Security - Next Generation Firewall

A Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) is an advanced type of firewall that goes beyond traditional firewall capabilities, such as packet filtering and port and protocol inspection. It integrates additional features to provide more robust network security. Here are the key attributes of a next-generation firewall:

  1. Application Awareness: NGFWs can identify and control applications, regardless of the port or protocol used. This allows for more granular security policies based on specific applications.

  2. Integrated Threat Prevention: These firewalls include integrated intrusion prevention systems (IPS), which can detect and block threats such as exploits and malware.

  3. Advanced Visibility and Control: NGFWs offer deep packet inspection (DPI) that examines the data part of a packet as it passes an inspection point, ensuring harmful data is detected before it enters the network.

  4. User Identity Integration: They can enforce security policies based on user identity and group membership, not just IP addresses, making security measures more precise and tailored.

  5. Cloud-Readiness: Many NGFWs are designed to be compatible with cloud environments, providing consistent security policies across both on-premises and cloud platforms.

  6. Threat Intelligence: They often include access to a global threat intelligence network that helps to improve the firewall’s ability to identify and respond to new threats.

By integrating these features, next-generation firewalls provide a more comprehensive defense against a variety of cyber threats, making them suitable for modern complex networking environments.

Cisco's ASA along with its Firepower counterpart are considered NGFWs.

Links:

https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/security/firewalls/what-is-a-next-generation-firewall.html