{"id":29567,"date":"2026-06-11T07:00:49","date_gmt":"2026-06-11T12:00:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.firewalls.com\/blog\/?p=29567"},"modified":"2026-05-22T15:02:10","modified_gmt":"2026-05-22T20:02:10","slug":"hardware-firewall","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.firewalls.com\/blog\/hardware-firewall\/","title":{"rendered":"Hardware Firewall Audits: 10 Indicators Your Firewall is Becoming a Security Bottleneck"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"29567\" class=\"elementor elementor-29567\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a0f6959 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"a0f6959\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-fd5e2f2 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"fd5e2f2\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Modern <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.firewalls.com\/category\/firewalls.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">hardware firewall solutions<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> aren\u2019t hard to come by, but without proper alignment with network demands and configuration, you can run into a lot of bottlenecks. As your traffic grows across remote, cloud, and on-prem environments, even advanced firewall hardware can start to slow down on you.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This goes for both enterprise and small business setups, as each can run into network strain when workloads continue to scale. This article focuses on hardware firewall audits, and 10 indicators your hardware is starting to become a security bottleneck on your network.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d00ca5f elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"d00ca5f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Key Takeaways:\n<\/p>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e4db5e1 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"e4db5e1\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hardware firewall performance issues often develop gradually, making regular audits essential for early detection<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As traffic grows across cloud, remote, and on-prem environments, even advanced firewall appliances can become bottlenecks<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Limited processing power, outdated hardware, and missing security features reduce firewall effectiveness<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Common warning signs include latency spikes, network downtime, scalability limits, and reduced threat visibility<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Identifying these indicators early helps determine when to optimize, upgrade, or replace firewall infrastructure<\/span><\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-60e0b82 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"60e0b82\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Why Audits for Hardware Firewall Performance Matter\n<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ebfaac9 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"ebfaac9\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Auditing your firewall hardware should be a consistent component of your <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.firewalls.com\/category.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">network security strategy<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. On the surface, this is vital for maintaining strong security and performance as your business grows.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are a handful of factors to keep in mind here:<\/span><\/p><ul><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Performance issues tend to develop gradually rather than through sudden failure<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A declining firewall appliance can lead to latency, missed inspections, and weaker threat detection<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Regular audits help identify whether current firewall hardware still meets your business demands<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Growth in users, remote access, and cloud adoption increases pressure on firewall performance<\/span><\/li><\/ul><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Audits help you assess whether a firewall can still handle your traffic and security needs effectively. It\u2019s also a supporting measure in your long-term decisions, one of which being hardware transitions down the road. To help get you started with auditing, it\u2019s important to understand some of the most common bottlenecks.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2059cf9 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"2059cf9\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.firewalls.com\/category\/2026-sonicwall-cyber-deals.html\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1280\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/www.firewalls.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/generic-firewalls-banner.png\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-image-29323\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.firewalls.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/generic-firewalls-banner.png 1280w, https:\/\/www.firewalls.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/generic-firewalls-banner-300x47.png 300w, https:\/\/www.firewalls.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/generic-firewalls-banner-1024x160.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.firewalls.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/generic-firewalls-banner-768x120.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7779b37 elementor-widget elementor-widget-spacer\" data-id=\"7779b37\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"spacer.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer-inner\"><\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-fe9fc6c elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"fe9fc6c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">10 Indicators Your Firewall Device Is Running Into Bottlenecks\n<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a34619a elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"a34619a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Regardless of whether it\u2019s an enterprise-level or small business firewall, performance bottlenecks are a possibility. This can look like latency spikes, drops in throughput, or inspection delays, to name a few. The list below offers a look into several common indicators that you can use to help identify when a firewall is starting to struggle against your network demands.