Next-Generation Firewall

Enhanced Security

NGFWs offer superior threat protection by detecting and blocking known and zero-day attacks and complex cyber attacks including those hidden in encrypted traffic. Juniper Networks, for example, has achieved a 99.7% exploit block rate with zero false positives in recent reports.

Application Awareness and Control

NGFWs can identify and control applications regardless of the port or protocol used. This feature allows for more precise security policies based on the specific applications running on the network, rather than just relying on common application ports.

Content Inspection

NGFWs perform full-packet inspection and can examine the content of network traffic in real-time. This includes SSL inspection and decryption to detect and block threats hiding in encrypted traffic.

Unified Management

NGFW solutions often come with unified management platforms, such as Juniper Security Director Cloud or Palo Alto Networks' Panorama, which allow for easy configuration, monitoring, and automation of security policies across all environments.

User Identity Services

User Identity Services NGFWs include user identity services, enabling the tracking and control of traffic based on user identity. This adds an additional layer of security by ensuring that only authorized users can access certain resources.

Granular Control and Visibility

NGFWs provide deep visibility and granular control over network traffic, allowing organizations to enforce security policies from client to workload. This is particularly beneficial for enterprises needing to protect critical networks and cloud-based infrastructures.

Intrusion Prevention System (IPS)

Unlike traditional firewalls, NGFWs have an integrated IPS, which eliminates the need for separate IPS devices and reduces latency. The IPS helps in detecting and preventing network and application exploits.

Malware Detection and Prevention

NGFWs include advanced malware detection and prevention capabilities, such as antimalware and URL filtering, to secure web access and block malicious websites and unknown threats.

Zero Trust Network Security

NGFWs can enforce Zero Trust principles by ensuring that only authorized access to resources is allowed, and continuously verifying the trustworthiness of users and devices.

Scalability and Flexibility

NGFWs can be deployed in various environments, including physical, virtual, containerized, and as a service (FWaaS). This flexibility makes them suitable for organizations of all sizes and architectures.