A next-generation firewall (NGFW) is a deep-packet inspection firewall that comes geared up with extra layers of safety like built-in intrusion prevention, in-built utility consciousness no matter port, and superior menace intelligence options to guard the community from an unlimited array of superior threats.
In the present day, cybercriminals use superior ransomware, social engineering, malware, and sophisticated distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) assaults to infiltrate networks. Conventional firewalls that carry out port and protocol inspection of packets can’t sustain with these superior cybersecurity threats. That’s the place NGFWs are available in.
How Subsequent-Technology Firewalls Work
An NGFW is designed to supply most safety to your networks. Right here’s the way it works:
- An NGFW securely and statefully inspects every kind of visitors hitting the community, regardless of machine or location.
- It completely examines the content material of every incoming packet and blocks or permits it to move via primarily based on preset guidelines and insurance policies.
- It restricts entry to knowledge on a need-to-know foundation and amplifies zero-trust methods.
- A centralized console offers visibility into all exercise from the firewall.
- It integrates with different safety applied sciences to supply safety in opposition to superior and protracted threats.
NGFWs vs. Conventional Firewalls
NGFWs provide a wide range of vital benefits over conventional firewalls, largely revolving across the deep packet inspection (DPI) capabilities supplied by stateful know-how. Statefulness permits NGFWs to conduct granular inspections of the packet at each layer of the community, from knowledge hyperlink to utility.
Here’s a full comparability of the similarities and variations between conventional firewalls and NGFWs:
| Conventional Firewall | NGFW |
| Stateless (unaware of periods) | Stateful (conscious of periods) |
| Easy packet inspection | Deep packet inspection (DPI) |
| Can not examine and decrypt Safe Sockets Layer (SSL) visitors | Can examine and decrypt SSL visitors |
| Not utility conscious | Software conscious |
| Can not handle consumer insurance policies at a granular stage | Enforces consumer insurance policies at a granular stage |
| Could compromise safety to keep up efficiency | No must compromise safety to keep up efficiency |
| Can not forestall superior cyberattacks | Prevents superior cybersecurity threats |
| Works at layer 2 to layer 4 | Works at layer 2 to layer 7 |
Frequent Subsequent-Technology Firewall Options
The widespread options of an NGFW embody DPI, application-level consciousness, statefulness, and intrusion detection and prevention techniques.
Deep packet inspection
Deep packet inspection (DPI) is a key characteristic of an NGFW that examines community visitors in actual time. Whereas commonplace packet inspection solely scans a packet’s header, like its supply IP, vacation spot IP, and port quantity, DPI completely scans the content material of every packet. This allows an NGFW to scan for extra advanced threats and higher defend company networks.
Software consciousness and management
Conventional firewalls function at layers 2 and 4 of the Open Programs Interconnection (OSI) mannequin. In the present day, that’s inadequate to fulfill a corporation’s wants. An NGFW operates at layers 2 to 7, together with the higher-order utility layer within the TCP/IP communication layer that displays utility visitors. Which means it offers intensive visibility into purposes, grants larger management over them, and applies utility allowlists or blocklists unbiased of port or protocol.
Statefulness
Conventional stateless firewalls don’t examine dynamic knowledge flows or visitors patterns, as an alternative permitting or disallowing visitors primarily based on static guidelines. If a packet meets a particular situation, it’s allowed to move; in any other case, it’s denied entry.
In distinction, stateful firewalls are extra clever and monitor all visitors paths and knowledge flows inside packets, which helps them higher detect unidentified and illegitimate requests at each layer of the community.
Intrusion prevention system and intrusion detection system
NGFWs include an built-in intrusion detection system (IDS) and intrusion prevention system (IPS). Whereas an IDS research community visitors and matches it to identified threats, an IPS may also forestall the packet from being delivered whether it is suspected to have malware.
Advantages of Subsequent-Technology Firewalls
Because of their superior structure, NGFWs unsurprisingly provide a number of advantages over conventional firewalls, together with multilayered safety in opposition to superior threats, in addition to useful resource and value efficiencies.
