Conducting business transactions online has become the norm over the years because of its speed and convenience. However, this has put businesses more at risk of external threats. In a Symantec’s 2018 Threat Report, results showed that malware attacks are up by 200% in the previous years and according to the FBI, over 4,000 ransomware attacks occur every day.
If you don’t reinforce your company’s cyber protection, not only will your confidential information become compromised, you may even lose money and jeopardize the trust that your customers have placed in you.
To counter this, many companies choose to carry out security measures in the form of anti-virus programs, limited control access, and strict password policies. There are also those who choose to invest in IT security tools. These applications are designed specifically to protect your network from security hazards and hackers. It equips users with encryption tools, firewall programs, spyware detection options, antivirus solutions, and other security measures to help you keep your digital data away from prying eyes.
Of course, other than safeguarding your business’ data, there are plenty of reasons to utilize an IT security software for your workplace. As you can see in the table provided, companies often increase their investment in cyber protection as part of compliance requirements (50.3%), to improve the complexity of their IT infrastructure (44.4%), or to meet customer demands (19.9%).
Source: Kaspersky Lab
But despite your reason for investing in cyber protection software, how do you know which one is the best option for your company? To help you begin your search, we will be discussing the pros and cons of ManageEngine Firewall Analyzer. This is one of the best examples of IT security management tools available on the market. Known for its intuitive interface and robust features, it can address a number of log analytics issues and firewall configuration concerns for businesses of all types and sizes.
In this article, we will be giving you an in-depth analysis of the many advantages of using this software as well as some of the problems you may encounter upon opting for this system. We have also jotted down some of its key features and some of the unique functions it has to offer to help you get better acquainted with its capabilities.
What is ManageEngine Firewall Analyzer
Before we get down to the nitty-gritty of explaining the pros and cons of ManageEngine Firewall Analyzer, let us first discuss what it is and what it can do for your operations.
Firewall Analyzer Dashboard
ManageEngine Firewall Analyzer is a state-of-the-art configuration and log analytics management solution that uses agent-less technology. Built to provide you with complete network activity insights, this software allows you to monitor firewall logs, security events, and bandwidth utilization 24/7. It can perform various processes such as set up firewalls, proxies, layer 3 network devices, change management systems, and risk analysis. You can try its features at no cost when you sign up for a ManageEngine Firewall Analyzer demo here.
ManageEngine Firewall Analyzer
Try out ManageEngine Firewall Analyzer with their free trial
Additionally, Firewall Analyzer abides by the regulations of many organizations, making it easier for you to meet the IT audit standards set by the SEC, FINRA, and SOX. To give you a better idea of what this IT security system can offer, here’s a complete list of its features:
- Firewall Compliance Management
- PCI DSS Compliance Repor
- ISO 27001:2013 Compliance Report
- SANS Compliance Report
- NIST Compliance Report
- NERC CIP Compliance Report
- Security Audit & Configuration Analysis Report
- Configuration Change Management Report
- Firewall Policy Overview Report
- Firewall Used Rules Report
- Firewall Unused Rules Report
- Firewall Security Management
- Firewall Policy Optimization Report
- Firewall Reports
- Virus, Attack, & Security Reports
- VPN Reports
- Application Reports for Firewall
- Proxy Server Reports
- Real-time Bandwidth Monitoring
- Bandwidth Monitoring
- Traffic Analyzer
- URL Monitoring
- Employee Internet Usage Monitoring
- Firewall Alerts
- Alert Notifications
- Alert Administration
- Managed Firewall Service
- Dashboard and User based Views
- Rebranding Firewall Analyzer Web Client
- Firewall Log Management
- Firewall Log Analysis
- Virtual Firewall Support
- Importing Firewall Log Files
- External User Authentication
- Custom Reports
- Scheduled Reports
- Diagnose Live Firewall Connections
- Trend Analysis for Capacity Planning
- Active VPN Connection Trend Reports
- Firewall Credential Profiles
- User/ Hostname Resolution for Reports
ManageEngine Firewall Analyzer Pros & Cons
Firewall Analyzer’s Compliance Standard Dashboard
Completely Vendor-Agnostic
Finding a software that can mesh well with your devices and other systems can be excruciatingly difficult, not to mention costly. Luckily, with Firewall Analyzer, compatibility is never an issue. This software can provide log analytics and configuration management solutions for almost all open-source and commercial network firewalls. They support over 50 firewall vendors, including Palo Alto, Fortinet, Cisco, Check Point, and Juniper. Meaning, you’re free to choose whatever hardware you like and still be confident that this system will be able to work with it.
