8 Can’t-Miss Features of a Reliable Next-Gen Enterprise Firewall

Next-generation enterprise firewalls are like the Swiss Army knives of your corporate IT infrastructure. They’re multifunctional and will let you quickly take care of security tasks. It’s not just your interest to have one; it’s vital in today’s digital world. But not all next-gen firewalls are created equal – some might be up to the task, while others won’t cut it in the long run. Here are crucial features of a reliable next-gen firewall you must consider when evaluating your current protection strategy and shopping for next-gen firewall software solutions.

Automated and Comprehensive Malware Detection Capabilities

Malware detection is the lynchpin of any good firewall. The more information a firewall has, the better it can detect security issues before they happen. However, to keep up with today’s evolving threats, your next-gen enterprise firewall should be able to identify new malware by leveraging data from multiple sources. More importantly, detection shouldn’t be one-directional. It should also monitor network traffic for potential anomalies that could indicate the presence of malware.

The fact is that attacks today are multi-vector and polymorphic. Attackers are not targeting one vulnerability – they are finding ways to exploit every possible vulnerability. Automation and comprehensiveness are vital in stopping these malicious cyberattacks regarding next-gen firewalls.

Scalable Architecture

Suppose you want to enhance the performance of mission-critical tasks. That can involve moving from standalone to segmented or converged networks. Then, your next-generation firewall should be able to scale its capabilities as business needs dictate.

Sangfor Technologies provide additional features such as dynamic packet filtering, integrated VPN, and encryption standards to protect an ever-changing cyber threat landscape. As business processes evolve, new applications emerge, and users continue to innovate their workflows, enterprise firewalls must develop accordingly.

Granular Reporting Capabilities

A firewall is an essential security system for every organization, with the capability to detect and control any intrusion attempt. Therefore, enterprise firewalls must be configurable and provide granular reporting capabilities to quickly identify changes or abnormalities in system activity. With automated reporting of this information or constant monitoring by security personnel, it becomes possible to discover intrusions before they cause costly damage.

A reliable service provider such as Sangfor Technologies equips its firewalls with sophisticated data analytics tools capable of detecting abnormal behavior across all endpoints, including servers, workstations, mobile devices, and applications. The system then applies rules based on each device’s profile to identify unusual behavior automatically without requiring manual intervention from security personnel. It also automatically alerts users about threats, enabling them to take necessary action, such as shutting down a potential breach point.

Configurable Threat Intelligence

Antivirus or spam filters will never be able to keep up with the threat landscape. Instead, organizations should utilize a next-generation firewall that offers configurable threat intelligence. That is the only way to protect against threats that neither your firewall provider nor its automated scanning engine has experienced.

Enterprise firewall systems by Sangfor Technologies provide access to aggregated and prioritized intelligence from other organizations’ antivirus engines and malware detection software, as well as indicators from authoritative sources such as CERTs and open-source projects. The result is rapid coverage for newly discovered zero-day exploits without needing pre-emptive security patches.

Network Data Loss Prevention Capabilities

A next-generation enterprise firewall must offer Network Data Loss Prevention (DLP) capabilities to prevent data leakage. That includes the ability to set up policies with granular controls and integration with network file-share systems such as Microsoft SharePoint, OneDrive, Google Drive, and Box. Companies often experience leakage of sensitive files without their knowledge due to malware on their systems or human error. A new next-gen firewall offers a host of built-in security policies that help stop this from happening.

Whether you’re running an internal cloud, AWS, Azure, or a private server in your office space, you need protection against threats targeting each. It’s also important to consider whether you’ll be using the same device for personal and work purposes. If so, a multi-tenant model with user-based licensing and other features tailored for enterprises is likely your best bet.

Ability to Easily Integrate with Third-Party Tools

Choosing a firewall solution that seamlessly integrates with third-party tools, such as malware protection and next-generation anti-phishing solutions, is essential. As these tools work together, they provide an effective layered defense against the growing number of cyberattacks.

Next-generation firewalls are far more than just standalone devices. They represent an extension of your organization’s security posture, which means you must consider how your tools interact and integrate with other tools you use. As such, many enterprises look for the ability to integrate third-party applications into their NGFW environment easily. The ability to provide access to advanced integrated tools such as behavior analysis, which identifies abnormal patterns and alerts administrators, helps to spot threats before they take hold of your system.

High-Performance Firewall

A high-performance enterprise firewall is necessary to meet the demands of today’s business world, where networks are more connected than ever. However, to keep up with the growing number of Internet Protocol (IP) connections, next-generation firewalls need to handle a high amount of data (Gigabytes per second) in throughput and allow for a significant number of concurrent connections.

Enterprises need comprehensive protection from the latest online threats to ensure stability and promote productivity. Additionally, the firewall should have high performance to avoid slowing down your network traffic. Choosing a product from a company with expertise in security products is also vital when developing your business’ data protection strategy.

Automated Multi-Factor Authentication

The enterprise firewall must be able to support two-factor authentication, which means not only having something you know (like your password) but also having something you have (like a token or a key card). The authentication enables the firewall to assess risk when granting access, making breaches more difficult.

Sangfor Technologies offers several network security products for comprehensive multi-layered protection against cyberattacks. One product, in particular, is the company’s Unified Threat Management System which provides automated multi-factor authentication capabilities.

Conclusion

Unlike basic firewalls, the best next-gen firewall will offer multiple layers of protection. Many other factors set these elite cyber security solutions apart from others on the market, such as customization, mobile compatibility, etc. However, hiring a reliable and competent next-gen enterprise firewall company is crucial to your company’s success in this rapidly evolving digital age. Security is never guaranteed, but investing in the right technology can give you peace of mind knowing your company’s data is under protection from hackers, viruses, and even human error.