NGFWs defend in opposition to superior threats
The first benefit of NGFWs is that they defend the community from superior cybersecurity threats like DDoS assaults, malware, and ransomware assaults. NGFWs mix a number of safety applied sciences on a single complete platform, making it simpler to identify and plug the gaps. With a continuously altering menace panorama, a next-gen firewall turns out to be useful to guard the community from malicious malware attempting to infiltrate the system.
NGFWs provide multilayered safety
Older firewalls have been confined to layer 3 (community layer) and layer 4 (transport layer) of the OSI mannequin. Firewalls at this stage can solely filter community visitors primarily based on the IP tackle and port tackle. An NGFW, alternatively, affords multilayered safety, because it operates as deep as layer 7 (utility layer) of the OSI.
For instance, let’s say a DDoS assault hits your community. Your conventional firewall will block the IP tackle, nevertheless it can’t examine the content material of the information packet. What if malware has already been launched into your community via another medium? An NGFW can look into your incoming packet contents, learn them individually, and decide whether or not to simply accept or reject them.
NGFWs are cost-efficient
Though the upfront prices of an NGFW could also be larger than a conventional firewall, a few of these prices will likely be offset by the truth that IPS and antimalware software program come constructed into an NGFW—so that you don’t need to spend more cash shopping for particular person merchandise. And since your NGFW is extra successfully monitoring the community and stopping safety incidents, it saves you cash that will in any other case have been spent in mitigation and response.
NGFWs present useful resource efficiencies
The advantages of an NGFW don’t simply finish with the prices. Since NGFWs consolidate a number of community safety options in a single bundle and since all knowledge is offered on a centralized administration console, it makes it simpler for the IT workforce to handle the community successfully.
Challenges of Subsequent-Technology Firewalls
The vastly elevated capabilities, for instance, naturally demand considerably larger system sources and community bandwidth—to not point out requiring effort and time to combine the brand new options with current platforms.
Listed below are a couple of challenges—and recommended options—to bear in mind when contemplating an NGFW in your group:
- Since NGFWs do extra processing on particular person community packets, they’ll hinder community efficiency in comparison with stateless firewalls, so it is best to guarantee your community is ready for the extra demand.
- Integrating NGFWs with current platforms can take effort and time. The advanced setup course of requires employees to study new abilities and techniques, which can incur extra prices. A superb accomplice might help with integration and coaching.
- Not all NGFWs are created equal. Select one which meets your surroundings’s particular wants.
- Though NGFWs can deal with SSL-encrypted visitors higher than conventional firewalls, they’re nonetheless restricted of their capability. You might wish to take into account investing in a separate SSL decryption answer.
- Throughput can degrade when using superior capabilities.
Finest Subsequent-Technology Firewalls
Fortinet FortiGate NGFW: Finest general
Acknowledged as a Chief within the 2022 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Community Firewalls, Fortinet FortiGate NGFW is a pioneer in creating firewalls. FortiGate NGFWs ship synthetic intelligence (AI)-powered menace detection services to guard networks in opposition to every kind of identified and unknown threats. FortiGate NGFWs are built-in with different Fortinet providers for larger visibility and to strengthen the general safety posture of the community.
Key Options
- Easy-to-use centralized administration console
- Deep visibility into purposes, units, and customers
- Ties key features, like IDS/IPS, TLS 1.3 decryption, and IPSec, to specialised ASICs for optimum experiences
- Superior safety processor unit (SPU) know-how for low-latency performances
Professionals
- Highly effective safety features like ZTNA, SSL decryption, and SD-WAN are included, so no additional licensing charges are required.
- An intuitive user-friendly interface that’s straightforward to observe and helps safety groups handle coverage configurations from a single pane of glass.
- Integrations potential with superior layer 7 safety.
- The FortiGuard Internet Filtering service protects organizations from malicious assaults by utilizing superior menace evaluation and computerized intelligence instruments.
- Integrates nicely with different Fortinet providers.
Cons
- The Logging service wants some enchancment.
- Non-mainline merchandise are reported to have larger charges of failure.
- Not as scalable as another options.
- The command line interface (CLI) may very well be extra user-friendly.
Pricing
Fortinet doesn’t listing pricing on their web site, because it varies primarily based on the overall bundle bought by the shopper, however you’ll be able to request a quote or a free demo for extra info.
