Next-generation firewalls (NGFW) are an improvement on a tried-and-true security tool that a large majority of people are familiar with. Most users have a traditional firewall on their machine and never have to think about the protection it brings them every day, but small and medium businesses will want to look towards the latest generation of firewalls available to them. While a NGFW may seem complicated at first, it is actually a powerful tool that can significantly improve your business’ security.
What is a Next-Generation Firewall?
A next-generation firewall provides all of the same functions that a traditional firewall does, but it then adds on more security features and provides a higher quality of overall protection for your IT environment. NGFWs come with intrusion prevention, which stops malicious code before it ever gets inside of your network. They will also have the ability to view applications trying to access your system, so they can stop suspicious activity and alert your IT team right away. Next-generation firewalls can also pull in threat intelligence from external sources, which makes them a security tool that learns all the newest attacks as soon as the experts do.
Why Choose an NGFW?
A layered approach to cybersecurity requires a next-generation firewall for a good reason. They are a flexible and easy to implement tool that can protect your environment on premises or in the cloud, and they provide features that improve your IT team’s threat response times. A strong NGFW will notify you of a security breach in as little time as a few hours if it does not stop the threat immediately at the door. Most vendors will also offer customizable next-generation firewalls with additional features that you can turn on or off based on your needs, which makes this tool a flexible part of your security posture that can help fill in security gaps as your business grows over time.
Firewall or NGFW –What’s the Difference?
Many small and medium businesses already have firewalls in place on their computers because they come with machines and internet service packages for free or at a small additional fee. However, it is important to remember that these traditional firewalls may not be enough to protect your data from the newest threats that malicious actors target a wide range of businesses with. Next-generation firewalls offer a more comprehensive solution that both improves your security posture and allows for better scalability in the future. While traditional firewalls may be enough security for a rarely used personal computer, any business operating with sensitive data they need to keep safe will want to upgrade to an NGFW.
Summary
We are always told that malicious actors are developing more sophisticated and convincing attacks everyday, but a next-generation firewall represents the equal amount of development cybersecurity specialists put into combatting those attacks. If you want to learn more about how an NGFW can better protect your business’ unique IT environment or how to find the right one for you, then contact one of our team members here at Robinett Consulting, and we’ll get you the right tools you need for the right price!
