Firewalls have been a mainstay in the world of cybersecurity for the past few decades, and for good reason. They monitor and control network traffic based on predetermined security rules, acting as a barrier between internal and external networks. Over this time, they have evolved to provide advanced threat detection, application awareness, and a wide range of additional advanced security features.
The Fortinet next-generation firewall is now the gold standard in preventing unauthorized access. Let’s take a look at what next-generation firewalls are, and how Fortinet has created a solution that enables businesses to build consistent and proactive cybersecurity across all locations, users, and devices.
What is a Next-Generation Firewall?
A next-generation firewall (NGFW) is an advanced form of a network security firewall. They are considered next-generation because they expand upon the traditional firewall definition through their advanced security features and capabilities.
As traditional firewalls rapidly lose relevance due to the growing complexity of network environments, NGFWs are proving exceptionally capable of filling the gap. Not only can they perform deep packet inspections and exercise control over specific applications, regardless of port and protocol, but they utilize a number of advanced threat intelligence and security management capabilities that truly set them above traditional firewalls.
If you operate in highly sensitive industries, such as finance, healthcare, education, or government, the benefits gained from next-generation firewall security are an essential part of remaining compliant and protecting sensitive data.
How Next-Generation Firewalls Improve Upon Traditional Firewalls
There are many reasons to trust your network security to an NGFW instead of a traditional firewall. They offer superior protection on a number of fronts, making them an invaluable addition to distributed networks. Here are some ways this advanced form of network security expands on the protection offered by traditional firewalls.
Traditional Firewall vs Next-Generation Firewall
| Feature | Traditional Firewall | Next-Generation Firewall |
|---|---|---|
| Traffic Filtering | Based on IP addresses and ports, primarily | Deep packet inspection with application-level filtering |
| Threat Detection | Offers basic detection that is often focused on known threats | Offers advanced detection using heuristics and signatures |
| Application Awareness | Offers limited awareness; treats all traffic equally | Able to identify and control specific applications, regardless of port |
| User Identity Awareness | Often lacks user identification abilities | Generally associates all traffic with specific users or groups |
| Integrated Security Features | Primarily focused on packet filtering | Includes IPS, antivirus, web filtering, and more |
| Real-Time Threat Intelligence | Limited abilities, often reliant on static rules | Utilizes cloud-based threat intelligence for real-time updates |
| VPN Support | Basic VPN capabilities | Advanced VPN support with secure remote access |
| Scalability | Often struggles with high throughput needs | Designed for high performance and scalability |
| Logging and Reporting | Features basic logging capabilities | Features advanced logging capabilities with detailed reporting and analytics |
| Deployment Complexity | Typically easier to deploy than NGFW | Advanced features make deployment more complex, often requiring more setup and configuration |
NGFW Features Explained
We have looked briefly at some of the ways that NGFWs improve upon the protection provided by traditional firewalls, but let’s take a deeper dive into some of the powerful ways these features protect our modern distributed network environments, from corporate data centers to remote workforces.
Deep Packet Inspection
All information transferred over our networks is sent in segments called packets. Next-generation firewalls inspect and analyze these data packets in extraordinary detail. This encrypted traffic inspection allows NGFWs to identify and block sophisticated new threats that are often missed by other network security products.
Advanced Threat Protection
Fortinet NGFWs integrate with advanced threat intelligence services, allowing them to provide real-time updates to improve defenses against new vulnerabilities and emerging threats. This information allows them to rapidly adapt to an ever evolving threat landscape.
Application Awareness and Control
The Fortinet next-generation firewall also offers web app firewall capabilities, allowing it to identify specific applications and enforce security policies based on application usage. Application control firewalls mark a significant advancement over standard firewalls, which are limited to specific ports and protocols.
User Identity Awareness
Traditional firewalls typically do not identify individual users, but rather rely on IP addresses for policy enforcement and access control. Next-generation firewalls have the ability to associate all network traffic with specific users or groups, allowing them to customize policies based on user identities. This allows for enhanced visibility and high granularity when it comes to applying specific rules for individual users.
