Infrastructure and networks
What is a Next Generation Firewall and why you need one
Just as for the ancients defending the walls from the onslaught of enemies was the first goal for the survival of the entire community, protecting one’s data from snoopers who want to get hold of it is the goal at the top of every company’s priority list.
There is no difference between large companies and small and medium-sized enterprises, because information is the asset on which an organization’s profitability depends. It is therefore easy to see how important it is for companies to identify and implement solutions that can protect against cybercriminals’ intrusion attempts.
It is no coincidence that as attack techniques evolve and become increasingly sophisticated, companies are inclined to increase their defense budgets. In addition to cybersecurity systems, one of the tools relied upon to build the fortress to be defended is the firewall in its most advanced form: the Next-Generation Firewall.
What is a Next Generation Firewall (NGFW)
To understand what a Next-Generation Firewall is and how it came about, we need to take a step back and look at the traditional firewall. This is the system that manages network traffic between hosts and end systems, allowing information to be transmitted between the various devices connected to the corporate network and the Internet, or blocking traffic if the analysis of packets coming from certain servers or specific IP addresses does not comply with predefined security rules. We should therefore think of it as a security filter that monitors everything and stops anyone who is suspicious or hiding something at the gate.
Technological advancements are forcing companies to constantly update their systems; thus, with the proliferation of cyber threats—particularly the rapid spread of ransomware—stateful firewalls have proven to be easily circumvented and therefore unable to ensure security.
Based on this need, in 2007 Gartner introduced the Next-Generation Firewall (NGFW), defined as “a deep-packet-inspection firewall that goes beyond inspecting and blocking ports and protocols by adding application-level inspection, intrusion prevention, and the provision of intelligence from outside the firewall.”
In addition to monitoring various traffic characteristics to enforce firewall policies regarding Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) communication at higher levels than a traditional firewall, NGFWs offer advanced capabilities that help prevent and identify potential attack attempts on corporate security systems.
What is the difference between an NGFW and a traditional firewall
Although the common goal is to protect the corporate network and the organization’s data resources, there is a clear difference between a next-generation firewall and a traditional firewall.
Generally speaking, the former are able to analyze network traffic in greater depth to understand its origin, any potential threats, and the associated risks that—if corporate data were compromised—could damage a company’s most valuable asset.
In terms of functionality, the NGFW blocks traffic that does not conform to predefined rules; in terms of visibility, this latest addition enables a more comprehensive and reliable analysis of traffic by leveraging unified threat management services and ensuring the identification, prevention, and reporting of a wider variety of attacks.
Functions and features of next-generation firewalls
As an evolution of the traditional firewall, the Next-Generation Firewall offers improved security functions and features—that is, more advanced ones capable of countering sophisticated intrusion attempts by cybercriminals. Let’s take a closer look at them.
- In-depth packet inspection: Compared to a traditional firewall, the NGFW inspects higher-level traffic at TCP/IP communication layers, including the application layer. This makes it possible to analyze and understand how the application in question operates on traffic in both directions, thereby enabling an understanding of expected user behavior and making it easier and more reliable to detect malware hidden within seemingly normal traffic.
- Intrusion Detection and Prevention System: An NGFW is more effective than a traditional firewall at detecting and preventing cyberattacks. In-depth traffic analysis makes it possible to identify suspicious patterns and/or behaviors, thereby blocking anything that appears to be a threat, whether known or unknown.
- TLS/SSL inspection: the TLS/SSL protocol is the most widely used protocol for current network traffic, and the Next Generation Firewall detects, decrypts, and inspects all traffic encrypted with that protocol, thereby being able to detect and block inherent threats intended to have detrimental effects on the affected company.
- Integration with threat intelligence platforms: NGFWs can integrate with external threat intelligence platforms, which aggregate data from multiple sources to provide a more detailed view of threats. Having more information about the threats to avoid means making more informed decisions and responding effectively and quickly to emerging threats.
- User Identification: in addition to predicting user behavior, a Next Generation Firewall allows network activity to be associated with specific users, as well as where they connect from, enabling it to play ahead and monitor suspicious users.
Types of NGFW
Looking beyond their features, we can identify three different types of next-generation firewalls based on their differences: hardware, virtual, and cloud-based.
Hardware NGFWs are physical devices designed for on-premises deployment; therefore, they are primarily used in data centers and other use cases that require specific physical hardware.
Virtual NGFWs are software-based and run on virtual machines. Although they remain tied to the organization’s infrastructure and are limited by the processing power of the underlying hardware, they are characterized by flexibility and scalability, making them ideal—compared to hardware NGFWs—for virtualized and cloud-based services and applications.
Designed to protect cloud-native environments (such as Virtual Private Clouds, remote users, and distributed networks) with centralized security management, cloud-based NGFWs provide third-party firewall services from the cloud, enabling them to protect traffic that does not pass through a traditional data center.
The evolution of technology and the rapid spread of artificial intelligence have given rise to more advanced cyber threats, but also to appropriate defense tools. One such tool is the proactive NGFW that leverages machine learning. Introduced by Palo Alto Networks, it provides proactive, real-time, online zero-day protection, capable of identifying variants of both known and unknown attacks. In addition, it provides comprehensive device visibility and detects behavioral anomalies. Because of their nature, they have also been referred to as AI firewalls.
Benefits of NGFWs. Here’s Why You Need One
Based on what has been outlined so far, it is clear that an NGFW is now an essential tool for corporate security. After all, the advantages offered by Next-Generation Firewalls are as numerous as they are obvious.
First, they provide advanced protection against cyber threats by preventing intrusions and detecting malicious traffic.
A second key aspect concerns simplified network architecture, because by combining the capabilities of multiple devices and appliances into a single platform, they reduce the complexity of the network infrastructure.
A third key benefit relates to support for regulatory compliance requirements, as an NGFW blocks unauthorized users from accessing sensitive resources within the network. This is a key requirement under current privacy and data protection regulations, such as the European General Data Protection Regulation.
Given a landscape in which both the quantity and quality of cyberattacks continue to increase—and in which cybercriminals have rendered traditional firewalls ineffective through the use of advanced malware—the Next Generation Firewall is a tool that every type of business needs.
Combining effectiveness and simplicity, while facilitating the development of a consolidated security operations center, is both an advantage and the reason why you shouldn’t do without an NGFW.
How to choose the best option
While the obvious advantages make NGFWs one of the essential tools for corporate security, choosing the best option is not easy, as there are certain situations in which hardware limitations hinder the effectiveness of NGFWs.
What turned the tables was the surge in user mobility, coupled with the widespread adoption of the cloud.
In order to maximize the security benefits of an NGFW, traffic must pass through an organization’s data center, although internet traffic must be routed locally to avoid slowdowns. Another aspect to consider relates to the encryption of web traffic—which is now the norm—and which, in order to perform TLS/SSL inspection, forces the NGFW to use built-in proxy capabilities. Since this inspection is performed at the software level rather than at the chip level, it reduces performance and negatively impacts the user experience.
On the other hand, however, bypassing the inspection means that about 85% of attacks would go undetected, thereby causing enormous damage to the affected companies.
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