What is Firewall-as-a-Service?

The firewall is one of the most important components of cybersecurity. The firewall sits at the edge of the internet connection filtering everything going into and out of the business.

One of the biggest gaps in any company’s cybersecurity strategy is constantly updating the firewall against the latest threat. Once a new threat or vulnerability is identified in the world, hackers have a new tool to break into your business. Your risk only increases until you patch your firewall against that threat. This is the cornerstone why Axiom was founded.

Not only do we provide proprietary Axiom technology that can process packets faster than other chipsets on the market, we fully configure the device for every business because no two businesses are the same. We then manage that device so that as new configurations become necessary, such as VPN tunnels or open ports, our experts can make those changes securely, so you don’t have to worry about accidentally leaving a backdoor open to hackers when changes are made.

The devices are monitored 24/7 by certified cybersecurity experts for indicators of compromise (IoC) as well as breach activity and attacks such as DDoS or ransomware. Our engineers monitor uptime and will reach out to the client if we see an outage, a major attack, or an advanced persistent threat.

Most importantly, our devices are updated more than 52,000 times per year. Because we fully manage the firewall, we can provide the most broad-spectrum updates in the industry. Behaviors, signatures, definitions, access control lists, heuristics, black lists, block lists, encryption algorithms and much more can be updated without the need to restart the device. Because of this advance in technology, we are able to reduce the amount of time from identification of a vulnerability to patching against it down to minutes rather than months.

Our updates originate from the SecureAmerica Threat Defense platform which is Axiom’s proprietary big data analytics engine that brings in multiple threat feeds from open and closed sources of vulnerability and hacker information. The platform then creates an update that is specific for our customers and pushes it out in real time. Our clients also become sources of threat intelligence. If their device sees a “Zero Day” attack, our firewall will send that to the platform and the update creation process begins. Within minutes of a client seeing a new threat, every Axiom customer is protected against it.

Axiom also provides real time feedback through our customer portal. This allows business owners and executives to get a real time look into what may be hitting their company. For IT administrators, there is a dashboard feature coming soon that will give full local visibility into logs, configurations, connections, and prevention statistics. Each month, the designated executive will receive summary reports so that you understand the tremendous value Axiom brings. When’s the last time your firewall emailed you to let you know it’s doing its job?

One of the benefits of Firewall as a Service is the need for less staff to manage it. Cybersecurity staff members can be costly and hard to find. Cybersecurity jobs are plentiful and employees to fill these roles are increasingly hard to find. Axiom can save businesses thousands of dollars in staff dollars alone. Another benefit is lower TCO or “total cost of ownership”. Because the hardware is included in the monthly subscription, there’s no large outlay of capital. Next generation firewalls can cost hundreds or thousands of dollars depending on throughput. With Axiom, you get the right device for your business at a low monthly subscription you can afford.

Another benefit is the unlimited change requests and support. Our engineers are here 24/7 to assist with whatever changes are needed and any tech support questions about our device or platform.

Call today to see if you qualify for a trial of the Axiom Firewall as a Service. Once you get your first monthly report of all the threats and attacks Axiom is able to prevent, we’re confident you’ll want to keep us in place.

Why do I need a next generation firewall if my data is securely stored in the cloud?

Many businesses get a false sense of security by thinking that using cloud-based applications and data storage is all the protection they need from cyber-attacks. Keep in mind, however, that when you use “the cloud” you are simply using someone else’s network for your applications and to store your data.  Any protections your cloud-based provider supplies are for what you have and use on their network. They are not protecting your office or your network – your computers, printers, devices – and your connection to the internet and to their or anyone else’s network.

As your company relies on more cloud-based applications like Office 365, Salesforce, and Dropbox, internet connectivity becomes even more important. A next generation firewall combines powerful protection for your network and provides the highest levels of internet availability for users and your applications.

