What is a Managed Firewall?Managed firewall refers to a firewall service provided and managed by a service provider. The service provider is responsible for installing, configuring and daily maintaining the firewall to assist customers establish strong network protection. Compared with purchasing and managing firewalls by themselves, managed firewalls do not require customers to invest in professional knowledge and human resources in firewalls, which can save costs and risks than starting your own firewall.Main Types of Managed FirewallsFirewall as a Service (FWaaS): With FWaaS, a customer purchases firewall services from a cloud provider and the provider manages the firewall infrastructure. The customer can configure firewall rules and policies but the underlying infrastructure is managed by the provider. This can be a cost-effective option but the customer relies on the provider for security, patching, and management of the firewall.Managed security service: Some security companies offer managed firewall services where they provide and manage the customer's firewall infrastructure. The security company's staff monitor, manage, and respond to any issues with the firewall. This can provide expert management and monitoring of firewalls but tends to be a more premium offering with higher costs.Co-managed firewall: A co-managed firewall indicates the shared responsibilities for both the customer and service provider to manage and operate the firewall infrastructure. The provider may manage core functions while the customer configures rules and policies. This hybrid model gives the customer more control but at the same time more responsibility for security and management.The specific type of managed firewall service that is right for an organization will depend on their skills, resources, and preferences around responsibility and control versus costs.The Common Issues of Managed Firewalls Some common issues or downsides to managed firewall services include:Lack of control: With a fully managed firewall service, the customer has to give up some degree of control of their firewall infrastructure to the service provider. This can be uncomfortable for some organizations that wish to have more control over their security.Reliance on third-party: The customer has to rely on the service provider to properly manage, monitor, and update the firewall infrastructure. If the provider makes a mistake or is compromised, it can impact the customer.Potential for higher costs: While managed firewall services can be cost-effective for small organizations or in a hybrid model, fully managed firewall services from a dedicated security company tend to be a premium offering with higher costs. The ongoing management fees and costs need to be evaluated relative to in-house management costs to ensure the quality of the service.Vendor lock-in: When a customer chooses a managed firewall service, they become dependent on that single provider and it can be difficult or costly to switch providers later on. This vendor lock-in needs to be considered before adopting a managed firewall service.Those are some of the key potential issues or downsides to managed firewall services. As with any solution, organizations need to evaluate the pros and cons based on their own requirements and risk tolerance. It is also viable and optimal to consult with different third-party service providers to ensure a service that suits the needs of the organization.