FireMon unveils Policy Workbench for hybrid security

FireMon has introduced Policy Workbench, a new feature within its Policy Planner module designed to enhance network security and firewall policy management across hybrid environments.

The company has positioned Policy Workbench as a dedicated entry point for organisations that continue to manage firewall policy changes manually or rely on intensive, review-heavy processes. According to FireMon, many security teams find it difficult to transition to full automation due to fragmented visibility, inherited rulesets, and incomplete onboarding across on-premises, cloud, and outsourced infrastructures.

FireMon said Policy Workbench provides policy recommendations from the start of deployment. It also provides a guided workspace for designing changes before enforcement.

"Security teams are under pressure to automate, but real networks are messy," said Jody Brazil, CEO, FireMon. "Policy Workbench gives usable recommendations and a safe place to design changes on day one, while you decide how far and how fast to take automation."

Design workspace

FireMon said Policy Workbench uses a model that does not require teams to standardise or normalise all policy inputs before they begin. The company said the feature adapts to the organisation's existing environment. FireMon also said security teams can design, validate and prove policy intent before enforcement.

Policy Workbench includes a guided policy design workspace. FireMon said it shows which devices, objects and rules require updates to implement intended access. FireMon said it continuously validates changes against internal standards and external frameworks. The company cited PCI DSS, NIST and DORA as examples. FireMon said the system flags violations before deployment.

Workflow links

FireMon said the new feature integrates with existing workflows. It listed opening and tracking ITSM tickets, attaching contextual evidence to support decisions, and supporting collaboration across security and operations teams. FireMon also said Policy Workbench maintains an audit-ready record from design through approval.

FireMon said Policy Workbench sits alongside its existing Policy Planner product line-up. The company described FireMon Policy Planner as its option for end-to-end automation. FireMon said Policy Workbench acts as an on-ramp for organisations not ready to adopt full automation.

Early deployments

FireMon said early design partner deployments showed operational changes before full automation and onboarding. It said teams compressed policy analysis and decision cycles from weeks to days. FireMon linked this to reduced manual review and fewer handoffs. It also said the tool surfaced recommendations immediately.

FireMon said day-one insights sped up segmentation and policy decisions "by an order of magnitude". The company said this approach allowed teams to move faster while keeping governance controls in place.

FireMon also cited outcomes it associated with broader FireMon deployments. The company said customers have achieved up to a 90 percent reduction in rule deployment time, 83 percent less audit preparation effort, 81 percent lower compliance reporting overhead, and up to a 96 percent reduction in policy-related vulnerabilities.

"Full automation is the destination, but precision is the prerequisite," said Brazil. "Policy Workbench lets teams design, test, and adopt automation on their own terms, without rewriting how they work today."

FireMon said Policy Workbench is now part of the FireMon Policy Planner Module for hybrid, cloud and on-premises environments.