The Axiom Sentry is ideal for small to medium-sized businesses looking for a robust next-generation firewall that:

  • Detects and prevents intruders access to your company network
  • Protects your users from going to undesirable or dangerous websites
  • Prevents malicious software (malware) being embedded in your network
  • Blocks attacks on your network that would keep you from accessing the internet (including accessing your cloud-based applications)
  • Hides” your network from being scanned by attackers looking for weaknesses
  • Stops attackers from locking down your computers and demanding payment to release them (ransomware)

In addition to the advanced protection that the Axiom Sentry provides, it is also designed for:

  • Small businesses with no trained cyber-security staff. You’re not in the business of cyber-security. However, we are. So we manage and monitor the Axiom Sentry and quickly notify you of events that you need to be aware of. We also provide you an easily readable monthly analysis of the attempts made to compromise your network and how you have been protected.
  • Easy installation. You don’t have to be a “tech person” to connect it. If you can plug in a telephone, you can install the Axiom Sentry. Once it is connected and powered on it will do the rest.
  • Affordability. There is no equipment to buy and no long-term commitment. For as low as $199/month, it will cost you less in a year for enterprise-level protection than many businesses pay in a week to protect their networks.
  • Peace of mind. In today’s internet connected world, what you don’t know will hurt you. We’ve got your back with Axiom Sentry, protecting you from today’s threats as well as tomorrow’s.

Don’t be lulled into the false sense of security you might get from having your data and applications in the cloud. That kind of protection may be good. But the Axiom Sentry next-generation firewall is your first-line of defense – the one that begins in your office where all of your data originates.

At Axiom, we are passionate about protecting small businesses from the cyber threats that are out there. If you’d like more information or have any questions, please contact me at 800-519-5070, or you can email us at info@axiomcyber.com.

Why a Managed Firewall Is Good For Small Businesses

Why a Managed Firewall Is Good For Small Businesses

Do you have a firewall at your business? Did you know that your firewall was obsolete the day you installed it? A startling statement to many… but unless you have an expert managing your security updates on a daily basis, your business is not protected against today’s threats. Think of your firewall like your antivirus. If you install it and just leave it running without updating the definitions, you are vulnerable to any new threats.

Cyber-criminals are constantly evolving and finding new ways to exploit vulnerabilities such as default username/password combinations, known security holes, and outdated security definitions. And when a new security hole is announced to the world, the bad guys race to exploit the vulnerability before organizations install updates and unfortunately, major vendors keep discovering and patching serious vulnerabilities.

Firewall management is time-intensive and requires security expertise. Firewall patches are not easy to install and require a backup in case the patch fails. Plus most firewalls require a reboot of the devices which means the business is taken offline during the update. Given these difficulties, many businesses schedule quarterly or less updates for their firewalls which leave the business open to attack through known vulnerabilities for long periods of time.

The absence of a firewall or an improperly configured firewall is a major factor in many data breaches. A robust firewall is the imperative first line of defense against intrusions and other threats for all business network. So how does a small business without an IT department much less a cyber-security expert get protected? The answer: A Managed Firewall.

A Managed Firewall is a firewall that is monitored, managed, and kept up-to-date by cybersecurity experts.

Managed firewalls offer several benefits such as:

  • Reduce resource costs -The average salary for a cybersecurity expert is $80-120,000 per year
  • Security compliance – The business will have the protection requirements to ensure PCI DSS, FFIEC/GLBA, SOX, HIPAA, etc regulations
  • No licensing costs – The cost is fixed month to month so you can budget accordingly and not get hit with license renewal fees after a year
  • Reporting – Unless you log into your firewall, you probably don’t know what it is doing. Managed firewall services typically offer some type of threat analysis reporting

How Can We Help?

Axiom Cyber Solutions strives to make managed cybersecurity affordable to small businesses that may not have a large IT budget. Starting at just $199 per month, with no long term obligation, Axiom Cyber Solutions provides a fully configured enterprise class next generation firewall (NGFW) that is plug & play to the business and begins to monitor, manage, and update the firewall as soon as it comes online. Let our cybersecurity experts secure your business against today’s threats and those of tomorrow.