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-9e9eb6d elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"9e9eb6d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">1. Declining Network Performance Under Load\n<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2d0590f elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"2d0590f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As your traffic volume increases, hardware firewalls can slow down over time. Users might end up experiencing latency spikes or even reduced responsiveness with applications.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When it comes to heavy loads a firewall isn\u2019t built for, they tend to struggle to process and inspect traffic. In the same vein, throughput drops start to become more noticeable during peak usage periods.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2f5f398 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"2f5f398\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">2. Limited Processing Power\n<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-060173f elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"060173f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Eventually, your firewall will start to become outdated, and this can be seen through a lacking CPU and memory capacity. At one point in time, this might have worked for you, but if your network outgrows a firewall appliance, performance limitations become a lot more obvious.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They\u2019ll struggle to support advanced threat detection and inspection features. Moreover, you might even have to disable certain security functions just so your legacy firewall can maintain stability.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-596825c elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"596825c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">3. Frequent Security Policy Workarounds\n<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ed24844 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"ed24844\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Everyone likes the idea of a quick fix, but it isn\u2019t really a good idea to cut corners when it comes to your network security. Admins might consider bypassing firewall rules just to improve performance. Unfortunately, this just weakens your security structure as a whole.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Taking this route means you\u2019ll end up struggling to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.firewalls.com\/blog\/firewall-hardware-2\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">manage and secure your network<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, while risks continue to increase along the way. Going this route of temporary changes can often lead to permanent vulnerabilities for your network.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c997ba0 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"c997ba0\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">4. Struggling to Support Cloud and Hybrid Traffic\n<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-bbd9423 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"bbd9423\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s no secret that legacy firewall devices struggle with cloud and hybrid environments. Simple things like VPN and encrypted traffic can quickly overload these firewalls.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Other issues that stem from this include slow or unstable remote connections and a degradation of cloud app performance. If you\u2019re scaling hybrid infrastructure, you\u2019ll need a firewall that\u2019s built for the job.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2674d1f elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"2674d1f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">5. Lack of Advanced Threat Protection Features\n<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-084d9f1 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"084d9f1\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019re working with an older firewall model, there\u2019s a good chance it\u2019s lacking today\u2019s advanced threat protection features. A few examples of this include AI-based and behavioral threat detection, sandboxing, and DPI.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For those relying on basic filtering alone, you\u2019re only leaving your network open to gaps in must-have security coverage. Instead of being proactive, your network and security posture stay in a reactive state.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-71133ca elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"71133ca\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">6. Excessive False Positives or Missed Threats\n<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-bcf0766 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"bcf0766\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When your network is operating on outdated systems, you&#8217;re bound to encounter firewall misclassifications. Moreover, legitimate traffic may be blocked, and real threats won\u2019t have any issue slipping through the cracks.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On top of that, rule processing becomes less accurate over time. While network reliability and trust in alerts decrease, your <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.firewalls.com\/blog\/effective-firewall-service\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">overall security effectiveness<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> becomes more and more inconsistent.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c022f84 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"c022f84\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">7. Limited Scalability for Growing Small Businesses\n<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-22038ef elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"22038ef\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While small business firewalls are a good starting point for many organizations, it\u2019s only a matter of time before they\u2019re outgrown. As user and device numbers increase on the network, it\u2019s inevitable that the firewall will eventually show some strain.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you throw a lack of segmentation into the mix, this will also limit your network flexibility at the same time. In truth, scaling tends to be coupled with hardware replacements and streamlined upgrades for the best possible long-term outcome.