Who Watches the WatchGuard - Almost Nobody...It's That Good!
November 17, 2021

Who Watches the WatchGuard - Almost Nobody...It's That Good!

Brian Cooper | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User

Overall Satisfaction with WatchGuard Network Security

We use WatchGuard Network Security across the enterprise. The system prevents intrusions, detects threats, and helps us maintain FERPA and CIPA compliance. We use the firewall to protect staff and students from inappropriate content, and we use TDR to prevent users from inadvertently executing malicious code. TDR also terminates suspicious connections. [WatchGuard] Network Security allows us the granularity and flexibility to secure different users, different VLANS, different sub-groups in vastly different ways.

Pros

  • Content filtering
  • Suspicious site blocking
  • Suspicious connection monitoring, detection, and termination
  • Threat detection and response
  • Notifications of activity and responses

Cons

  • Some of the LAN management tools are a few menus too deep
  • A little more documentation on interface modifications (specifically in the live monitors)
  • More options for colors in the live monitors
  • The best example is [of a ] user who downloaded a filename.pdf.exe and tried to execute it repeatedly, in spite of the numerous warnings TDR threw up at her. Each time generated a notice to me. On the first execution, I attempted to call the user. The second attempt had me walking to her classroom. The third notice had me remoting in from my phone to lock her PC and sprinting to her room. TDR had terminated her internet access before I could lock her down. It was my very first experience with TDR. I wasn't sure about its effectiveness. I haven't ran to a classroom since.
  • The best thing about our ROI is the renewals. Typically there is a bonus running around. The past two renewals were 3 yr. renewals and I received a new Firebox for free.
  • Essentially, I love using an industry-leading solution. I work with several support vendors and everyone has a [WatchGuard Network Security] specialist on staff. I know a ton but having the flexibility to grab the most available support person is extremely valuable. When a smaller vendor blew away all our routing on the switches, I contacted our support group, and we moved routing to the [WatchGuard Network Security]. While we were at it, we moved DHCP for the guest VLAN to the [WatchGuard Network Security]. Just one more way that [WatchGuard Network Security] proved valuable.
We've been working with Rehmann/Trivalent for longer than my tenure here. They have always supplied excellent service. My favorite part of working with them is how we configure a new device. Our past two Fireboxes were configured at their office. I send my config. They modify it, apply it, test it, and ship the device to me. I plug it in. [WatchGuard Network Security]'s products become plug and play after that.
Having a vendor/support group that's familiar with your environment is key. Having a device that's robust, capable, and flexible only comes in second because a device without a config is just a brick. Bricks can set in my office for too long before I can dedicate enough time to config them. Support and hardware combine in the [WatchGuard Network Security] products to provide my group with security I can trust.
Before this, we had to piecemeal and justify every additional license. We didn't have TDR until I forced the issue. I don't have to force anything now. I tell my finance council that we need $X for the firewall which delivers Y amount of protection. I'm not fighting for elements of a good security plan; I just give them one price, one license, and one argument.
That's how long I've been with [WatchGuard Network Security]. I found them so long ago that I can't even remember not having a Firebox. I had a little Cisco PIX at home, and we used a non-existent software-based firewall at a former company, but the rest were [WatchGuard Network Security] products. Even when I didn't have control, my supervisors were running [WatchGuard Network Security]. In some cases, we weren't running anything until the first Firebox came out.

Do you think WatchGuard Network Security delivers good value for the price?

Yes

Are you happy with WatchGuard Network Security's feature set?

Yes

Did WatchGuard Network Security live up to sales and marketing promises?

Yes

Did implementation of WatchGuard Network Security go as expected?

Yes

Would you buy WatchGuard Network Security again?

Yes

Anywhere an organization needs the internet, you need [WatchGuard] Network Security. If you are still on pen and paper, and your employees aren't connected to anything outside your front door, then you won't need [WatchGuard] Network Security. Since the vast majority of businesses have an internet [connection], you'll be wanting [WatchGuard Network Security] unless you like being hacked, scammed, phished, spammed, and ransomed. If I could afford one, I'd buy a [WatchGuard Network Security] system for travel. I'm contemplating one for my home.

WatchGuard Network Security Feature Ratings

Firewall
10.0
Identification Technologies
10
Visualization Tools
10
Content Inspection
10
Policy-based Controls
10
Active Directory and LDAP
10
Firewall Management Console
10
Reporting and Logging
10
VPN
10
High Availability
10
Stateful Inspection
10
Proxy Server
10

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