Guidelines for Firewall Selection in a Multi-Cloud Security Solution

Have been in the IT security trenches for decades now — since the days when we were just trying to keep Slammer from breaking the internet. In the past, securing a network was relatively straightforward: A well-configured firewall, a few IDS signatures, and a bit of common sense went a long way. Fast forward to now, and all hell is breaking loose — particularly among organizations that run workloads across multiple cloud providers.

As recently as last month I was helping three banks on their zero-trust architecture upgrade. Each of them was also dealing with AWS and Azure (as well as private cloud) deployments, all with different security policies. If banks are facing this, what hope does a mid-sized company have without a security team? Which is why selecting the proper multi-cloud firewall is essential.

However, before we get into that, let’s discuss why multi-cloud security is so much of a beast.

Understanding the Challenges of Multi-Cloud Security

So here’s the thing — cloud adoption is going to happen. But with it comes:

• Security policies that are not always consistently applied. Logging might be done by AWS, while Azure does something entirely different.
• Expanding attack surfaces. More cloud services equals more exposed endpoints — more attack paths.
• Difficult visibility. And if you don’t have a single place where you can monitor the traffic, good luck catching anomalous behavior before it’s too late.
• Compliance nightmares. The PCI DSS, GDPR and whichever other rules apply are still your problem, just because data is rented out in the cloud.

A regular firewall won’t do anymore. You require a solution engineered for the cloud, one built for hybrid and multi-cloud environments.

No Silver Bullet: How Firewalls Protect Cloud Workloads

Firewalls are still the fundamental components of network security. But under multi-cloud environments, single cloud needs to do a lot more:

• Manage traffic across multiple cloud providers. Your firewall needs to implement consistent policies across AWS, Azure, GCP—all without needing a PhD in network engineering.
• Microsegment workloads. Not everything needs to talk to everything. A proper firewall also segments cloud resources, to constrain lateral movement.
• Identify and defend against threats in real time. Logs alone are a false sense of security: It’s like watching security camera footage after a break-in; it’s far too late. It is also to stop unauthorized access and malware: the firewall must actively prevent.
• SIEM and SOAR solutions integration. Security has become more than just blocking bad traffic. The best firewalls send data to security platforms to respond intelligently to threats.

This isn’t hypothetical, by the way. I just returned from DefCon, and if you spend your day at the hardware hacking village, you will UNDERSTAND — bad guys get more clever every season. If your firewall doesn’t evolve, your security is already stale.

If you think this guide can help your organization, feel free to share!

What to Look for in a Multi-Cloud Firewall

1. Cloud-Native Security

Cloud ready and written from the ground up to take advantage of cloud infrastructure is a must and if not you are going to be fighting your firewall the whole way. Look for:

• Auto-scaling support
• API-based management
• Integration with AWS Security Hub and other cloud-native services

2. Zero-Trust & Microsegmentation

Firewalls must enforce zero-trust policies from day one. That means:

• Identity-based rules (these are not only IP-based)
• Network access based on least privilege
• Remote access headset

3. Get the Performance Without the Killing Costs

Pay attention to:

• Real world throughput (as opposed to lab results)
• Licensing fees — Some vendors still nickel and dime for basic functionality
• Hardware acceleration (e.g., ASICs like that of Fortinet’s) if you require fast security

4. Visibility & Logging

There’s no point in security if you can’t monitor it. Look for:

• Unified dashboards for multi-cloud traffic
• Advanced deep packet inspection (DPI) features
• SIEM integration with Splunk and Microsoft Sentinel

5. Pretenders (Not Hype) to AI & Automation

We’re not in marketing so let’s not sugar coat it: As with all things “AI-powered,” I’m skeptical. But good automation matters. A solid firewall should:

• Adapt to new threats automatically
• Detect anomalies using behavior analysis
• Minimize manual handling of rules

If a vendor offers you a magic AI firewall that blocks every threat — walk away. Security isn’t magic. It’s work.

Multi-Cloud Security by PJ Networks’ Fortinet

At PJ Networks we have also been rolling out Fortinet’s next-gen firewalls for multi-cloud security, and here’s why they are effective:

• Single management console. Traffic across AWS, Azure and private clouds in a single place.
• Dedicated security ASICs. Meaning no packet loss, even at high speed, deep packet inspection.
• Advanced threat protection. AI-driven, yes, but also debugged in actual attacks.
• Seamless integration. Integrates with current SIEM, SOAR, and zero-trust products—because security should add to, not upend, your architecture.

And here’s a use case from our real world—we had one bank client whose firewall coverage was totally inconsistent across their cloud environments. Unified policy enforcement, real-time threat response, and enhanced compliance monitoring were possible with Fortinet. End result? More security at lower complexity.

Quick Take

TL;DR If you want it, here it is:

• Multi-cloud security is difficult — but important.
• You can’t live without a proper firewall anymore. It must distribute traffic for any Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure or private cloud seamlessly.
• Microsegmentation, zero-trust, and real-time protection are essential.
• Fortinet firewalls (which we use across PJ Networks) offer high-performance, multi-cloud protection with central management.

It’s time for an upgrade if your firewall is still in limbo between 2010 and 2020. You should be protecting your cloud infrastructure better.

Conclusion

Multi-cloud is the new normal. Security teams need to evolve—at the risk of growing stale. Selecting the best multi-cloud firewall is among the biggest steps toward securing your IT infrastructure.

At PJ Networks, we’ve spent years shoring up the fortresses of business — be they banks, enterprises, or cloud-first startups. When Cloud Security is Becoming Chaotic – It’s Time to Prepare to Act. And if you don’t know where to begin? Get in touch.

Because in cybersecurity, waiting equals losing.