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3ecee9a elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"3ecee9a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">8. Frequent Downtime and Reboots\n<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c51c209 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"c51c209\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Another core bottleneck with overload firewalls are unexpected crashes, which are commonly joined by reset periods. Network downtime affects everything about your business operations, from employee productivity to apps and services going offline.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Stability issues like this are always a clear sign of hardware strain. Moreover, facing persistent issues in this lane is a good indicator that your hardware firewall is facing capacity limits in more ways than one.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c02c5b0 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"c02c5b0\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">9. Outdated Firmware or End-of-Life (EOL) Hardware\n<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-48a0393 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"48a0393\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At some point down the road, your current firewall will reach its end of support (EOS) and eventually, its EOL date. If you\u2019re dealing with an unsupported firewall, that means you aren\u2019t receiving important security updates anymore.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In addition to that, compliance risks will grow if you don\u2019t have the proper vendor support. Known exploits go unpatched, and long-term security posture weakens every day you don\u2019t work towards <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.firewalls.com\/category\/2026-sonicwall-cyber-deals.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">a hardware upgrade<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-823f9ae elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"823f9ae\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">10. Lack of Centralized Visibility and Reporting\n<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-27a7031 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"27a7031\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s pretty evident that legacy firewalls lack many of today\u2019s necessary advanced monitoring tools. Without them, incident response is slower and less accurate, and security logs can end up fragmented.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Overall, threat detection is harder without reliable, centralized reporting. Your admins lose the real-time insight they need to help maintain a healthy security posture and keep your business network protected.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1b94e89 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"1b94e89\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">When to Upgrade Your Hardware Firewall\n<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4fb3a35 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"4fb3a35\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Audits help you identify the clear signals that a hardware firewall is on its way to an upgrade. At the same time, when you get to that point, these audits also help provide answers to the question: which firewall should I use?<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here are a few core factors that help you determine when it\u2019s time for an upgrade:<\/span><\/p><ul><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Multiple performance issues appearing simultaneously<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Noticing security gaps and reduced threat visibility<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Increases in downtime, network instability, and weaker protection<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Declining throughput and scalability\u00a0<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Accumulated inefficiencies that create compromised network performance<\/span><\/li><\/ul><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The good part about these audits is that they shine a clear light on what the issues are. As long as you stay on top of network performance, you\u2019ll be able to move proactively toward the next piece of firewall hardware.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">All of the ups and downs in firewall audits are also a great reason to look into <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.firewalls.com\/professional-services.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">managed services<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. You get the 24\/7 support you need to keep your business and network in a proactive position when it comes to hardware firewalls and your security posture.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-72e26b3 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"72e26b3\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.firewalls.com\/professional-services.html\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1280\" height=\"200\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.firewalls.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Managed-Services-1.png\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-image-28915 lazyload\" alt=\"Managed Security Services\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.firewalls.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Managed-Services-1.png 1280w, https:\/\/www.firewalls.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Managed-Services-1-300x47.png 300w, https:\/\/www.firewalls.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Managed-Services-1-1024x160.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.firewalls.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Managed-Services-1-768x120.png 768w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1280px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1280\/200;\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1ebd1e3 elementor-widget elementor-widget-spacer\" data-id=\"1ebd1e3\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"spacer.