A Next-Generation Firewall (NGFW) is a network security solution that exceeds the capabilities of a stateful firewall. In the majority of situations, a conventional firewall permits stateful examination of incoming and outgoing network packets.

It permits or prohibits network communication based on the source and destination IP addresses, port number, and protocol. Additionally, it filters traffic according to established policy rules and provides a virtual private network.

In contrast, a next-generation firewall integrates deep packet inspection, application control, online content screening, intrusion prevention, and cloud-delivered threat information.

Forcepoint NGFW is a high-availability system that combines a next-generation firewall with an SD-WAN. With Forcepoint NGFW, you can deploy internet, wireless, and dedicated lines on-premises with failover protection against service interruptions. The dashboard provides a bird’s-eye view of network activity, allowing you to swiftly identify and respond to security incidents.

Forcepoint NGFW is a high-availability solution that integrates an SD-WAN with a next-generation firewall. You may deploy Forcepoint NGFW on-premises internet, wireless, and dedicated lines with automatic failover to prevent service interruptions. The dashboard gives a bird’s-eye view of network activity, enabling rapid identification and response to security incidents.

Key Features:

• High availability
• Dashboard
• Automated failover
• Anti-malware
• Decryption

The firewall includes Forcepoint Advanced Malware Detection to identify zero-day ransomware threats. Zero-day protection is advantageous since it guards against unknown malware and ransomware strains, minimizing the likelihood of your network falling prey to the most recent online attacks.

Forcepoint NGFW supports whitelisting and blacklisting to govern which programs may access the internet at the application level. Customizable application controls allow you to choose which services may access web services. The firewall is also equipped with rapid decryption to analyze HTTPS and SSL/TLS traffic for malicious behavior.

Forcepoint NGFW is an appropriate firewall solution for businesses that demand high availability and security.

Here is our list of the Best Forcepoint Next-Gen Firewall Alternatives:

1. Perimeter 81 FWaaS – GET DEMO Unlike traditional firewalls, Perimeter 81’s solution can protect numerous networks and regulate access to an organization’s data and resources. Get a free demo.
2. Barracuda CloudGen Firewall It is a next-generation, enterprise-grade firewall designed for efficient setup and operation. It provides firewall protection for the next generation and industry-leading operational efficiency.
3. Cisco Firepower You can handle firewalls, application control, URL filtering, and malware protection with centralized policy administration.
4. Sophos XGS One of the greatest firewalls of the next generation (NGFW) for small enterprises. The organization provides faultless risk detection and avoidance.
5. Juniper Networks A security solution of the next generation that allows customers to grow and safeguard their networks without paying excessive expenditures or compromising performance.

1. Perimeter 81 FWaaS – GET DEMO

Perimeter 81 is an Israel-based cloud and network security provider whose flagship product is a zero-trust architecture-based FWaaS that serves as a replacement for old VPNs and firewalls.

Key Features:

• Enforces traffic encryption
• Implements single sign-on and two-factor authentication
• Covers numerous locations and remote employees
• The price includes software maintenance

Why do we recommend it?

Perimeter 81 is a VPN-based Zero Trust Access and virtual network system. This service is based on a VPN system and most people understand that technology, so this is probably the easiest firewall option on this list in terms of setup and usage. You get three levels of firewall services: connection blocking thanks to a proxy server, access control lists for network segmentation, and antimalware-style packet scanning.

Perimeter 81 offers a variety of edge services, such as its Firewall-as-a-Service (FWaaS). The FWaaS model offers several benefits over local firewall equipment. You do not need to host, power, maintain, or safeguard the Perimeter 81 system; the Perimeter 81 personnel handles all hosting and administration of the firewall.

Who is it recommended for?

There is a minimum user count of 10 members for a group account with Perimeter 81 and the price is set per user per month. So, if you have fewer than 10 users, you would either have to look elsewhere or buy some unused accounts just to qualify. Apart from that baseline, this is a very good choice for small businesses because it can be administered without any technical skills.

2. Barracuda CloudGen Firewall

The Barracuda CloudGen Firewall is a next-generation firewall that also features SD-WAN and traffic control. The series is equipped with sophisticated threat security that compares files to a cryptographic hash database that is kept continuously updated to identify potentially dangerous behavior. If the system identifies potentially harmful behavior, it can respond with an automated quarantine to bring the situation under control.

