Firewalls are an essential part of any organization’s cybersecurity strategy. They act as a barrier between internal networks and external networks, such as the internet. Firewalls use a set of defined rules to allow or block incoming and outgoing network traffic. The main purpose of firewalls is to protect an organization’s data and infrastructure from cyber threats.
There are many costs associated with firewall security. These expenses include hardware, software, managed services, labor, training, testing, compliance, and incident response. While firewalls require an investment, they provide vital protection. The total cost varies substantially based on the size and complexity of an organization’s IT infrastructure.
This article provides an overview of the key costs associated with firewall security and what organizations should budget for effective protection.
Hardware Costs
The cost of firewall hardware like appliances can vary greatly depending on the size of your organization and your specific security requirements. For small businesses, you can likely get by with a basic firewall appliance for $500-1,000. Mid-size companies will likely need to spend $2,000-5,000 for a more robust enterprise-grade firewall. Large corporations often deploy highly advanced firewalls that can cost $10,000-25,000 or even more.
Factors that affect hardware costs include:
- Firewall throughput (measured in gbps)
- Number of concurrent connections supported
- Number and types of interfaces (e.g. copper, fiber, etc.)
- Advanced security features like IPS, antivirus, sandboxing, etc.
- Centralized management capabilities
- High availability/redundancy features
So in summary, firewall hardware can range from a few hundred dollars for a small office up to tens of thousands for large enterprises. The key is finding the right balance of performance, security, and manageability without overspending.
Software Costs
The costs for software firewalls can vary greatly depending on the type of firewall you need and the features included. Many software firewalls are licensed on a per-user or per-device basis, with costs ranging from free for basic personal firewalls to thousands of dollars annually for enterprise-grade solutions (Firewall Software Buyers Guide).
For small businesses and consumers, basic software firewalls like Windows Firewall or Comodo Firewall can be used for free. More advanced options like ZoneAlarm or Norton 360 start around $40-60 per year for a single device license. For larger organizations, commercial firewall software from top vendors like Cisco, Juniper, Check Point, and Fortinet typically range from $500-$3000 annually per firewall license depending on features (Top Firewall Software in 2023).
Factors that affect software firewall pricing include the number of devices that need protection, required features like intrusion prevention or VPN support, bandwidth limits, and service levels. Many firewall vendors also charge extra for add-ons like antivirus, web filtering, malware scanning, and log analysis tools.
Managed Services
The main benefit of hiring a managed firewall services company is that they will handle the entire firewall infrastructure on your behalf, including set-up, maintenance, upgrades, and monitoring. This can relieve considerable IT burden for organizations who struggle with lack of time, resources, or expertise. According to VC3, managed firewall services usually cost between $150 to $300 per month per firewall device. The monthly cost covers:
- 24/7 remote monitoring and management
- Firmware upgrades and policy optimization
- Real-time alerts and incident response
- Regular configuration backups and reports
For example, AVFirewalls charges around $50 per month to manage a FortiGate firewall. The exact monthly cost will depend on the specific features, support level, and number of devices required. Organizations should evaluate their risk tolerance, compliance needs, and IT resources when deciding whether to utilize managed firewall services.
Labor Costs
One major cost associated with firewall security is the labor required to properly configure, monitor, and maintain the firewall. According to ZipRecruiter, the average hourly pay for a firewall administrator in the US is $46. The salary range for firewall administrators is quite wide, with hourly rates ranging from around $20 for junior roles up to $80+ for highly experienced professionals.
The amount of labor required depends on the complexity of the firewall deployment. More advanced firewalls with extensive rulesets, security features, and integration with other systems require significantly more configuration and maintenance. According to Payscale, network engineers and administrators with firewall expertise can command hourly rates ranging from $18 to $49 depending on experience and certifications.
For small business firewalls, only periodic monitoring and routine maintenance may be necessary after the initial setup. But large enterprise firewall deployments often require multiple specialized IT staff for 24/7 monitoring, troubleshooting issues, managing software updates, optimizing rulesets, and ensuring overall security and availability.
Companies must factor in these ongoing labor costs when budgeting for firewall security. Proper configuration and vigilance are critical for getting the most value from firewall investments.