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer-inner\"><\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-96f66f4 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"96f66f4\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h4 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">The Bottom Line\n<\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-aef0e8f elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"aef0e8f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hardware firewall audits guarantee your network stays up to date with modern performance and your company\u2019s shifting security needs. Remember, performance issues tend to develop over time, making early detection crucial.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The 10 indicators listed in this article are great starting points for identifying when a firewall is on its way out. Between managed services and industry expertise, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.firewalls.com\/contact\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">working with us<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> at Firewalls.com can make sure your security posture stays on track long-term. Speak with one of our team members to make sure you end up with the right hardware and reliable backend support.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b68dfc1 elementor-widget elementor-widget-button\" data-id=\"b68dfc1\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"button.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-button-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-button elementor-button-link elementor-size-sm\" href=\"tel:3172254117\" target=\"_blank\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-content-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-text\">Call Now<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-89a5d61 elementor-widget-divider--view-line elementor-widget elementor-widget-divider\" data-id=\"89a5d61\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"divider.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-divider\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-divider-separator\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7a24273 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"7a24273\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">FAQ<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-8712d6a elementor-widget elementor-widget-n-accordion\" data-id=\"8712d6a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;default_state&quot;:&quot;expanded&quot;,&quot;max_items_expended&quot;:&quot;one&quot;,&quot;n_accordion_animation_duration&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;ms&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:400,&quot;sizes&quot;:[]}}\" data-widget_type=\"nested-accordion.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-n-accordion\" aria-label=\"Accordion. Open links with Enter or Space, close with Escape, and navigate with Arrow Keys\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<details id=\"e-n-accordion-item-1410\" class=\"e-n-accordion-item\" open>\n\t\t\t\t<summary class=\"e-n-accordion-item-title\" data-accordion-index=\"1\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-expanded=\"true\" aria-controls=\"e-n-accordion-item-1410\" >\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class='e-n-accordion-item-title-header'><div class=\"e-n-accordion-item-title-text\"> What is a Hardware Firewall Audit? <\/div><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class='e-n-accordion-item-title-icon'>\n\t\t\t<span class='e-opened' ><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"e-font-icon-svg e-fas-minus\" viewBox=\"0 0 448 512\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M416 208H32c-17.67 0-32 14.33-32 32v32c0 17.67 14.33 32 32 32h384c17.67 0 32-14.33 32-32v-32c0-17.67-14.33-32-32-32z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class='e-closed'><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"e-font-icon-svg e-fas-plus\" viewBox=\"0 0 448 512\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M416 208H272V64c0-17.67-14.33-32-32-32h-32c-17.67 0-32 14.33-32 32v144H32c-17.67 0-32 14.33-32 32v32c0 17.67 14.33 32 32 32h144v144c0 17.67 14.33 32 32 32h32c17.67 0 32-14.33 32-32V304h144c17.67 0 32-14.33 32-32v-32c0-17.67-14.33-32-32-32z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/summary>\n\t\t\t\t<div role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"e-n-accordion-item-1410\" class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-59d9278 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"59d9278\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b6df729 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"b6df729\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A hardware firewall audit is a review of performance, configuration, and security effectiveness. This helps to ensure the hardware is still meeting your network demands.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/details>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<details id=\"e-n-accordion-item-1411\" class=\"e-n-accordion-item\" >\n\t\t\t\t<summary class=\"e-n-accordion-item-title\" data-accordion-index=\"2\" tabindex=\"-1\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"e-n-accordion-item-1411\" >\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class='e-n-accordion-item-title-header'><div class=\"e-n-accordion-item-title-text\"> How Do I Know if My Firewall is Becoming a Bottleneck? <\/div><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class='e-n-accordion-item-title-icon'>\n\t\t\t<span class='e-opened' ><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"e-font-icon-svg e-fas-minus\" viewBox=\"0 0 448 512\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M416 208H32c-17.67 0-32 14.33-32 32v32c0 17.67 14.33 32 32 32h384c17.67 0 32-14.33 32-32v-32c0-17.67-14.33-32-32-32z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class='e-closed'><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"e-font-icon-svg e-fas-plus\" viewBox=\"0 0 448 512\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M416 208H272V64c0-17.67-14.33-32-32-32h-32c-17.67 0-32 14.33-32 32v144H32c-17.67 0-32 14.33-32 32v32c0 17.67 14.33 32 32 32h144v144c0 17.67 14.33 32 32 32h32c17.67 0 32-14.33 32-32V304h144c17.67 0 32-14.33 32-32v-32c0-17.67-14.33-32-32-32z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/summary>\n\t\t\t\t<div role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"e-n-accordion-item-1411\" class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-9eac2c5 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"9eac2c5\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-951ee62 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"951ee62\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Common signs include latency spikes, reduced throughput, frequent downtime, and difficulty handling cloud or hybrid traffic.