Firemon - Experts & Thought Leaders

FireMon, the pioneering network security and firewall policy management company, detailed expanded support for Zero Trust microsegmentation across hybrid environments, including a deeper integration with Illumio and continued coverage for VMware NSX and Zscaler. By normalizing, analyzing, and continuously validating segmentation intent across network, virtual, and host enforcement points, FireMon helps security teams operationalize Zero Trust at enterprise scale. Firewall governance report “The future isn’t more consoles,” said Jody Brazil, CEO of FireMon. “It’s one policy playbook that proves control efficacy every day and the evidence to back it up.” Organizations using FireMon to unify segmentation and firewall governance report measurable outcomes, including up to a 90% reduction in compliance reporting time through consolidated policy data and faster validation and change reviews across the hybrid networks. They also eliminate blind spots between virtual, host, and network enforcement points, strengthening segmentation consistency, and overall control assurance. “Zero Trust only works when segmentation policies are governed and consistent across every layer,” Brazil added. “We’re giving teams one place to validate intent, spot drift, prove compliance, maintain least access, whether the control lives on a firewall, a fabric, or the host.” Making Zero Trust real with microsegmentation Regulators and industry groups are pushing beyond periodic audits toward continuous proof that controls work every day. While Zero Trust has become mainstream, many organizations still struggle to operationalize segmentation due to siloed policies and governance blind spots. Fresh telemetry from FireMon Insights found 60% of enterprise firewalls fail high-severity compliance checks on first evaluation and 34% fail at critical levels — failures that point to process and ownership issues, not just isolated misconfigurations. Unifying segmentation and firewall policy under one governance model directly addresses this challenge, allowing enterprises to prove control efficacy across every enforcement plane. Illumio label-based policies “The Illumio Platform is the enforcement engine enterprises rely on to stop lateral movement and contain breaches. As organizations scale segmentation across hybrid environments, they need governance that aligns host-level intent with broader network policy." "Our collaboration with FireMon enables customers to extend Illumio label-based policies into unified governance workflows, ensuring segmentation remains consistent, validated, and continuously enforced, strengthening breach containment,” Sarab Matharu, Director, Tech Alliances at Illumio. How host-level segmentation from Illumio Matharu added: “Our collaboration with Firemon gives organizations the visibility and governance they need to connect segmentation intent with enterprise-wide policy assurance.” This integration highlights how host-level segmentation from Illumio and centralized policy governance from FireMon combine to deliver continuous Zero Trust validation, from the data center to the endpoint. What’s new Deeper Illumio integration (host-based Zero Trust Segmentation). FireMon ingests Illumio’s label-driven policies alongside firewall and cloud controls to: Optimize Illumio-defined policies to achieve least access, detect inconsistencies between network and host policies, validate segmentation against frameworks (e.g., PCI, NIST, CIS), and automate recertification and evidence collection across enforcement planes. NSX distributed firewall groups The result is a single governance workflow that keeps segmentation intent aligned from the data center to the cloud to the endpoint. VMware NSX microsegmentation, modeled in context. FireMon visualizes NSX distributed firewall groups and rules within the same hybrid topology used for physical firewalls, enabling conflict detection across virtual and physical layers, change simulation before deployment, and automated compliance checks for NSX-managed zones. FireMon has long supported NSX policy orchestration and visibility. Zscaler cloud-delivered Zero Trust, governed centrally. By integrating Zscaler policy data, FireMon extends policy visibility, risk analysis, and reporting to SASE and firewall-as-a-service environments, aligning user-to-app paths with on-prem and cloud controls, and reducing misconfiguration risk before changes ship. Operationalizing Zero Trust with FireMon Unified topology and policy normalization. See how access is permitted or denied at the network, virtual, and host layers in one console; analyze multi-vendor rules with a consistent schema for faster troubleshooting and safer change. Continuous compliance, not audit season. Run automated checks against control baselines, track exceptions, and measure time-to-remediate across firewalls, NSX segments, Zscaler policies, and Illumio labels with evidence on demand. Change simulation and policy optimization. Design and verify segmentation and access changes before deployment; flag redundant, shadowed, or overly permissive rules to shrink attack paths and simplify audits. Scale across the environment. FireMon supports 120+ firewall and cloud platforms, so segmentation governance lands where teams already manage policy. Built for hybrid reality The integrations align with how operators run modern environments: Illumio for label-driven, host-level containment to cut lateral movement, VMware NSX for distributed microsegmentation in virtualized data centers, and Zscaler for cloud-delivered enforcement at user and app edges, all governed through FireMon’s policy management workflows.

