WatchGuard FireCloud Internet Access is a cloud-delivered Secure Internet Gateway, sometimes called firewall-as-a-service. Instead of routing internet traffic through a hardware appliance at each location, traffic is tunneled or forwarded to WatchGuard's cloud infrastructure, where full firewall policy enforcement runs, including URL filtering, intrusion prevention, antivirus, application control, and DNS filtering. It is managed through WatchGuard Cloud alongside any Firebox hardware already in the environment.

A Firebox is a physical or virtual appliance that sits on the network and processes traffic locally. FireCloud delivers the same core firewall security services from the cloud, so there is no appliance to rack, configure, or replace on site. FireCloud is a better fit for branch offices without a server room, or for remote workers who need consistent protection on any network. A Firebox is typically the right choice for a central office or data center with dedicated IT staff and a hardware lifecycle management plan.

No. For branch offices, FireCloud connects via an IPSec or GRE tunnel from the office's existing router or gateway. No new WatchGuard hardware is needed at the branch. For remote and mobile users, a lightweight WatchGuard Access Client is installed on each Windows or macOS device. The entire service runs in the cloud and is licensed per user.

Remote workers install the WatchGuard Access Client on their device. The client automatically routes internet-bound traffic through WatchGuard's cloud enforcement points without requiring the user to manually connect to a VPN. Protection is always on regardless of which network the user is connected to, including home internet, hotel Wi-Fi, and public hotspots.

Yes. FireCloud Internet Access integrates with AuthPoint through WatchGuard Cloud. When AuthPoint is in place, firewall policies can be applied per user identity rather than per IP address, so access rules follow the person rather than the network connection. This is especially useful for hybrid environments where the same user might connect from a branch tunnel one day and the Access Client the next.

No. Both are managed through the same WatchGuard Cloud portal. If you are already running a Firebox, adding FireCloud Internet Access does not require a separate management platform or login. Policies, logging, and reporting for both the hardware appliances and the cloud service appear in the same place, which keeps your security team from having to juggle multiple consoles.