I’ve spent years helping small teams pick tools that actually make work safer and simpler, so when hybrid setups started becoming the norm I quickly realised the firewall conversation had to change. A firewall for a small business in 2025 isn’t just a box at the office edge — it’s the glue between on‑prem users, remote staff, cloud services and SaaS apps. Choosing the right one means balancing security, manageability and cost while keeping the experience transparent for users.
Start with what you actually need — not what marketing promises
The first question I ask clients is simple: where are your users and where is your data? If half your staff work from home or travel frequently, a firewall that only protects an office subnet is already insufficient. Likewise, if most of your data lives in SaaS apps (Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Salesforce), you may prioritise identity‑aware controls and cloud web filtering over heavy VPN throughput.
Map the following before you look at vendors:
- Where users connect from (office, home, cafes, client sites).
- Which services hold sensitive data (local servers, cloud storage, SaaS apps).
- Existing identity providers (Azure AD, Okta, Google Workspace).
- Typical bandwidth needs (how many concurrent video calls, large uploads).
- Who will manage the device — internal IT, a managed service, or the vendor’s cloud portal.
Key features that matter for hybrid teams
Not every small business needs every checkbox. That said, the following features consistently provide the most value when people split time between home and office.
- Secure remote access — Modern firewalls offer client‑based VPNs, clientless browser access, or even SASE/Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA). For hybrid teams, ZTNA or an easy client VPN with split tunnelling often hits the sweet spot.
- Cloud‑managed policy — A central, cloud console lets you push policies to multiple devices and locations without on‑site tinkering. This dramatically reduces management overhead for small teams.
- Identity integration — Tie firewall controls to your identity provider so policies follow users, not IPs. This is critical when staff use different networks.
- Web and DNS filtering — Blocks risky domains and enforces acceptable use even when devices are off‑network (if you use DNS filtering services or endpoint agents).
- Threat prevention — Intrusion prevention, malware scanning, and sandboxing matter, but look at resource tradeoffs. Some devices offload heavy inspection to cloud services.
- Performance & throughput — Consider encrypted traffic inspection. If you plan to inspect HTTPS at scale, check real‑world throughput numbers, not just theoretical ones.
- Ease of deployment — Zero‑touch provisioning, preconfigured profiles, and documentation are lifesavers. Vendors like Ubiquiti, Fortinet, Palo Alto (PA‑220/PA‑850 for SMB), Cisco Meraki, and Sophos vary widely here.
Hardware vs. cloud vs. hybrid firewalls
There’s no one‑size‑fits‑all. I tend to recommend hybrid approaches for small businesses with hybrid teams.
- On‑prem hardware is great if you host services locally or need predictable network control at the office. Edge models from Sophos XGS, Fortinet FortiGate, and Palo Alto’s SMB series are common choices.
- Cloud‑native firewalls or SASE providers (Zscaler, Netskope, or Cato) offload inspection and are excellent when users are mostly remote and traffic goes to the cloud.
- Hybrid combines an edge appliance for site control with cloud management and per‑device agents for remote users — this often delivers the best mix of visibility and flexibility.
How to evaluate vendors — practical checklist
When I test a firewall I run the same practical checks. You can use these during vendor trials:
- Provisioning: How long to register and enforce a policy on a new device?
- Identity tie‑in: Can you enforce group policies from Azure AD or Okta?
- Remote user experience: Is the VPN or client seamless on macOS, Windows, iOS and Android?
- Traffic inspection: What’s the HTTPS inspection throughput on real traffic? Is there a significant CPU hit?
- Logging & alerts: Are logs searchable? Can you export to SIEM or forward to a logging service?
- Failover & redundancy: Does the appliance support dual WAN and automatic failover?
- Support & upgrades: What SLAs exist for support and firmware updates? Is there a clear EOL policy?
- Cost model: Subscription per appliance, per user, or bundled security suites? Watch for per‑feature licensing traps.
Quick comparison table
| Deployment | Strength | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| On‑prem appliance (Sophos, Fortinet, Palo Alto) | Strong site control, high inspection capability | Offices with on‑prem servers and local compliance needs |
| Cloud/SASE (Zscaler, Cato, Netskope) | Great for remote users, scalable inspection | Distributed teams, cloud-first businesses |
| Hybrid (Meraki, Sophos Central + agents) | Balance of control and cloud management | SMBs with mixed on‑prem and remote requirements |
Budgeting: what to expect
For small businesses, total cost often surprises people. Don’t only budget for hardware; include subscriptions, support, SSL inspection licences, and endpoint agents. As a rule of thumb:
- Basic edge appliances (entry models) can be a few hundred pounds but add licensing for web filtering and AV.
- Mid‑range unified appliances with decent throughput and integrated security are often in the £700–£2,000 range plus annual subscriptions.
- SASE subscriptions are usually per user and can be cost‑effective when you have many remote users — but model total monthly costs over three years.
Deployment tips I use with clients
When rolling out a new firewall across hybrid teams, I follow a staged approach:
- Start with a shadow mode or logging only for 1–2 weeks to understand normal traffic and avoid false positives breaking workflows.
- Roll out identity integration early. Policies attached to AD/Okta groups reduce mistakes like locking out contractors.
- Use split tunnelling for non‑critical SaaS traffic to reduce bandwidth and inspection load, while forcing corporate traffic through protection.
- Train your team on why changes matter. Security is easier when users understand the “why” behind a block or an extra login step.
- Keep a rollback plan and a maintenance window for major policy changes.
Choosing the right firewall for hybrid teams is as much about people and processes as it is about specs. Pick a model that fits your architecture, provides clear management, integrates with your identity provider, and offers a predictable cost model. Test in real conditions, expect iteration, and prioritise solutions that reduce complexity rather than add to it — that’s the approach that’s worked for me across dozens of small businesses.
