A firewall cannot save you from being badly run. For years, small businesses have been sold the idea that a perimeter box equals protection. When Fortinet disclosed exploited authentication bypass vulnerabilities, added to CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalogue, the uncomfortable truth surfaced again: the firewall is not a wall. It is a computer at the edge of your network that runs software, has management access, and can be compromised. Defence in Depth means using multiple security layers so that when one fails, another slows the attacker, limits damage, or helps you spot the problem. The NCSC describes this as reducing single points of failure. Yet many small businesses still operate flat networks with exposed management, weak identity, old firmware, missing logs, and untested backups. This episode unpacks the Fortinet advisory, challenges the green dashboard culture, and delivers a practical checklist for the twenty-person firm. The panel argues about MSP accountability, board responsibility, and the difference between buying comfort and buying outcomes. No vendor worship. No reassurance fog. Just evidence, ownership, and the hard questions businesses should ask before the next advisory drops.

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