Understanding Your Firebox Management Options
At WatchGuard, we understand that managing security solutions isn't a one-size-fits-all situation. Different partners and customers have different needs, whether it's based on experience, compliance requirements, specific features, or overall capabilities. That’s why we offer a variety of management options for our Fireboxes, designed to help you get the most out of your security investment.
One of our key offerings is WatchGuard Cloud. This platform combines the latest features and capabilities into a centralized management interface for all WatchGuard products. It offers shared configurations and a central hub for threat telemetry through ThreatSync. You can leverage WatchGuard Cloud in two main ways:
- Full Cloud Management: You can configure and manage your Firebox directly within WatchGuard Cloud.
- Hybrid Approach: You can continue using local management tools while integrating your Firebox with WatchGuard Cloud for logging, reporting, and streamlined firmware updates.
Our Commitment
We also recognize that not everyone is ready or able to transition to full Cloud management. That's perfectly fine! We're fully committed to supporting the Fireware Web UI and WatchGuard System Manager (WSM). We'll continue to enhance these options with new capabilities, features, security improvements, and necessary vulnerability patches. However, please note that certain features requiring communication between the Firebox and WatchGuard Cloud (or other WatchGuard products) may be exclusively available for cloud-managed Fireboxes and not added to Fireware Web UI or WSM.
Development Priorities
Regarding our development focus, we're moving the WSM Management Server into maintenance mode. This means we'll continue providing security enhancements and vulnerability patches but won't add new features. We know many of you rely on the WSM Management Server daily, and we appreciate that. However, WatchGuard Cloud provides a more robust and feature-rich centralized management experience. Plus, WatchGuard Cloud is a secure management platform with ISO 27001 and PCI certifications, demonstrating our commitment to the highest security standards.
To be clear, while our development efforts for centralized management are now focused on WatchGuard Cloud, we will continue to support existing WSM Management Server deployments and their current functionality. We have no plans to announce an End-of-Sale or End-of-Life for Fireware Web UI, WSM, or the WSM Management Server.
Questions?
We want to ensure you have the management tools that best suit your needs. For additional information on the benefits and capabilities of the management options discussed in this announcement, visit our Help Center or reach out to your WatchGuard representative.
