Traditional firewalls help protect your organization against obvious threats. Unified Threat Management (UTM) and Next Generation Firewalls (NGFW) provide an additional layer of protection and identify threats at a deeper level. A modern threat landscape means that traditional firewalls are no longer sufficient on their own.
NGFW solutions combine robust firewall capabilities with advanced features such as intrusion prevention, application control, and deep packet inspection to provide comprehensive security without compromising performance. They operate at a higher level of security, while providing all the security benefits of a traditional firewall. We’ll examine some of the key features of an NGFW below.
Detect and prevent sophisticated cyber threats in real-time with integrated threat intelligence and behavioural analytics. Also known as an Intrusion Prevention System (IPS).
Gain granular control over applications and enforce policies based on application types, users, and groups. Analyses traffic at a deeper level than traditional firewalls.
NGFWs actively guard against evolving threats by tapping into external threat intelligence sources, such as a list of bad IP addresses, and updating their filter list.
Inspects every individual packet, like a fine mesh sieve, to see source and destination IP addresses. Also inspects the port that a packet is going to and blocks unwanted traffic, unless from an approved source.
One level up above packet filtering. An NGFW also inspects packet bodies for malware signatures and potential threats, comparing it to the contents of other known and reported malicious attacks.
NGFWs have the capability to secure on-premise networks, hybrid work setups, and cloud environments. Consistent threat protection can be delivered across a variety of deployment models.
A firewall is the first line of defence in protecting your business. Indemnify yourself from the ever-changing threat landscape with powerful capabilities, such as Real-Time Threat Detection, Proactive Threat Prevention, and reap the benefits of proven network security.
A Next Generation Firewall can also become a Unified Threat Management network. Your organization will have access to a set of security management tools that you can choose, while managing them through a singular platform. A UTM comes equipped with automatic updates to keep your defences abreast of the latest threats.
A setup without UTM involves handling multiple components in your security arsenal. Piecemeal solutions like your firewall, your corporate VPN, application control systems and others. This can be a drain on your resources and time, especially if your IT team is spread thin. A UTM allows for easy consolidation and monitoring of threats and offers a high-level view of your security, allowing an administrator to tweak and address updates effectively.
A UTM helps ward against attacks that target multiple network components, operating several threat response mechanisms at once. Targeted networks without this centralisation of resource control can be demanding when multiple components are under attack.
Fundamentally, Next Generation Firewalls and Unified Threat Management networks protect your network. Find out about their differences here.
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