Infrastructure›Security & Firewall

Pillar 02 · Security

Segmentation-first security. Built for compliance.

Perimeter-only security is obsolete. We design next-gen firewall architectures with layered segmentation, identity-aware policy, and SIEM integration — built for PCI, HIPAA, CMMC, and SOC 2 from day one.

Talk to an Engineer See Reference Architectures

NGFW platforms we design on — Fortinet, Cisco Secure, Palo Alto, Meraki, Check Point

compliance frameworks designed in — PCI, HIPAA, CMMC, SOC 2

implicit-trust zones · every flow is policy-evaluated

Security · Mid-tier

Mid-market Fortinet NGFW HA cluster with SASE, EDR, and SIEM reference architecture

The Problem

Firewalls at the edge are not a security architecture.

A NGFW at the perimeter without internal segmentation is one lateral-movement step from a full compromise. A security architecture that can't produce an audit trail for every flow is one audit finding from a failed PCI attestation. And a ZTNA deployment grafted onto a legacy VPN is worse than either done alone.

We design security as a layered system: NGFW cluster at the perimeter with deep inspection, internal microsegmentation via firewall VLANs or Zero Trust microperimeters, identity-aware access replacing legacy VPN, endpoint detection feeding a SIEM, and cloud-delivered SASE for distributed users.

Platform choice depends on environment: Fortinet when you want firewall + SD-WAN + switching from one vendor with the tightest integration; Cisco Secure or Palo Alto when deep policy sophistication is required at scale; Meraki MX when cloud-managed simplicity wins. We don't have a preferred OEM — we have a preferred outcome.

Reference Architectures

Three tiers. Real vendor choices. Real BOMs.

Match your scale; adapt to your compliance posture.

Meraki MX + Microsoft Defender + Cisco Umbrella

Cloud-managed NGFW with AMP + IDS/IPS at the edge · DNS-layer threat protection via Umbrella · Defender for Endpoint on every managed device · basic segmentation by VLAN. Right-sized for single-site SMBs without dedicated security staff.

SMB · single-site · 25–150 users

Cloud-managed stack — minimal ops burden

Get threat inspection at the edge, DNS-layer filtering, and endpoint detection without running a SOC. Everything managed through web dashboards; Netcom configures policy and stays available for escalations.

Role	Vendor & Model	Notes	License
Perimeter NGFW	Cisco Meraki MX85 / MX95	NGFW · IDS/IPS · AMP · AutoVPN	Advanced Security
DNS-layer security	Cisco Umbrella	block malicious domains before DNS resolves	Professional / Insights
Endpoint EDR	Microsoft Defender for Endpoint P2	included in M365 Business Premium · telemetry centralized	per-seat
Email security	Microsoft Defender for Office 365	phishing · safe links · attachment sandboxing	per-seat
Backup / DR	Veeam · Datto (vendor-neutral)	3-2-1 backup · ransomware recovery plan	per-endpoint

Mid-market Fortinet HA NGFW cluster with SASE, EDR, SIEM, microsegmentation

Mid-market · 200–2,000 users · HA + SASE + EDR

Fortinet-led platform with layered defense

FortiGate HA cluster at the perimeter with deep SSL inspection; microsegmented VLANs for corporate / PCI / IoT zones; SASE overlay (Zscaler or Cloudflare) for distributed users; FortiClient ZTNA replacing VPN; FortiAnalyzer or Microsoft Sentinel for SIEM. CrowdStrike or Defender EDR on endpoints feeding the same SIEM.

Role	Vendor & Model	Notes	License
Perimeter NGFW (HA)	Fortinet FortiGate 600F active-passive	12 Gbps threat-inspected · SD-WAN + NGFW	UTP Bundle
Central mgmt	FortiManager · FortiAnalyzer	policy orchestration · log aggregation · threat intel	per-device
Secure internet access (SASE)	Zscaler Internet Access or Cloudflare Gateway	SWG · CASB · DLP · DNS security for off-net users	per-seat
ZTNA (VPN replacement)	Zscaler Private Access · FortiClient ZTNA	identity-aware proxy · per-session auth	per-seat
SIEM / SOC	Microsoft Sentinel · FortiAnalyzer · Splunk	log ingest · correlation · investigation workbench	ingest-based
Endpoint EDR	CrowdStrike Falcon · Microsoft Defender for Endpoint P2	EDR + threat intel · telemetry → SIEM	per-seat
Email security	Proofpoint · Mimecast · Defender for Office 365	phishing · impersonation · attachment sandboxing	per-seat

Palo Alto or Cisco Secure at enterprise scale

Palo Alto PA-Series or Cisco Secure Firewall (Firepower) at the core · Prisma Access SASE · Cortex XDR · Splunk or Microsoft Sentinel SIEM · microsegmentation via Illumio or Cisco TrustSec · quarterly policy reviews with dedicated security architect. Request a private design session →

Enterprise · multi-region · regulated industry

Platform-grade: Palo Alto or Cisco Secure

When policy sophistication, scale, and deep telemetry matter more than operational simplicity. Best fit for organizations with dedicated security teams and strict compliance mandates (PCI Level 1, HIPAA covered entity, CMMC Level 2+, SOC 2 Type II).

