SD-WAN + Security = One Easy Solution
WatchGuard solves the unique needs of small businesses, midsize and distributed enterprises – delivering smart, strong security that is simple for organizations without an army of IT resources to successfully manage. We’ve brought this successful recipe to SD-WAN delivery as well.
Businesses looking for the operational advantages of SD-WAN find that they also need to add branch security to implement the hybrid WAN architecture that makes it all work. WatchGuard delivers a range of appliances that are perfectly sized for the branch office, retail outlet, and healthcare clinic, and can deliver SD-WAN along with stellar security. That makes it more cost-effective and easier to use than other specialty products that require companies to deploy multiple boxes at the branch or work with multiple providers…diluting their purchasing power and adding difficulty to ongoing management.
Just Turn It On!
SD-WAN comes standard with each Firebox network security appliance – no additional purchases are required. Along with networking features and centralized management, our solution includes the robust VPNs, strong encryption and firewall services that aren’t specifically required for SD-WAN but necessary to maintain a common security posture across your organization.
Proven Zero-Touch Deployment
WatchGuard’s RapidDeploy service enables our customers to easily set up and install a Firebox at a distant site without technical staff. Just plug it in, and it will download its configuration from a template in the Cloud. Unlike some other providers, we have over 12,000 deployments over several years that have used RapidDeploy, providing you with the confidence that comes with proven technology.
Dynamic Path Selection
We measure the performance – including jitter, latency and packet loss – of multiple WAN options to automatically select the optimal Internet connection for each type of branch office traffic. Using SD-WAN dynamic path selection, administrators can define the minimum acceptable performance levels for each connection and type of traffic to enable SD-WAN right from their Firebox!
WatchGuard SD-WAN Offers a Comprehensive Approach
Many companies will offer a stand-alone SD-WAN product, and even your Internet Service Provider (ISP) might present you with one of these solutions in their package of services. When you look closely, you’ll see that most providers offer similar features that closely align to the functional SD-WAN definitions pro- posed by industry experts; however, network security providers deliver more substantial security features, which are often needed to support common SD-WAN use cases.
SD-WAN
| WatchGuard | SD-WAN Providers | |
| Multiple WAN Links including MPLS, Internet, 4G/LTE, etc. are fundamental | ✓ | ✓ |
| Dynamic Traffic Distribution includes link monitoring for jitter/loss/latency, dynamic path selection, application traffic management, and quality of service (QoS) logic and selections | ✓ | ✓ |
| Site-to-Site VPNs are commonplace, but look for differences in ease of set-up, health/monitoring, notification options and stability | ✓ | Ask if a 3rd party device for site-to-site VPN is required |
| Centralized, Cloud-based Management a simple GUI used for configuration, management, monitoring, and reporting | Management tools include WatchGuard System Manager, WebUI, Dimension, and WatchGuard Cloud interfaces | ✓ |
| Zero-Touch Deployment means that no technical expertise is required on site, just plug in the hardware | RapidDeploy remote management has been a part of WatchGuard’s solution for more than 6 years | ✓ |
| Dedicated Internet Backbone not required for every implementation – it allows for traffic backhaul | Available with WatchGuard Bigleaf integration | Roughly half of SD-WAN providers offer this capability |
Security
| WatchGuard | SD-WAN Providers | |
| Stateful Firewall with HTTPS Inspection provides essential protection for any location | Market-leading HTTPS performance with full security enabled | This is not a typical feature for SD-WAN providers |
| Standard Security Services includes IPS, GAV and web filtering to protect any site with direct Internet access | Available with Basic Security Suite | This is not a typical feature for SD-WAN providers |
| Advanced Security includes sandboxing and DNS filtering to prevent common evasive attacks using malicious files and connections | Available with Total Security Suite | Not available |
| Malware Detection and Response automatically remediates threats that get past preventative defenses | Available with Total Security Suite | Not available |
Download the WatchGuard SD-WAN Solution Brief
Interested in the operational advantages of SD-WAN? Contact us today.
