SOLUTIONS
Next-Gen Firewall Services
A firewall that only looks at ports and IP addresses is blind to almost everything that matters today. We deploy, configure and manage next-gen firewalls that inspect traffic at the application layer — and we keep the rules current as your business changes.
What it is
Traffic looks legitimate until you look inside it
A traditional firewall decides what to allow based on where traffic comes from and which port it uses. That was enough when applications mapped neatly to ports. Today almost everything rides over HTTPS on port 443 — legitimate SaaS, remote desktop tools, cloud storage, and also command-and-control traffic from malware sitting inside your network.
A next-generation firewall inspects the content of that traffic, not just its envelope. It identifies the actual application, decrypts and scans encrypted sessions where policy allows, blocks known malicious destinations, and applies intrusion prevention against exploit attempts in real time.
The part most organisations get wrong is not buying the appliance — it is what happens afterwards. Rules accumulate, temporary exceptions become permanent, firmware falls behind, and nobody reads the logs. Guardbyte configures the firewall properly, reviews the rule base regularly, keeps firmware current, and feeds its alerts into our SOC alongside your endpoint and email telemetry.
At a glance
- Advanced threat protection against cyber attacks
- Dynamic Layer 7 filtering for network traffic
- Proactive security measures for network perimeter defenses
Built on WatchGuard appliances and managed from our SOC in Nicosia. We can also take over a firewall you already own.
Capabilities
What the service covers
Layer 7 application control
Traffic is identified by the actual application, not the port, so you can allow what the business needs and block the rest with precision.
Intrusion prevention (IPS)
Known exploit attempts against your servers and services are detected and blocked before they reach the target.
Encrypted traffic inspection
Most threats now hide inside HTTPS. Where your policy allows it, sessions are decrypted and scanned, then re-encrypted.
Web & DNS filtering
Access to malicious and unwanted destinations is blocked at the perimeter, including domains registered minutes ago for a phishing campaign.
Secure remote access (VPN)
Site-to-site and client VPN configured properly, with MFA enforced, so remote work does not become the weakest link.
Rule review & firmware
We review the rule base on a schedule, remove what is stale, and keep firmware patched — the maintenance that silently erodes security when skipped.
Managed by Guardbyte
A firewall is a living configuration, not a purchase
Most of the firewalls we inherit are three firmware versions behind and full of rules nobody can explain.
01
Designed and deployed
We size the appliance to your traffic, segment the network sensibly and migrate rules deliberately rather than copying the old mess across.
02
Tuned to your applications
Policies are built around the software your business actually runs, so security does not become the reason people ask for exceptions.
03
Monitored 24/7/365
Firewall alerts land in our SOC and are correlated with endpoint and email activity, so an isolated event and a real intrusion look different.
04
Reviewed and patched
Scheduled rule reviews, firmware updates and reporting on what was blocked and why — with recommendations you can act on.
FAQ
Questions we get asked
What makes a firewall next-generation?
Application awareness, intrusion prevention and the ability to inspect encrypted traffic. A traditional firewall filters by port and IP; a next-gen firewall understands which application is actually running over that connection and what it is doing.
Do we still need a firewall if everything is in the cloud?
Yes. You still have offices, remote workers, VPN access and often on-premise servers. The firewall is also where you enforce DNS and web filtering and where you get visibility into outbound traffic — which is how command-and-control activity is spotted.
Will HTTPS inspection break our applications?
It can if it is enabled indiscriminately. We apply it selectively, with exclusions for banking, health and other sensitive categories, and test against your business applications before enforcing.
Can you manage the firewall we already have?
Usually yes. We support the major platforms and will tell you honestly if an appliance is end-of-life or too underpowered to run the inspection you need.
How often should firewall rules be reviewed?
At least twice a year, and after any significant change. Rule bases grow quickly and temporary exceptions rarely get removed — reviews are where most unnecessary exposure is found.
Related solutions
Endpoint Protection
Catch what reaches the device
Web Application Firewall & DDoS
Protect your public-facing services
Managed SOC
The team watching the alerts 24/7
Have your firewall rules reviewed
A short call and a configuration review will show which rules are unnecessary, which firmware is behind and where traffic is passing uninspected.
