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Managed Firewall Services: Finding the Provider You Need
Ross Filipek
Cybersecurity, Managed Network Security
In today’s cyberthreat environment, it can be tough to manage your firewall infrastructure on your own. Even if you have IT staff, firewalls come with overhead like firmware upgrades, patch management, rule maintenance, and much more.
Many midmarket and enterprise organizations choose to outsource this function, usually as part of a managed cybersecurity services bundle.
But what’s covered by managed firewall services?
How are the responsibilities divided between the provider and the client?
How are these services priced?
We’ve got all the answers below.
Key takeaways:
Managed firewall services allow internal IT staff to focus on their core responsibilities.
Managed firewall services typically include all activities required to maintain an organization’s firewall infrastructure.
Providers offer flexible approaches to procuring firewall hardware.
Managed firewall services offer the best value when bundled with other services under a predictable monthly bill from an MSSP (managed security services provider).
What are managed firewall services?
Managed firewall services are a type of outsourced cybersecurity in which a provider configures, installs, monitors, and maintains the client’s firewall infrastructure. These services allow the client’s internal staff to focus on core responsibilities, leaving continuous firewall management to a trusted partner.
What services are included in a managed firewall agreement?
A managed firewall agreement should cover all services required to protect an organization’s network through firewall infrastructure. Here’s what an agreement typically covers.
Firewall configuration and rule management. The provider designs, implements, and maintains firewall policies and rules to control what traffic is allowed or blocked, adjusting them as both threats and business requirements evolve.
24/7/365 monitoring and threat detection. The provider should monitor firewall logs and network traffic around the clock to identify suspicious or malicious activity in real time.
Patch, firmware, and update management. The provider keeps firewall software and firmware up to date to protect against known vulnerabilities and exploits.
Incident response, troubleshooting, and threat containment. When suspicious activity or a misconfiguration is detected, the provider investigates and responds, helping to contain threats and restore normal operations.
Reporting and compliance support. Many managed firewall services include regular reports and documentation that support compliance requirements such as PCI-DSS, HIPAA, or SOC 2, depending on the organization’s needs.
How are managed firewall services different from in-house firewall management?
Outsourced firewall management has several key differences from an in-house approach. At a high level, outsourcing allows internal IT teams to focus on their core responsibilities. Outsourcing also provides guaranteed SLAs and service continuity.
Here’s a chart explaining how the two approaches differ in detail.
Aspect
Managed Firewall Services
In‑House Firewall Management
Who manages it
External security provider
Internal IT or security team
Expertise level
Specialized firewall and security experts
Depends on staff skills and training
Monitoring
24/7/365 monitoring and alerting
Typically business hours with staff on call in off-hours
Maintenance & updates
Handled by provider (patches, rule tuning)
Must be handled manually by internal staff
Response to threats
Rapid, provider-led incident response
Slower if staff, expertise, or bandwidth is limited
Cost structure
Predictable subscription or service fee
Higher upfront costs + ongoing staffing expenses
Scalability
Easy to scale as the business grows
Scaling requires more tools and staff
Control & customization
Less direct control, but guided by SLAs
Full control over configurations and policies
Compliance support
Often includes compliance reporting and audits
Internal team must manage compliance needs
Best for
Small, midmarket, and enterprise organizations without comprehensive cybersecurity teams
Global enterprises with mature, dedicated cybersecurity teams
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Is the firewall hardware included in managed firewall services?
The answer will depend on the provider’s terms, the customer’s requirements, and whether the customer already has firewall hardware that they want to retain.
That said, for customers who need new firewall equipment, a good provider should make the hardware acquisition process seamless. This can be done through models such as IT procurement services or HaaS (hardware as a service).
Here’s a comparison table for the various approaches to firewall procurement.
Model
Who Owns the Hardware
How It’s Paid For
Typical Use Case
HaaS (Hardware as a Service)
Service provider
Monthly or annual subscription
Organizations wanting low upfront cost, bundled support, and predictable opex
IT Procurement Services
Customer (after purchase)
One‑time capital purchase (sometimes financed)
Teams that want ownership but need help selecting and sourcing hardware
Customer‑Procured Hardware
Customer
One‑time capital purchase
Organizations with mature IT/security teams that require full control
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Can we keep our existing firewall platform, or do we have to migrate to the managed service provider’s platform?