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/details>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<details id=\"e-n-accordion-item-1412\" class=\"e-n-accordion-item\" >\n\t\t\t\t<summary class=\"e-n-accordion-item-title\" data-accordion-index=\"3\" tabindex=\"-1\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"e-n-accordion-item-1412\" >\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class='e-n-accordion-item-title-header'><div class=\"e-n-accordion-item-title-text\"> Can a Firewall Slow Down My Network Performance? <\/div><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class='e-n-accordion-item-title-icon'>\n\t\t\t<span class='e-opened' ><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"e-font-icon-svg e-fas-minus\" viewBox=\"0 0 448 512\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M416 208H32c-17.67 0-32 14.33-32 32v32c0 17.67 14.33 32 32 32h384c17.67 0 32-14.33 32-32v-32c0-17.67-14.33-32-32-32z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class='e-closed'><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"e-font-icon-svg e-fas-plus\" viewBox=\"0 0 448 512\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M416 208H272V64c0-17.67-14.33-32-32-32h-32c-17.67 0-32 14.33-32 32v144H32c-17.67 0-32 14.33-32 32v32c0 17.67 14.33 32 32 32h144v144c0 17.67 14.33 32 32 32h32c17.67 0 32-14.33 32-32V304h144c17.67 0 32-14.33 32-32v-32c0-17.67-14.33-32-32-32z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/summary>\n\t\t\t\t<div role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"e-n-accordion-item-1412\" class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-115d496 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"115d496\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-aaf6497 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"aaf6497\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yes, an overloaded or outdated firewall appliance can easily reduce network speed. This is commonly seen through issues like limiting traffic inspection efficiency and overall throughput.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/details>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<details id=\"e-n-accordion-item-1413\" class=\"e-n-accordion-item\" >\n\t\t\t\t<summary class=\"e-n-accordion-item-title\" data-accordion-index=\"4\" tabindex=\"-1\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"e-n-accordion-item-1413\" >\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class='e-n-accordion-item-title-header'><div class=\"e-n-accordion-item-title-text\"> When Should I Upgrade My Hardware Firewall? <\/div><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class='e-n-accordion-item-title-icon'>\n\t\t\t<span class='e-opened' ><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"e-font-icon-svg e-fas-minus\" viewBox=\"0 0 448 512\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M416 208H32c-17.67 0-32 14.33-32 32v32c0 17.67 14.33 32 32 32h384c17.67 0 32-14.33 32-32v-32c0-17.67-14.33-32-32-32z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class='e-closed'><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"e-font-icon-svg e-fas-plus\" viewBox=\"0 0 448 512\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M416 208H272V64c0-17.67-14.33-32-32-32h-32c-17.67 0-32 14.33-32 32v144H32c-17.67 0-32 14.33-32 32v32c0 17.67 14.33 32 32 32h144v144c0 17.67 14.33 32 32 32h32c17.67 0 32-14.33 32-32V304h144c17.67 0 32-14.33 32-32v-32c0-17.67-14.33-32-32-32z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/summary>\n\t\t\t\t<div role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"e-n-accordion-item-1413\" class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3756f13 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-child\" data-id=\"3756f13\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-620baa6 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"620baa6\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You should consider upgrading when multiple performance issues appear, or the system can clearly no longer scale with your demand.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/details>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<details id=\"e-n-accordion-item-1414\" class=\"e-n-accordion-item\" >\n\t\t\t\t<summary class=\"e-n-accordion-item-title\" data-accordion-index=\"5\" tabindex=\"-1\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"e-n-accordion-item-1414\" >\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class='e-n-accordion-item-title-header'><div class=\"e-n-accordion-item-title-text\"> What are the Risks of Not Upgrading an Outdated Firewall? <\/div><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class='e-n-accordion-item-title-icon'>\n\t\t\t<span class='e-opened' ><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"e-font-icon-svg e-fas-minus\" viewBox=\"0 0 448 512\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M416 208H32c-17.67 0-32 14.33-32 32v32c0 17.67 14.33 32 32 32h384c17.67 0 32-14.33 32-32v-32c0-17.67-14.33-32-32-32z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class='e-closed'><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"e-font-icon-svg e-fas-plus\" viewBox=\"0 0 448 512\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M416 208H272V64c0-17.67-14.33-32-32-32h-32c-17.67 0-32 14.33-32 32v144H32c-17.67 0-32 14.33-32 32v32c0 17.67 14.33 32 32 32h144v144c0 17.67 14.33 32 32 32h32c17.67 0 32-14.33 32-32V304h144c17.67 0 32-14.33 32-32v-32c0-17.67-14.33-32-32-32z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/summary>\n\t\t\t\t<div role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"e-n-accordion-item-1414\" class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-bb9f769 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-child\" data-id=\"bb9f769\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-92c5110 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"92c5110\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Delaying an upgrade can lead to weaker security, compliance risks, system instability, and increased vulnerability to modern cyber threats.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/details>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"FAQPage\",\"mainEntity\":[{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What is a Hardware Firewall Audit?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"A hardware firewall audit is a review of performance, configuration, and security effectiveness. 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