ON PREM VS. SASE: WHICH FIREWALL IS RIGHT FOR YOUR BUSINESS?

Megan Poljacik • March 27, 2025

Three things in life are certain: death, taxes and the persistent threat of cyberattacks. There are many layers of defense in the onion of cyber security, but at the helm is your firewall. Traditionally firewalls have always been the piece of hardware acting as a barrier between your office network and the wilds of the internet. Then in 2020 the way we work was transformed forever by the global pandemic. Nearly a third of the workforce transitioned to remote, leaving offices empty. Many employees continue to work in non-traditional spaces to this day. How can we defend them against cyberattacks if they are outside the protective reach of an on premise firewall?


A firewall is a network security device or software that monitors and controls incoming and outgoing network traffic based on predetermined security rules. Think of it as a moat with a bridge and a guard shack that surrounds a castle. The guards and the moat are the firewall, acting as a barrier and between a trusted internal network (the castle) and untrusted external networks (random people trying to get in), helping to prevent unauthorized access to and from the castle while allowing legitimate traffic to pass through. The outside forces have to “check in” with the guards before they can cross the moat and access the castle. 





With SASE, short for Secure Access Service Edge, the moat and guards become portable. When using SASE, pronounced "sassy," this software is installed directly on devices to monitor network traffic no matter your location. It functions as a unified security system and network connection, safeguarding users and data while ensuring speedy and dependable access to the internet and cloud-based applications from any location. Just like an on prem firewall it is managed remotely by your admin team.


For most companies, a hybrid solution may be the best option. For example a company may have a central office in Boston with 30 users, but also 3 sales people who travel frequently and need protection. Both SASE and a traditional firewall would be necessary to protect everyone.


Overall, firewalls play a crucial role in enforcing network security policies, controlling traffic flow, protecting against cyber threats, and safeguarding your network, so you must chose wisely!

Uncomplicate IT News Blog

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE CLOUD GOES DOWN?

By Megan Poljacik & Bryan Doherty • November 24, 2025
The internet has had a series of bad days over the last few months. In October, Microsoft 365 briefly went sideways in North America after a network misconfiguration disrupted access to Teams and Exchange Online before service recovered the same day. A few weeks later, Microsoft Azure suffered an outage after a faulty configuration change was pushed to Azure Front Door Configuration, affecting Microsoft 365, Xbox, and other services worldwide. Around the same time Amazon crashed, stating that an AWS disruption stemmed from a DNS automation bug associated with DynamoDB. This is an automated system that directs internet traffic that made a timing mistake, and that small glitch quickly snowballed and knocked parts of the service offline. Most recently, Cloudflare, a service many websites use to load faster and block bad traffic, went down, leaving millions unable to access sites and services. It’s no surprise that many business owners are now asking whether the cloud is still a safe choice for their business. Short answer: yes. For most small and mid-size companies, the cloud is still the safest, most cost-effective place to run everyday tools. It delivers enterprise-grade security, constant patching, and built-in resilience that would be expensive to match on your own. But “safe” doesn’t mean “never fail.”

ESTABLISHING AN AI POLICY FRAMEWORK: BALANCING INNOVATION AND RISK

August 27, 2025
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IMPACTFUL VIRUSES IN HISTORY: STUXNET

By Megan Poljacik • July 31, 2025
In the early 2000s, tensions in the middle east were on the rise. Iran’s government had begun expanding its uranium enrichment capabilities, insisting it was for nuclear energy purposes. However many countries around the globe feared it was a coverup for a nuclear weapons program. Despite pressure from United Nations and the International Atomic Energy Agency, Iran continued to enrich uranium. Frustrations reached a fever pitch and it appeared a conflict was imminent, until a mysterious solution came from a completely unexpected source: the Stuxnet Computer Worm.