Instant Notification Options
Protecting the integrity of your network requires keeping a close eye on everything that happens to your security infrastructure. However, this can be tedious and it will surely keep you or your employees from working on more attention-demanding tasks. To make sure that you are in-the-loop about changes to your network, Firewall Analyzer is built to send you real-time notifications on your desktop or mobile device. This means whether you are at work or elsewhere, you will know the who, what, when, and why of all firewall configuration changes. If you’re worried about these notifications cluttering your email or SMS inbox, the system also has exclusion filters that you can toggle depending on your preferences.
Robust Internet Activity Monitoring
You pay hefty fees to make sure that slow internet speed will not affect your operations. So, why should you allow personal internet usage to choke your bandwidth? To help you address this issue, Firewall Analyzer has a robust employee internet monitoring tool. This feature shall allow you to identify specific sources of internet overuse or misuse, keep tabs on internet transactions that may expose your devices to malware, as well as get inbound and outbound internet traffic flows. This way, you get a full visibility regarding what your bandwidth is being used for.
Real-Time VPN Monitoring
Firewall Analyzer offers a bird’s eye view of your overall bandwidth usage through their Live Reports feature. Meaning, you get real-time VPN monitoring that lets you check user-specific and user group specific VPN usage. This also informs you about the top websites your employees accessed, the users who are most active in your intranet, and the most frequent anomalies that your firewall has tagged.
Firewall Analyzer’s Firewall Policy Management Dashboard
Comprehensive Firewall Policy Management
Setting up firewall rules is only one step in the process. Network operators should also have a clear understanding of the impact of these rules. This is why Firewall Analyzer provides a comprehensive policy management tool that reports all events detected by your firewall. All these triggers are the listed by specific rule, so you can analyze the usage and effectiveness of your Firewall rules. After which, you can choose to fine-tune some rules for optimal performance, remove unused rules, as well as come up with new ones to reinforce your network security infrastructure.
Dependable Network Security
One can never be too careful when it comes to preventing network attacks and security breaches. If you’re looking for dependable network security tools, Firewall Analyzer can provide you with best-in-class options that not only detect anomalous events but also allow you to tighten your firewall controls. This way, you can be proactive in safeguarding your network from threats.
Thorough Forensic Auditing
Another unique aspect about Firewall Analyzer is its unique raw log search and reporting tool. This allows network operators to search the raw firewall data log to pinpoint exact entries that caused particular security activities. By utilizing this feature, you can cut down the manual effort you have to exert during incident mining.
Firewall Analyzer’s Policy Overview Dashboard
Easy Report Generation
Transforming your security logs into actionable information is one of the greatest advantages that Firewall Analyzer has to offer. It collects all of your data and presents them in a comprehensible manner. You may then choose to export these reports in user-friendly formats such as PDF and CSV, making record keeping easier.
Rapid ROI
One of the best possible reasons to choose this product is that it has a low total cost of ownership. Firewall Analyzer does not require any additional hardware and to top that, their subscription model offers minimal entry cost that is inclusive of maintenance fees. The software can also be quickly deployed so you won’t experience any downtime as you try to set it up. Additionally, subscriptions are competitively priced and the software is designed to help you reduce IT overhead, ensuring a more rapid ROI.
Scalable Subscription Plans
Whether you own a startup company or a large corporation, Firewall Analyzer has subscription plans that can suit your operations. It is available in two editions: the Premium plan which can support up to 60 devices and the Distributed plan that can support up to 1200 devices. Both offer a scalable architecture that makes it ideal for businesses of all sizes. You may also opt to purchase a one-time license fee as well. However, it is important to note that these initial licensing fees start at $1795, so it may not be advisable for small businesses with limited financial resources.
Conclusion
Malware and other cyber security threats are no joke, so investing in a platform that will take these issues seriously is important. And that starts with taking a look at some of the best IT security systems available on the market. Hopefully, upon getting a clearer view of the pros and cons of ManageEngine Firewall Analyzer, you were able to gauge whether this software will be able to meet your network protection needs. If you’re still undecided about choosing this product, then, check out our list of top IT security solutions. This should be able to give you an overview of the other options available on the market.
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