SSL Inspection
Next-generation firewalls have the ability to decrypt, inspect, and re-encrypt secure traffic to detect hidden threats that may be hidden within these encrypted communications. NGFWs intercept encrypted SSL/TLS traffic and decrypt it for inspection. If everything looks right, the information is re-encrypted and sent on to its final destination.
Real-Time Threat Intelligence
A collaboration with cloud-based threat intelligence services that provides up-to-date information on emerging threats, vulnerabilities, and attack patterns, allows NGFWs to adapt security measures based on the latest in threat intelligence. This provides complete coverage of the threat spectrum, from zero-day threat protection to known vulnerability management.
Behavioral Analytics
Next-generation network firewall security uses machine learning algorithms to analyze network traffic and user behaviors over time, establishing a baseline that represents normal activity. This baseline gives the NGFW a comparison by which it can identify anomalies and possible threats.
Automated Response
When a potential threat is identified, next-generation firewalls automatically trigger a response to help mitigate those risks before they have a chance to do serious harm. Automated responses may include any combination of blocking malicious IP addresses, quarantining affected devices or systems, and alerting in-house security teams.
Secure SD-WAN
Another important benefit of incorporating a Fortinet next-generation firewall into your security stack is Secure SD-WAN(Software-Defined Wide Area Network). This advanced networking solution combines the benefits of SD-WAN technology with enhanced security features like encryption, a zero trust security model, integrated firewalls, intrusion prevention systems and secure web gateways. This makes Secure SD-WAN essential for organizations looking to optimize their wide area networks while maintaining strong security postures.
How the Fortinet NGFW Security Fabric Protects Vital Assets
As organizations shift more and more toward a remote workforce, expand their networks of IoT devices, and increasingly utilize cloud computing environments, their network attack surfaces grow exponentially in complexity. Providing comprehensive, automated protection for these distributed and expanding networks has never been more important. Here’s how Fortinet takes that weight off your shoulders.
Key Capabilities of the Fortinet Next-Generation Firewall
When you integrate the Fortinet next-generation firewall into your security stack, there are some key capabilities that provide peace of mind. All of the features and benefits we have looked at boil down to a core set of user benefits that are important to all security teams.
High Performance Threat Protection
Next-generation firewalls offer advanced threat protection through a wide range of features and technologies. They allow the NGFW to gain tremendous insight into network activity and leverage cloud-based threat intelligence services to dissect the information gained through this insight to provide the most advanced threat protection on the market.
Visibility and Control
NGFWs give us much greater visibility into and control over our networks. They accomplish this through a set of important features that analyze user behaviors and create baselines that represent normal network activity. Machine learning algorithms can quickly identify any deviations and trigger remediative reactions.
Automation and Risk Assessment
Through machine learning and threat intelligence, next-generation firewalls provide firewall automation and risk assessment abilities. This gives organizations a realistic view of the risks present throughout their networks so they can triage resolutions. It also gives them the ability to automate rapid responses so any damages caused by identified threats are minimized.
Integration with Security Fabric
Next-generation firewalls are designed to work seamlessly with the various security components and solutions working within your infrastructure. A seamless connection and communication across all components greatly enhances your overall security posture and effectiveness.
Keeping an Eye Toward the Future
Fortinet next-generation firewalls keep up with the latest trends in NGFW technology, including AI-powered threat detection, consolidated security platforms, and improved SSL/TLS inspection. These technologies are shaping the future of NGFWs and keeping assets safe from an ever evolving arsenal of modern security threats.Safeguarding your organization’s assets is a complex task that involves many proactive and reactive measures. It can feel like a lot of work, but it is absolutely essential in protecting your business and all those who interact with it. The Fortinet next-generation firewall provides a wide range of tools that allow us to work securely in the twenty-first century.