Role	Vendor & Model	Notes	License
Perimeter NGFW	Palo Alto PA-5450 · Cisco Secure Firewall 4100	multi-Gbps inspected · App-ID · User-ID · TLS decrypt	subscription bundles
SASE / SSE	Palo Alto Prisma Access · Zscaler ZIA+ZPA	cloud-delivered firewall · CASB · DLP · RBI	per-seat
Microsegmentation	Illumio · Cisco TrustSec (SGT)	east-west policy · application dependency maps	per-workload
SIEM	Splunk Enterprise Security · Microsoft Sentinel	full correlation · hunting · SOAR integration	ingest-based
EDR / XDR	CrowdStrike Falcon · Palo Alto Cortex XDR	EDR + identity + cloud signal unified	per-seat
Email security	Proofpoint Enterprise · Mimecast	advanced threat protection · DMARC enforcement	per-seat
Vulnerability mgmt	Tenable · Qualys · Rapid7	continuous assessment · exploit prioritization	per-asset

Vendor Fit

Which platform for which environment.

Compliance posture, operational maturity, and existing vendor estate drive the recommendation.

Use case	Primary	Alternates
SMB · single site · cloud-managed preference	Meraki MX + Umbrella	FortiGate 60F + FortiClient
Mid-market · security + SD-WAN unified	Fortinet Secure SD-WAN + FortiGate	Meraki MX Advanced Security
PCI scope · point-to-point policy	Fortinet or Palo Alto	Cisco Secure Firewall
HIPAA · healthcare · BAA required	Fortinet or Cisco Secure	Meraki MX with HIPAA BAA
CMMC Level 2 / 3 · DoD supply chain	Palo Alto · Cisco Secure	Fortinet (with attestation)
Remote / hybrid workforce · VPN replacement	Zscaler Private Access	Cloudflare Access · FortiClient ZTNA
SASE / distributed users	Zscaler ZIA+ZPA	Palo Alto Prisma Access · Cato · Cloudflare
SIEM · mid-market	Microsoft Sentinel	FortiAnalyzer · Splunk Cloud
SIEM · enterprise	Splunk Enterprise Security	Microsoft Sentinel · Elastic
Endpoint EDR	CrowdStrike Falcon	Microsoft Defender for Endpoint · SentinelOne

What Netcom delivers

Security architecture design with segmentation map and policy framework
NGFW deployment — staging, config, cutover, rule migration from legacy
ZTNA rollout with phased VPN decommissioning plan
SIEM implementation — log source onboarding, correlation rules, dashboards
EDR rollout across managed endpoints with telemetry pipeline to SIEM
Compliance attestation support — PCI / HIPAA / CMMC / SOC 2 evidence gathering
Quarterly rule cleanup + firewall policy review
Optional managed service: 24/7 monitoring via our NOC partner, incident response coordination

Our design process

Security posture assessment — interview, current-state audit, gap analysis
Compliance framework mapping (PCI / HIPAA / CMMC / SOC 2) with in-scope asset inventory
Threat model — what we're defending against, what acceptable risk looks like
Segmentation design — VLAN / VRF / microperimeter strategy
Policy architecture — default-deny posture, exception documentation, review cadence
Platform recommendation with pro/con analysis, peer-reviewed
BOM, deployment sequence, cutover plan, rollback criteria
Phased rollout — always a reference site first, then pattern-match to rest

Audit your security architecture?

Send us a rough network diagram, your compliance framework, and any outstanding audit findings. In 10 business days you'll get a design memo identifying gaps, recommending a platform, and sequencing the remediation.

Request an Architecture Review Back to Infrastructure

Segmentation-first security. Built for compliance.

Firewalls at the edge are not a security architecture.

Three tiers. Real vendor choices. Real BOMs.

Cloud-managed stack — minimal ops burden

Fortinet-led platform with layered defense

Platform-grade: Palo Alto or Cisco Secure

Which platform for which environment.

What Netcom delivers

Our design process

Where security architecture earns its keep.

Healthcare

Government

Industrial

Retail

Audit your security architecture?

Segmentation-first security. Built for compliance.

Firewalls at the edge are not a security architecture.

Three tiers. Real vendor choices. Real BOMs.

Cloud-managed stack — minimal ops burden

Fortinet-led platform with layered defense

Platform-grade: Palo Alto or Cisco Secure

Which platform for which environment.

What Netcom delivers

Our design process

Where security architecture earns its keep.

Healthcare

Government

Industrial

Retail

Pairs naturally with

Zero Trust Architecture

SD-WAN & WAN Edge

Managed Services

Audit your security architecture?