FireMon, the major network security and firewall policy management company, announced native support for NVIDIA Cumulus in FireMon Policy Manager. This provides unified policy visibility, change automation, and compliance assurance for data centers running Cumulus Linux–based switching. NVIDIA Cumulus is a key networking component for data centers that power AI and high-performance computing (HPC) environments. Following NVIDIA’s acquisition of Cumulus Networks, the networking software was integrated with NVIDIA’s accelerated computing hardware to create an end-to-end infrastructure solution optimized for AI and HPC workloads. Closing the gap FireMon closes a long-standing gap for teams who standardize on open networking  With this new support, FireMon closes a long-standing gap for teams who standardize on open networking while maintaining a single source of truth for network security policy across firewalls, clouds, and modern data center fabrics. As enterprises scale AI and high-performance workloads, NVIDIA Cumulus has become a foundation for modern data center fabrics. Yet the security layer has lagged, leaving governance blind spots that adversaries can exploit. With the release, FireMon customers can discover, normalize, and analyze Cumulus policy data alongside existing estates, streamlining risk reviews and accelerating safe changes in mixed-vendor environments. Major milestone “Adding NVIDIA Cumulus support is a major milestone for FireMon and for our customers modernizing around open networking,” said Jody Brazil, CEO of FireMon. “Policy sprawl didn’t stop at the firewall; it followed workloads into the fabric, the cloud, and now AI interaction layers. By adding NVIDIA Cumulus support, we’re giving customers one place to govern policy from ground to cloud to data center. The result is continuous visibility, faster time-to-remediate, and audit-ready compliance proof, outcomes CISOs now demand as AI adoption accelerates.” Cumulus integration What the Cumulus integration delivers: Unified visibility. Bring Cumulus-managed networks into the same Policy Manager workspace used for firewalls and cloud controls, with normalized objects and topology for consistent analysis. Change automation. Apply FireMon’s proven workflows to Cumulus environments to design, simulate, and verify policy changes before implementation, reducing rework and audit risk. Continuous compliance. Run automated checks against policy baselines and frameworks, generate evidence, and track time-to-remediate for findings across all covered platforms. Device support FireMon has implemented Levels 1 to 4 device support for NVIDIA Cumulus FireMon has implemented Levels 1 to 4 device support for NVIDIA Cumulus, aligned to FireMon’s standard device-support model, enabling progressive capabilities from inventory/visibility through advanced and automated planning workflows. Data from FireMon Insights highlights the operational cost of weak policy governance. FireMon found 60% of enterprise firewalls fail high-severity control checks during their initial evaluation, and a further 34% failed at critical levels. These reflect governance and process issues beyond ordinary configuration glitches. Extending enterprise-grade policy management into open-networking fabrics helps close that gap. “Security teams don’t have the luxury of separate playbooks for each control plane. They need one governance model that spans firewalls, clouds, and fabrics, and they need evidence it’s working every day,” said Brazil. Built for modern networks The integration leverages NVIDIA Cumulus Linux management interfaces, including the NVUE model and REST API, to align with how operators deploy and manage policy on modern fabrics. It also preserves FireMon’s vendor-neutral approach. Teams standardizing on Cumulus can therefore maintain their operational model while still gaining enterprise-grade policy assurance. Policy Manager already centralizes security policy management across on-prem firewalls and major clouds (e.g. AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud) and integrates with adjacent platforms (e.g., Zscaler and Cisco ACI/NSX) so operations and audit teams can see and govern policy coherently, now including NVIDIA Cumulus environments. Govern policy across heterogeneous environments NVIDIA Cumulus support is available now in FireMon’s 2025.2.6 feature update. Existing customers can enable support through the standard upgrade process. FireMon is not just extending support; it is setting the standard for how enterprises can govern policy across heterogeneous environments, from traditional firewalls to open networking fabrics and AI-intensive workloads.

