The Managed Firewall Service (MFS) is part of the Network and Security portfolio of Equinix Managed Services. The services provide protection of IT infrastructure through firewall rule sets (filters), which is configured by qualified Equinix staff in consultation with the customer.
With MFS, Equinix offers the possibility to purchase scalable firewall functionality and capacity within the Infrastructure Platform Service. This protects infrastructure against cyber-attacks and prevents data from falling into the wrong hands.
Categorized as a network firewall, this is a network security system that monitors, and controls incoming and outgoing network traffic based on predetermined security rules. This set of security rules is agreed upon with the user in advance. With the right set of rules, the firewall creates a barrier between a trusted internal network and untrusted network.
Equinix Managed Services implements the firewall as a virtual appliance within the MPC platform. This offers a future-proof, flexible and cost-efficient solution that can be scaled up or down monthly depending on the required capacity or functionality.
Some benefits offered by the service include:
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Use of the latest firewall technology
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No major investments in advance, due to monthly billing
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Easily upscaled
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Choice of functional licenses in addition to the basic Next-Generation Firewall, such as Intrusion Prevention System or full Unified Threat Management
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High availability (based on service level)
If there are specific requirements from the user, physical dedicated hardware can also be used on special request.
Below highlights how the firewall services operate for Managed Private Cloud customers, as well as colocation customers operating their own hardware.
Service Variants
The firewall can be supplied in different types depending on the required capacity of the user. Available types are Small, Medium, and Large. The supplied maximum capacity depends on the chosen license and the functionalities offered therein.
When Intrusion Detection/Prevention is enabled, Equinix will forward the related logs and reports to the customer on an agreed schedule. Equinix does not operate as a Security Operations Centre (SOC) service to triage security-related events.
Available Licenses
The table below contains a list of available licenses and their functionalities. The FW license is the baseline solution.
| License | Description | Functionality |
|---|---|---|
|
FW Standard |
Firewall |
Firewall |
|
Intrusion Protection (IPS) Option |
Unified Threat Management |
Firewall Application Control IPS Botnet IP/Domain Reputation 2-Factor Authentication Web Filtering |
Maximum Capacity Per License
Maximum capacity supplied depends on the chosen license. The table below shows the maximum capacity for each type per license.
| Firewall Throughput (Gbps) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Type | FW License | IPS License |
| Small | 10 Gbps | 1 Gbps |
| Medium | 13 Gbps | 2 Gbps |
| Large | 20 Gbps | 3.6 Gbps |
Physical, dedicated hardware can also be used on request.
