizing the risk of data breach. This was one case where we observed the benefits, and there have been multiple instances since we started using it.
What is most valuable?
The best features that Barracuda WAF-as-a-Service offers are an intuitive centralized dashboard, allowing us to manage policies, Internet protocol servers, antiviruses, anti-DDoS attacks, and traffic shaping across multiple sites. This feature enables seamless scaling of our environments, especially as we work within Amazon Web Services. Additionally, real-time threat intelligence helps us to detect threats in real-time. Another major feature I love is application control and VPN support, providing granular visibility and protection without needing separate appliances.
The centralized dashboard is helping us streamline visibility across our admin panels and provides site-to-site visibility deployed directly to our AWS environment, securing VPC traffic and ensuring the firewall is in place. The real-time threat intelligence is an advanced feature helping us track real-time attacks, such as anti-DDoS attacks, ransomware, or viruses that can compromise system integrity. Through the intuitive centralized dashboard, we can manage policies and set rules, assisting us effectively.
What needs improvement?
I see that cost can be a limitation for small businesses. Additionally, if they can provide more advanced features and customization for specific use cases, that would be beneficial. Apart from that, I do not feel there are any other problems. From our perspective, there is not an issue. All the data I have shared is in favor of Barracuda because the ROI they have given us is tremendous, and they are doing really well in terms of product, scalability, and service. We have seen that it is a great solution with no issues from our end.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working in my current field for more than ten years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Barracuda WAF-as-a-Service is definitely a stable solution, and I give it a ten out of ten as we have not faced any downtime, crashes, or lag.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Scalability is good for Barracuda WAF-as-a-Service; we can scale up or down based on our needs, as it comes with this model directly from the AWS Marketplace, which is really great.
How are customer service and support?
Customer support for Barracuda WAF-as-a-Service is rated ten out of ten. We had an incident requiring direct support, and the representatives were really helpful, resolving our query within forty-five minutes, so it stands at ten out of ten for me.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We did not use any other solution prior to Barracuda WAF-as-a-Service; this is the first time we have used this service.
How was the initial setup?
The initial deployment of Barracuda WAF-as-a-Service was really smooth. The team collaborated with our team and assisted with configuration. As we use a pay-as-you-go model, the licensing and every detail is managed well, backed by the AWS Marketplace, making it an excellent experience. Everything from provisioning to policies was set up on time, so my initial deployment experience was very positive with no issues at all.
What about the implementation team?
The integration of Barracuda WAF-as-a-Service with other AWS services is seamless. Whatever services we are using with it, including non-related software, it integrates excellently. We have not faced any downtime, crashes, or lags while using this solution.
What was our ROI?
Barracuda WAF-as-a-Service has positively impacted our organization by reducing cyber threats like ransomware and phishing by ninety-five percent. This is a significant thing because we have seen a major drop in those numbers. Earlier, we faced many threats, but now I can say we see ninety to ninety-five percent fewer attacks. Additionally, centralized management has decreased by twenty-two to thirty percent, and costs related to avoiding breaches have decreased by at least seventy percent. On the ROI side, proactive blocking has led to efficiency gains and bandwidth optimization, boosting productivity and reliability for our distributed teams by thirty-three point eight percent.
The reduction in cyber threats and the increase in productivity I mentioned earlier are measured based on incident reports. Barracuda provides good data, and as I have said, it offers a clear dashboard where we can track progress. This data is a collective set from our admin and other teams closely working with engineering and other departments.
We have seen a return on investment of at least a million dollars, which could have been lost due to data breaches or attacks on the organization by effectively blocking threats. The downtime has decreased significantly, and our efficiency has improved by twenty-two point five percent thanks to real-time monitoring and traffic optimization. Additionally, we have reduced hardware costs by fifty percent by decommissioning on-premises firewalls during cloud migration with minimal disruption and a familiar UI for quick adoption. Productivity has increased as teams can focus more, leading to a rise of forty to fifty percent.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The metering and billing experience is really good because it operates on a pay-as-you-go model through hourly AWS billing, which includes features like the firewall and VPN. We also have a buy-your-own licensing option, which we do not utilize, sticking to AWS billing. This system allows us to pay only for what we use, saving a lot of money, so I give it a ten out of ten as it is both a money and time saver for the organization.
The pricing, setup cost, and licensing not only follow the same pay-as-you-go model but are also billed hourly by the AWS Marketplace. We select it based on our requirements, scaling up or down accordingly. This flexibility is how we have chosen this model.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
Before selecting Barracuda WAF-as-a-Service, we evaluated other options, including AWS Network Firewall, Palo Alto Network VM-Series, Fortinet VM, a Force Firewall, and pfSense.
What other advice do I have?
I rate Barracuda WAF-as-a-Service a five out of five overall. The reason I choose five out of five is that all the things I have mentioned earlier represent a great solution for our organization. It has effectively blocked malware and phishing attacks while optimizing bandwidth for our development environment. The deployment to our client network segmentation was really great, and the SD-WAN integration with on-premises and auto-scaling clusters for loads has been working well in our Agile ceremonies. Moreover, it leverages hybrid environments, helping to reduce unauthorized access during our CI/CD pipelines and ensuring compliant data flows.
I advise anyone looking for dedicated protection for their organization, aiding in threat prevention and unifying the threat management system with high performance at low cost, to go for Barracuda WAF-as-a-Service. They are a really good service.
User friendly and secure SASE system
Barracuda Advanced Secuirty Features
Provide the Advanced threat Protection capabilities
benefits of reduce the cyber threats and attacks , ensure the protect the data security in the organization
A Solid Choice for SASE: Barracuda Delivers
Security Features: Security is paramount for us, and Barracuda SASE does not disappoint. The platform comes equipped with robust threat protection mechanisms, including real-time monitoring and automatic threat intelligence updates. I feel much more secure knowing our data is well-guarded.
Flexibility and Scalability: As our organization has grown, we've added more users and locations. Barracuda SASE has handled this expansion seamlessly. The ability to scale without a hitch has allowed us to adapt our network architecture easily.