Training Costs
Proper training for IT staff is crucial for effective firewall management and security. Investing in firewall training can reduce risks and prevent costly security breaches in the long run. However, quality training does come at a significant cost.
Most firewall vendors like Palo Alto Networks offer official certification courses ranging from $200 to over $3000 per person depending on the level of certification. For example, Palo Alto’s entry-level Accredited Configuration Engineer course costs around $200, while the advanced Certified Network Security Engineer certification can cost over $3000 per person (Source).
Ongoing training is also needed as new firewall features and threats emerge. Sending just 5 IT staff for advanced certification can easily amount to $15,000 or more in training costs. Beyond direct course fees, additional training costs may include employee travel expenses and lost productivity during training.
Fortunately, quality online training courses from Udemy and other platforms can offer firewall training for much lower costs, often under $200 per person. However, hands-on instructor-led training is still recommended for advanced technical certifications to ensure staff are fully qualified in configuring and managing complex enterprise firewall systems (Source).
Testing Costs
Penetration testing is an important part of evaluating the effectiveness of firewall security. Professional penetration testers will attempt to breach the firewall’s defenses to identify vulnerabilities before malicious actors can exploit them. The average cost of a penetration test can range from around $2,500-$50,000 depending on the size and complexity of the network infrastructure (source). Some key factors impacting penetration testing costs include:
- Size of the network – larger and more complex networks require more hours and take longer to test comprehensively.
- Internal vs external testing – external testing only from outside the network is cheaper than testing internal vulnerabilities as well.
- Type of testing – black box testing with no insider knowledge is more expensive than white box testing with full access.
- Application testing – web and mobile app penetration testing costs extra.
- Regulations – testing to comply with regulations like PCI DSS tends to be more thorough and costly.
In addition to penetration testing, organizations should conduct regular vulnerability scans and security audits to identify risks. Ongoing testing is key to stay ahead of emerging threats. Comprehensive testing and auditing may cost $15,000-$30,000 annually for many small-to-medium businesses.
Compliance Costs
Achieving and maintaining compliance with industry standards like PCI DSS can significantly add to the cost of a firewall system. The PCI Compliance Costs article breaks down typical costs:
- Self-Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ) for smaller merchants can cost $15,000 – $50,000.
- A full Report on Compliance audit by a Qualified Security Assessor (QSA) for larger organizations generally ranges from $30,000 – $200,000.
The costs scale based on company size, transaction volume, and complexity of infrastructure. Annual or quarterly compliance audits are required which incur re-certification costs. Internal staff training and implementation of compliant processes also add to the ongoing expense.
For other major compliance standards like HIPAA, NIST, or ISO the costs follow a similar pattern of external audits and internal staffing requirements. Each new certification or regulation adds layers of complexity and cost to maintaining proper firewall security.
Incident Response Costs
The costs associated with responding to a data breach incident can be significant. According to the 2023 Cost of a Data Breach Report by IBM, the average cost of breach response activities was $1.59 million. This includes costs for forensic and investigative activities, assessments and audits, as well as communications to customers and partners. Notification costs accounted for $180 per impacted record.
For SMBs, the average cost of breach response was around $690,000 according to UpGuard [1]. Smaller businesses tend to have lower regulatory and legal costs, but still face substantial costs for forensic investigations, patching vulnerabilities, recovering data, and notifying customers in the event of a breach.
Overall, companies should budget for potential incident response costs and have an incident response plan in place. Cyber insurance can help offset some of these costs, but preventing breaches through robust security measures is the best way to avoid costly incident response.
Conclusion
When considering deploying firewall security, it’s important to understand and budget for the total cost of ownership. This includes one-time costs like hardware and software, as well as ongoing expenses like support contracts, testing, training and compliance audits. While firewall appliances may seem inexpensive, the ancillary costs quickly add up.
As summarized in this article, total firewall costs can range from tens of thousands of dollars for a small business, to millions of dollars for large enterprises. With careful planning and proper budgeting, organizations can account for these expenses and ensure adequate funding for a robust firewall deployment. This upfront investment pays dividends through reduced risk of security breaches, avoiding fines for non-compliance, and protection of sensitive data.