Have You Considered the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) of your Firewall?
Michael Demery
Having worked with firewalls for nearly three decades, I've come to realise that many people focus solely on the initial cost of the licence or hardware when purchasing a firewall. However, the true costs associated with a firewall often arise long after the system is deployed, and it’s essential to consider these when making a firewall purchase.
In my 30+ years in IT, I have been involved in deploying, training, and selling various firewall vendor solutions. What I've found is that while some vendors may offer excellent solutions that seem cost-effective, the amount of patching required to keep these systems secure can be relentless—some vendors release patches seemingly every month. This results in increased engineering time, extra after-hours work, higher risks, and a greater dependence on senior resources just to maintain a secure and stable environment.
If you only have one firewall to manage, this might not seem too taxing. But if you’re part of an organisation with multiple firewalls, the situation can quickly become overwhelming. At Seccom Global, we've witnessed how vendors with high CVE volumes and frequent patch cycles can ultimately cost you significantly more over time, even when they initially appeared to be the cheaper or better option.
Here’s what you should truly consider when looking to purchase a firewall solution:
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How often will your team need to respond to firmware
updates and security advisories?
Do you have a clear understanding of the Vendor’s Track record in this regard? - Do you have the skilled internal resources required to configure and maintain the devices properly?
- Will you need to invest in additional backend systems, technologies, and resources for real-time monitoring, incident response, and integration?
- How complex are the licensing and support models?
- How often do the Vendor hardware models go End of Life?
Before committing to any technology, it’s essential to do your research.
Ask: How frequently has this solution required patching in the past 12 months?
This often-overlooked factor can significantly impact your ongoing costs and resourcing needs.
Over the past two decades, I’ve worked with many customers who initially believed managing their cybersecurity in-house would be more cost-effective. However, once they fully assessed what's required for a secure and effective deployment — including ongoing maintenance, regular updates, real-time monitoring, and access to skilled expertise — it quickly became clear that the true costs add up quickly.
Our investment in robust backend supporting systems not only enhances the efficiency and effectiveness of our services but also allows us to distribute these costs across multiple clients. This shared infrastructure reduces overall expenses, enabling us to offer high-quality security solutions at a competitive price while ensuring all clients benefit from the latest technologies and expert support that may otherwise be out of reach for an in-house team.