The terminology might throw you off if you aren’t familiar with it, but it’s pretty easy to separate the differences in next-generation firewall vs traditional firewall tech. In today’s world of network security, next-generation firewalls (NGFWs) are a leading discussion.
Once you take a look at what this tech is capable of, it’ll start to make more sense. The truth is that understanding what NGFW tech has to offer stems from knowing how traditional firewall hardware differs. This article will focus on key comparisons in next-generation firewall vs traditional firewall solutions for network security.
Comparing Next-Generation Firewall vs Traditional Firewall Hardware
At this time, traditional firewall tech is still very much in use all across the world. However, what’s standing in front of this reality is the rise of next-generation firewall solutions. Found in both hardware and software, NGFWs are much more robust when it comes to enhancing your business’s network security.
Unfortunately, when facing modern-day cyber threats, traditional firewalls aren’t able to match up in all regards. This can be seen in issues with managing more complicated digital threats, the number of available ports, and lacking features in advanced threat detection. Whereas NGFWs come with highly capable intrusion prevention systems (IPS), deep packet inspection (DPI), and more.
What is a Next-Generation Firewall?
Commonly found with many leading manufacturers, some of the best NGFW aren’t too difficult to find. A leading example of this would be some of the top Sophos firewalls or FortiGate NGFWs on the market.
Here are a few unique details that make NGFWs stand out:
- An excellent firewall for antivirus protection
- Easily inspects and blocks threats found in encrypted traffic
- Real-time ID and mitigation of threats
- Detailed insights and granular visibility into network activity
- Uses a combination of traditional firewall functionality with advanced threat intelligence to face evolving security risks
It’s understandable if all of this sounds good on paper, but understanding the true benefit requires learning where these advancements stem from.
What is a Traditional Firewall?
For many years, traditional firewall tech was more than enough, controlling network traffic based on a specific set of parameters. In many cases, the tech pays attention to IP addresses and protocols, for example.
Below are a few other memorable aspects of traditional firewall solutions:
- Traffic filtering along the network, session, and transport layers of network security
- Limited capabilities in advanced threat detection
- Offers a simple barrier between networks, managing access between untrusted and trusted networks
- Less suitable for scalability, especially considering modern cyber threats
- Struggle to fight against more modern threats like encrypted cyber-attacks or malware
Once again, traditional firewall technology is being actively utilized as we speak. Then again, this doesn’t disregard where this tech lacks in a modern world of diverse cyber threats.
The Bottom Line
It’s easy to get confused between the two terms, especially if you’re just now figuring out what kind of network security your business needs. The best NGFWs on the market are built for scalability and to grow alongside the nature of digital threats.
In the realm of next-generation firewall vs traditional firewall, NGFWs come out on top in pretty much every way. No need to rush your decision-making though, as Firewalls.com has your back from a product and support perspective.