An owner or operations lead does not need to understand firewalls to oversee a network upgrade. A client recently sent us three questions about new equipment, and they are the right three for anyone to ask.
1. How will it be kept up to date?
Network equipment runs software, and that software needs security updates for as long as the equipment is in service. Ask whether updates are applied automatically or by hand, whether an update can be rolled back if it causes trouble, and who decides when. Also ask how long the manufacturer will keep issuing updates for the model you are buying.
2. How do people sign in to manage it?
Ask whether every site is managed from one console or separately, whether each administrator has their own account, and whether two-factor sign-in is required. Changes should be recorded against a named person. If the answer is one shared password, the record of changes tells you very little.
3. Who is watching it?
Equipment that blocks an intrusion attempt records it. Ask who reviews those records and how often. “It sends alerts” is a weaker answer than “someone looks every working day”.
Two more worth adding
- What happens when it fails? Is there a spare, a support contract, or a second connection that takes over?
- Where is it written down? You should receive a diagram and the configuration, and they should be yours.
If your provider answers all of these plainly, the project is in good hands.
Related service: Networking & wireless.