Network access + policy management
Managed Firewall Services for Michigan businesses.
A firewall is an important control point, but the service extends beyond the appliance. CTS helps connect network policy, changes, maintenance and monitoring to the systems and applications the business depends on.
The business question
Keep network policy aligned with the business.
Rules accumulate as applications, vendors and locations change. The environment needs an understood owner and a way to distinguish necessary access from permissions left over from earlier work.
A vendor asks for a permanent access exception.
The decision should include the business purpose, source, destination, duration and owner. A documented exception is easier to review than a rule nobody can explain later.
Define the service
What the relationship needs to cover.
The useful scope connects the technical capability with the people and operating work around it.
Policy and configuration
Define approved traffic, network boundaries and responsibility for changes.
Maintenance and lifecycle
Discuss supported hardware, software updates, licensing and replacement planning.
Monitoring and review
Review relevant logs, operational issues and the effect of policy changes.
From discussion to operation
Make the next step explicit.
Start with the current environment, define the responsibility and agree on how the work will be reviewed.
- 01
Understand the traffic
Map locations, applications, internet dependencies and existing rules.
- 02
Align the policy
Agree on changes, testing, exception handling and business impact.
- 03
Keep the design current
Review the policy as systems, users and external dependencies change.
Coverage for devices, high availability, threat-prevention features and monitoring depends on the agreed platform and service scope.
Questions before you decide
Understand what you are buying.
These distinctions help make the service conversation more useful.
Can we keep our existing firewall?
Discuss its support status, configuration, capabilities and fit before assuming it must be replaced.
Does a firewall replace endpoint or identity security?
No. Those controls protect different parts of the environment.
Who approves a rule change?
The operating process should define request, approval, testing and documentation responsibilities.
Part of the wider environment
Connect the responsibilities.
This service works alongside other parts of your IT and security operating model.
Useful reading
Keep exploring the question.
Related CTS articles offer background and practical perspectives.
Are SSL VPNs Still Secure? Why Businesses Are Moving Beyond Them
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Read the articleCompliance-Ready MSPs for Regulated SMBs
Read more about the operating decisions behind this service.
Read the articleStart with your environment
Talk through managed firewall services with CTS.
Tell us what is changing, what concerns you and how the responsibility is handled today. We will help you identify a useful next step.