FireMon, the major network security and firewall policy management company, releases powerful new findings from its AI-powered analytics platform, FireMon Insights: 60% of enterprise firewalls fail high-severity compliance checks immediately upon evaluation, with another 34% falling short at critical levels. These aren’t just technical oversights; they’re signs of deeper governance issues that can lead to audit failures, operational downtime, and increased exposure to threats. FireMon Insights Across on-premises, cloud, and hybrid environments, FireMon found misconfigurations, outdated rules, and bloated policies that bog down performance and leave security teams struggling to keep up. FireMon Insights was built to change that. It gives organizations a clear picture of their firewall risk, compares them to industry peers, and shows exactly where and how to fix what’s broken. It’s about helping teams see the problem, understand the impact, and move faster with fewer surprises. These findings were collected anonymously from FireMon Insights deployments across new customers in large enterprises and regulated industries. And the data is striking: 60% of firewalls fail high-severity compliance checks; 34% fail at critical severity. 95% of application objects and 82% of service objects show zero usage, creating unnecessary overhead and expanding the attack surface. 30% of firewall rules are completely unused; 62.6% lack any owner or documentation, introducing audit gaps and operational blind spots. More than 10% of rules are redundant or shadowed, reducing performance and masking dangerous misconfigurations. Policy management “Organizations have been trying to untangle firewall complexity for years, but too often the tools fall short, either offering static snapshots or failing to provide the operational context that teams actually need,” said Mark Miller, CRO at EncoreCyber. “That’s why platforms like FireMon Insights matter. They offer a level of clarity and benchmarking that helps teams move from reactive fixes to informed, proactive decisions. FireMon has long been a trusted name in policy management, and it’s good to see them pushing the industry forward in this space.” Threat to resilience and trust “Firewall complexity isn’t just a configuration issue, it’s a threat to resilience and trust,” said Jody Brazil, CEO and founder at FireMon. “Security teams are buried under policies they can’t explain, map to business objectives, or manage at scale. FireMon Insights cuts through the noise. It benchmarks your performance, exposing what’s been missed, and helping you take action before it turns into disruption.” AI-powered analytics platform FireMon provides always-on visibility across hybrid, multi-vendor infrastructures These findings surfaced through FireMon Insights, a next-generation AI-powered analytics platform that continuously benchmarks firewall environments, tracks compliance KPIs, and identifies misconfigurations in real time. Unlike legacy approaches that rely on static scans and siloed views, FireMon provides always-on visibility across hybrid, multi-vendor infrastructures, enabling security and IT teams to move from reactive cleanup to proactive governance. FireMon Insights stands apart from traditional tools by delivering always-on visibility across multi-vendor, hybrid environments, no waiting on scans or outdated dashboards. New enhancements With new enhancements to FireMon Insights, users get: Device-Level Metrics grouped by Complexity, Risk, and Environment for deeper context. Tighter integration with FireMon Policy Manager for seamless analysis and remediation. AI-powered natural language search and chatbot, so teams can surface insights fast—no training required. Expanded peer benchmarking to help leaders understand where they stand in the industry. And unlike other vendors, FireMon provides these capabilities at no additional cost to existing customers. Go-to analytics platform “Since its initial launch in January 2025, FireMon Insights has quickly become the go-to analytics platform for our customers’ security teams,” said Brandy Peterson, CTO of Cloud Security Operations. “What’s been most exciting is the engagement—early adopters across roles are having real ‘aha’ moments, and their feedback directly shaped this release.” Network security teams FireMon Insights helps teams shift from reactive ticket-crunching to strategic execution Network security teams are expected to move fast—but speed without direction leads to missed priorities and unmanaged risk. FireMon Insights helps teams shift from reactive ticket-crunching to strategic execution by providing clear visibility into policy health, peer benchmarks, and baseline controls. It enables network security operations to measure progress against business-aligned goals, course correct where needed, and build a sustainable plan that reduces risk while supporting the pace of the organization. Cybersecurity industry “Collectively, the cybersecurity industry has been driving organizations to a point of sophistication that actually distracts their cyber strategy from implementing required capabilities and measuring operational outcomes,” said Dan Rheault, Director of Product Management at FireMon. “Teams are turning to FireMon for a smarter, more sustainable path forward.” Strong momentum for FireMon “Most tools only tell you what happened,” said Rich Mogull, SVP of Cloud Security at FireMon. “Insights tells you what’s happening now and more importantly, what to do next. It’s not about more alerts. It’s about clarity and action, at scale.” The Insights 1.5 launch follows strong momentum for FireMon this year. The company was recently named a CRN Tech Innovator finalist for FireMon Insights, recognized for redefining how teams approach policy risk. FireMon also appointed Alex Bender as Chief Marketing Officer to drive global expansion and brought on four veteran sales pioneers from the former Skybox Security, doubling down on execution as demand grows.