The answer depends on two factors:
Whether the customer’s current firewall platform is adequate to their needs.
Whether the provider is willing or able to use the customer’s platform (if retaining the platform).
A good provider should offer transparent consulting on whether the customer’s current firewall platform is sufficient. That said, it’s often in the customer’s best interests to use the provider’s platform. This allows the provider to achieve economies of scale in firewall management, increasing service consistency and cost savings for all customers.
Are firewall firmware upgrades and license renewals included in managed firewall services or billed separately?
The answer depends on the service model and contract. If your provider is managing your firewall infrastructure from top to bottom, firmware upgrades and license renewals will likely be included. If you’re retaining your own hardware, upgrades and renewals may be billed separately or remain the customer’s responsibility.
Here’s a table comparing the details of these approaches.
Service Model
Firmware Upgrades
License Renewals
Notes
Fully managed firewall (provider-owned / HaaS)
âś… Included
âś… Included
Most “all‑inclusive” model; provider handles lifecycle, patches, and renewals.
Managed firewall (customer-owned hardware)
âś… Usually included
❌ Often separate
Provider applies upgrades, but customer pays for licenses/support contracts.
Co-managed firewall
⚠️ Shared responsibility
❌ Usually separate
Provider may advise or schedule; customer approves and pays renewals.
Monitoring-only service
❌ Not included
❌ Not included
Provider alerts on issues, but no changes or renewals are handled.
Cloud / virtual firewall (managed)
âś… Included
âś… Included
Licensing and updates are typically bundled into the service fee.
Do managed firewalls services just provide monitoring and alerting, or does the provider actively block and respond to threats?
The answer depends on two factors:
Whether the provider offers comprehensive managed cybersecurity services, which typically include threat response and remediation.
Whether the customer requires threat response and remediation in addition to monitoring and alerting.
A good provider should be flexible, ready to provide comprehensive services—and ready to fit into gaps in the customer’s staffing capabilities if response and remediation are already covered.
How are managed firewall services priced?
Some MSSPs (managed security service providers) may bill per device, per user, or by bandwidth consumption. Here at Corsica Technologies, we offer managed firewall services for one predictable monthly price. The cost of our services doesn’t fluctuate based on the total number of users or devices. It also doesn’t fluctuate with network bandwidth consumption, ticket count, or service hours consumed.
Here’s how the various pricing models compare for managed firewall services.
Pricing Basis
How It Works
When It’s Used
Predictable pricing, unlimited service
The provider scopes the customer’s requirements and provides monthly pricing that will never change, regardless of service hours consumed
For organizations that want to treat firewall management as a predictable line item
Per firewall / per device
Fixed monthly fee per firewall appliance or virtual firewall
Most common for on‑prem or branch locations
Bandwidth / throughput
Price tier based on maximum traffic (e.g., 100 Mbps, 1 Gbps)
High‑traffic environments or ISPs
Can managed firewall services be bundled with other cybersecurity services?
Absolutely! In fact, customers get the best value when they engage an MSSP (managed security service provider) for more than just firewall management. These services are commonly bundled with other cybersecurity services—often as part of an MSSP package. Bundling reduces gaps between tools, simplifies vendor management, and is usually more cost‑effective than buying services separately.
Here are the cybersecurity services most commonly bundled with firewall management.
The takeaway: Get the managed firewall services you need
Firewall management is complex in today’s modern threat environment. Managed services provide the expertise, monitoring, and coverage you need to succeed—so your team can focus on their core responsibilities. Here at Corsica Technologies, we’ve helped 1,000+ customers achieve strategic business outcomes with technology. Get in touch with us, and let’s take the next step on your cybersecurity journey.
About
Ross Filipek
Ross Filipek is Corsica Technologies’ CISO. He has more than 20 years’ experience in the managed cyber security services industry as both an engineer and a consultant. In addition to leading Corsica’s efforts to manage cyber risk, he provides vCISO consulting services for many of Corsica’s clients. Ross has achieved recognition as a Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE #18994; Security track) and an ISC2 Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP). He has also earned an MBA degree from the University of Notre Dame.
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