Key Features:

• Traffic management
• SD-WAN
• Advanced threat protection
• Intrusion detection and prevention
• VPN

Why do we recommend it?

Barracuda CloudGen Firewall is a proxy server that receives all of your traffic and examines it before passing clean traffic on to your site. This configuration has the advantage that there is no way any malware is even getting onto your site to be inspected and the front server will also absorb DDoS attacks.

Who is it recommended for?

There are two ideal scenarios that would attract people to the Barracuda option. The first is that you have one site with a LAN and the second is that you operate a virtual network that ties together your sites and includes remote workers. Barracuda can plug into both of these configurations.

3. Cisco Firepower

Cisco Firepower is a set of network firewalls that can identify malicious software and intrusion prevention systems (IPS). The Cisco FirePOWER Series IPS can recognize signs of compromise within the network and respond appropriately automatically. Updating the signatures of the IPS regularly ensures that it is always ready to identify new online threats. While this is happening, powerful malware security scans for threats and prevents them from getting into your network.

Key Features:

• IPS
• URL filtering
• Malware detection
• Centralized policy management

Why do we recommend it?

Cisco Firepower is a range of hardware firewalls from one of the world’s leading suppliers of network equipment. This device has a few useful functions built into it and you can always load extra functions onto it. Those included services are a VPN server and an intrusion prevention system. The package also performs those traditional firewall functions such as segmentation and incoming connection blocking.

Who is it recommended for?

Small businesses don’t usually like buying network equipment because even if it is a plug-and-play unit, it seems very technical. Hardware also includes an upfront acquisition cost that you don’t get with SaaS packages, such as the Barracuda cloud-based solution. So, the Cisco hardware firewall is going to appeal to mid-sized and large organizations.

4. Sophos XGS Series

Next-generation firewalls, such as those offered by the Sophos XGS Series, utilize threat intelligence and intrusion prevention technology to thwart attacks from unknown threats. The threat intelligence offered by the Sophos XGS Series makes use of deep learning to identify zero-day threats. Because of this, the firewall can follow up with automatic responses, such as placing the harmful information in quarantine so that it cannot propagate to other computers.

Key Features:

• Intrusion prevention
• Deep learning
• VPN client (and mobile VPN)
• Web application firewall
• Email inbox protection

Why do we recommend it?

Sophos XGS Series firewalls provide an alternative to the Cisco Firepower option on this list. Sophos aims for mid-sized companies and so will size and price their products accordingly. This is not a cut-price system but it adds value by integrating options such as SD-WAN management and SSL offloading.

Who is it recommended for?

Sophos produces a unit on the XGS range for small businesses and it is possible to get one that integrates a WiFi hub. While that WiFi option will appeal to small businesses because it simplifies network creation, generally hardware firewalls are not attractive to owner-run enterprises. Mid-sized businesses will like this range.

5. Juniper Networks

Juniper Networks, Inc. is an American multinational firm with headquarters in the city of Sunnyvale in the state of California. The company develops and markets networking equipment like switches, routers, networks, network security solutions, management software, and software-defined networking technologies. These products may be found in a variety of networks.

Key Features:

• Security for data centers
• Comprehensive threat prevention
• Maximum performance and scalability
• Virtual Security Option

Why do we recommend it?

Juniper Networks SRX Series is another hardware option. Juniper Networks is a major supplier of network devices and so it already has a large customer base for its products. The brand has a good reputation and the company loads many options onto its device, such as intrusion prevention and a VPN service.

The next-generation SRX Series offers the optimal blend of superior protection and integrated services for application security, intrusion detection, and smart threat identification to both small and large businesses alike. While the vSRX comes with a built-in virtual firewall, the cSRX is designed to work in containerized systems.

Who is it recommended for?

Juniper Networks is in direct competition with Cisco Systems with this range. Small businesses and the lower end of the mid-sized market will be more interested in the virtual versions of this system. You can get the vSRX on AWS, GCP, Azure, IBM Cloud, and Oracle Cloud. You can host a container-based version, called cSRX, on your own servers.

Forcepoint Next-Gen Firewall FAQs