Cybersecurity vendor WatchGuard announced the launch of their latest product, FireCloud Internet Access, the first in a new family of hybrid secure access service edge (SASE) products, today. The product is designed to deliver consistency across firewall and cloud-based defenses with nearly identical configurations and no learning curve, WatchGuard claims.
About FireCloud Internet Access
Modern cybersecurity consists of managing hybrid networks, which combine on-premises and cloud or firewall-as-a-service environments. With FireCloud Internet Access, WatchGuard aims to create a solution that integrates on-premises environments seamlessly. This is critical to reduce the number of isolated systems MSPs must manage, which increases overhead costs and complexity.
“What’s unique about FireCloud Internet Access is that we’ve taken a ground-up approach to building a hybrid architecture, which covers both perimeter devices and SASE architectures,” says Andrew Young, chief product officer at WatchGuard. “Having that single implementation [point] allows the MSP to decide what that architecture is going to be for each customer. It’s going to be different for everyone. Some may be very perimeter-focused, others might be very cloud-focused, but most are going to fall somewhere in that hybrid. They need both, and the consistent ability to write policy and deliver those services.”
WatchGuard aims to fill a need in the industry with this product. “We saw a lot of siloed implementations, cloud-or-die mentalities, and bolt-on acquisitions. That created inconsistency for MSPs, which means inefficiency,” says Young. FireCloud Internet Access is designed as a more consistent, more efficient option, organically built on the WatchGuard Unified Security Platform architecture, Young says.
FireCloud Internet Access integrates with WatchGuard Cloud and shares unified policy management with the Firebox network security device. WatchGuard says this product will enable MSPs to deliver a SASE solution to clients, with an adoption model that fits their hybrid environments. The product also promises flexible and scalable licensing and pricing, easy deployment, and integration into WatchGuard’s threat detection and response platform.
The First of the FireCloud Suite
FireCloud Internet Access is the first product in WatchGuard’s new FireCloud suite. Also to come are solutions covering private access, SD-WAN, ZTNA, and CASB. A private access solution will come later this year, says Young, followed by an SD-WAN product.
“When we think about SASE architecture, [we want to provide] the same level of security as when [a user] is traditionally in the office and accessing the internet. Now, you get that same level of security whether you’re in the office or remote, by creating that consistent architecture between the two,” Young says.
On WatchGuard’s roadmap going forward, Young hinted at “heavily investing in managed services” in light of their recent ActZero acquisition. “We have a rich roadmap across the portfolio,” he says. “A lot of really exciting capabilities coming out there.”
FireCloud Internet Access is globally available now. WatchGuard partners have immediate access to the new product. Additionally, thanks to WatchGuard’s open distribution model, non-partnered MSPs will also have access.
