How can one explain to a customer that their existing firewall may be inadequate?

When discussing the inadequacy of an existing firewall, the most effective approach is to demonstrate the capabilities of a next-generation firewall (NGFW) in a practical and low-risk manner. Offering to install the NGFW in TAP mode temporarily allows the customer to see the benefits and enhanced capabilities without making a permanent change to their existing infrastructure.

TAP mode enables the NGFW to monitor traffic passively. This means it can analyze and provide insights into the current network traffic, security events, and potential vulnerabilities without interfering with the traffic flow. It helps the customer understand how their existing firewall is functioning and highlights any shortcomings in real-time. By doing so, they can observe the differences and assess how the NGFW would perform in protecting their environment, thereby leading to informed decision-making.

This method is particularly compelling because it provides the customer with concrete data and observations that can reinforce the argument for an upgrade or change, rather than just theoretical explanations of features or benefits. The hands-on evaluation experience can be much more persuasive than a purely conversational approach, as customers often respond more positively to direct evidence of value.