Cisco FirePOWER: Finest for SMBs
Cisco FirePOWER protects networks by offering complete safety features like superior malware safety, enterprise safety administration, and intrusion prevention. On the identical time, built-in sandboxing, URL filtering, and superior menace intelligence (Talos) integrations try to guard networks from all potential threats. And due to Cisco FirePOWER’s integration with Cisco’s safety structure, there may be larger visibility into assaults from endpoints to the sting.
Key Options
- Granular URL filtering choices
- 24/7 intelligence updates to remain forward of menace actors
- Superior malware safety and built-in next-generation IPS capabilities for malware detection
- Centralized coverage administration
- A status for reliability and uptime
Professionals
- Firepower detects and neutralizes DDoS assaults in real-time.
- Consists of highly effective troubleshooting options resembling packet seize and packet hint.
- An actual-time monitoring GUI offers complete and up-to-date views of firewall well being.
- Robust integration with different elements like Stealthwatch, Cisco Safe Endpoint, and SecureX.
Cons
- Load and deployment occasions may very well be sooner.
- The consumer interface may be tough to navigate.
- Implementation and configuration are advanced in comparison with another options.
Pricing
Cisco offers a complete “See, Strive, Purchase” program for patrons. Filling out one kind will will let you work with a Cisco Safety Specialist to schedule a demo, e book a free trial, or enable you to construct a bundle that most closely fits what you are promoting.
Forcepoint NGFW: Finest for big enterprises
Forcepoint NGFW is an award-winning answer that is fitted with Forcepoint Superior Malware Detection to detect zero-day threats. Forcepoint NGFW has a number of in-built safety capabilities like IPS, digital personal networks (VPNs), and safety proxies to supply networks with the very best safety.
The Forcepoint Safety Administration Middle (SMC) is a centralized console that gives 360-degree visibility into community exercise, serving to to rapidly establish safety threats, whether or not they’re attacking bodily installations or digital networks.
Key Options
- Safe entry service edge (SASE) integration for internet and cloud
- Excessive availability clustering of networks
- Automated failover
- Constructed-in IPS
- Anti-malware sandboxing
- Quick decryption of encrypted visitors
Professionals
- A responsive visible interface helps you to answer threats in minutes.
- The system is straightforward to handle, so it doesn’t contain lengthy hours in coaching.
- Zero downtime throughout upgrades.
- Implements role-based entry and affords superior safety features like IDS and IPS.
- Can deploy wherever, whether or not bodily units or within the cloud.
- IP Packet Fragmentation, internet filtering for QUIC & HTTP/3, and false-positive testing.
Cons
- Buyer help may very well be improved.
- Costlier than different merchandise out there.
- Advanced deployments can pressure its stability.
Pricing
Whereas Forcepoint doesn’t listing pricing on their web site, they do tout their “easy, clear, and versatile pricing choices,” which may be requested by way of internet kind. Additionally they provide custom-made demos and free trials when you’re nonetheless exploring your choices.
Backside Line: Do You Want a Subsequent-Technology Firewall?
Most often, fashionable firms can solely acquire by investing in an NGFW. Conventional firewalls are incapable of defending companies from right this moment’s extremely developed cyber threats. NGFWs, alternatively, come geared up with the capabilities essential to improve a corporation’s community safety and enhance the general safety posture of the group.
Conventional firewalls have been as soon as adequate to fulfill enterprises’ wants. They carried out port and protocol inspection of packets, primarily based on which they allowed or disallowed community visitors. That was adequate, as IT environments have been a lot much less dynamic than they’re right this moment. However now that ports and addresses are dynamically assigned in right this moment’s networks, firewalls that lack the flexibility to use fine-grained controls and assess incoming packets primarily based on habits can show disastrous for a corporation.NGFWs use DPI for dynamic filtering primarily based on utility kind and embody malware safety that’s constantly up to date to watch and stop cyberattacks. Additionally they use superior menace intelligence to present larger insights into the strategies and techniques menace actors can use to infiltrate your group. Consequently, NGFWs put together organizations to all the time be alert in opposition to new and evolving threats in addition to equipping them to combat off the most recent threats.
