NGFW solutions are more than hardware-based firewall devices. They also offer a comprehensive ecosystem of security solutions users can stack to protect against evolving cyber threats.
Detecting new malware requires up-to-date threat intelligence to identify unique attack patterns and behaviors. NGFWs use this information to stop unknown threats before they can cause widespread damage.
Detection
NGFW security expands on traditional firewall capabilities with deep packet inspection (DPI), application awareness, and intrusion prevention system functionality. By leveraging these features, you can reduce network insecurity and improve packet-content filtering up to the application layer.
DPI looks into the actual contents of data packets rather than just the header information, which helps identify malicious activities and pinpoint threats that may have slipped through a stateful firewall. Additionally, NGFWs have advanced capabilities like network sandboxing, allowing IT professionals to send potentially dangerous malware into an isolated virtual environment for further examination.
Many cyber attacks rely on flaws in software or firmware to gain entry into the network. Using their advanced detection, NGFWs can protect networks by identifying and blocking threats that exploit these weaknesses.
To maximize the effectiveness of your NGFW, look for vendors that offer an integrated antivirus, spam filtering, and intrusion protection system from one device or console. This reduces the need for multiple devices and the need to size, upgrade, or patch each one manually. Additionally, select a vendor that offers unified visibility and automation so you can manage security policies across multiple devices, vendors, cloud environments, and users.
Prevention
When a cyber attack has been detected, an NGFW can also prevent the threat from spreading. It uses several methods, including deep packet inspection and content filtering. It scours data packets for malicious content, such as SQL injections. This prevents attacks that could compromise your data.
An NGFW can also block devices incompatible with your network’s security policies. For example, a device that doesn’t have a VPN connection won’t be allowed to access your business’s private network. The firewall can also help you keep up with the latest threats by leveraging inline deep learning to stop unknown zero-day attacks.
In addition to stateful inspection, NGFW can also perform dynamic packet inspection (DPI). This is where it examines data at the packet level to ensure that the packets are what they claim to be. It also identifies encrypted traffic.
NGFW can detect malware that’s already known by comparing the contents of the packets with the known patterns. It can also protect against ransomware by detecting it when it attempts to execute on the network. It can also use sandboxing capabilities to isolate and test suspicious files or code behavior. This prevents them from causing damage to the network or being sold on the dark web. It can also control unauthorized data flow between network segments by using centralized security management.
Response
A sophisticated cyberattack is designed to evade traditional security measures, so businesses must use advanced defenses to prevent threats from entering the network. An NGFW is one of the best defenses against modern attacks because it provides multiple layers of protection.
Unlike traditional firewalls, which only filter traffic based on IP addresses and ports, an NGFW performs deep packet inspection (DPI). This technology reads the content of each incoming data packet and uses that information to block or allow traffic. Using DPI, an NGFW can identify malicious activity such as command and control communications or data exfiltration.
It can also analyze traffic patterns to detect anomalies, including malware behavior. By analyzing these anomalies, an NGFW can recommend and deploy policies that will prevent future attacks without requiring input from network administrators.
It can also integrate with other security solutions to improve threat intelligence. For instance, it can integrate with an integrated intrusion prevention system (IPS) and sandboxing technologies that enhance the NGFW’s ability to detect new types of malware by examining suspicious files in a safe environment. It can also integrate with security information and event management (SIEM) systems to automate the detection of malicious activity. This makes reacting quickly to threats that bypass traditional signature-based detection methods easier.
Management
An NGFW provides more comprehensive protection than traditional firewalls by integrating multiple network security functions into one solution. This unification of capabilities is commonly referred to as Unified Threat Management or UTM. This enables NGFWs to stop sophisticated hacking attempts and thwart advanced malware, including zero-day attacks.
NGFWs improve upon packet filtering through deep packet inspection (DPI). While standard packet filtering only examines the header information, NGFWs analyze a packet’s contents. This granular level of control allows organizations to block access to certain parts of an application that might be harmful while allowing others to use the good parts of it entirely.
Another critical NGFW capability is the ability to detect and prevent data leaks. This includes analyzing content within packets to identify malicious elements and ensure that sensitive data is not leaked to outside attackers. This is often done through URL and file scanning.
An NGFW can also be integrated with external security technologies, such as network monitoring tools and logging servers, to provide additional protection. This is a vital aspect of an NGFW that can help organizations stay ahead of modern cyber threats. For example, an NGFW with integrated threat intelligence can automatically update protections based on newly discovered attack methods. This can include updating IPS signatures and blocking IP reputation feeds to stop emerging malware strains from evading traditional detection methods.
