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 Series You can handle firewalls, application control, URL filtering, and malware protection with centralized policy administration.
4. Sophos XG Series 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.

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.

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?

We recommend Perimeter 81 FWaaS for its modern approach to network security, utilizing a zero-trust architecture. This cloud-based solution simplifies complex security setups, making it ideal for businesses of varying sizes, particularly those without the resources to manage traditional firewall systems.

Unlike traditional firewalls, Perimeter 81’s solution can protect numerous networks and regulate access to an organization’s data and resources. Identity-based access, worldwide gateways, exact network segmentation, object-based configuration management, multi-site administration, protected DNS system, secure remote work, a vast array of integrations, customizable features, and scalable pricing are some of its major characteristics.

The FWaaS architecture is a compelling offer for businesses of all sizes and configurations. Small firms often do not have a network with a high level of complexity and would lack the personnel necessary to run a full firewall. The Perimeter 81 system provides these small businesses with the same level of security as large corporations, without requiring them to maintain a sophisticated piece of equipment.

Larger enterprises would also benefit from the Perimeter 81 FWaaS since it enables the protection of networks across numerous locations to be combined into a single service, which can be monitored from a single interface. This is an intriguing alternative for firms that place a premium on IT service centralization. You can register for a free demo.

Who is it recommended for?

Perimeter 81 is recommended for small to medium-sized businesses that require robust network security without the complexity of traditional firewall solutions. It’s also suitable for larger enterprises looking for a centralized, scalable security solution across multiple locations.

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 recommended for its advanced threat protection and efficient traffic management capabilities. Its integration of SD-WAN and traffic control makes it a powerful tool for modern, dynamic network environments.

It is a next-generation firewall designed for use in business environments and created with efficient deployment and operation in mind. It provides security against firewalls of the next generation and operational efficiency that leads the industry.

Protection from potential cyberattacks can be offered by an Intrusion Detection and Prevention System, often known as an IDS/IPS. Because the IDS/IPS system can identify network threats such as SQL injections, attempts at access control, cross-site scripting, DoS/DDoS assaults, viruses, and malware, it is capable of preventing even the most sophisticated attacks.

Users located in faraway locations can securely connect to network resources using VPN features, which include SSL and IPsec. Users will have an easier time connecting to the VPN because it is portal-based. In addition to that, there is a mobile portal that is compatible with iOS, Android, and Blackberry devices, which staff members may access from their smartphones or tablets.

Who is it recommended for?

This solution is ideal for businesses seeking a next-generation firewall with integrated advanced threat protection, intrusion detection, and VPN capabilities. It’s particularly suitable for organizations requiring efficient deployment and operation in enterprise environments.

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 recommended for its robust security capabilities, including IPS, URL filtering, and malware detection. Its centralized policy management simplifies the administration of these features, making it an efficient choice for businesses.

If organizations are going to be resilient during times of uncertainty, security measures that are difficult to implement and difficult to administer ought to become a thing of the past. Even something as essential as a firewall, which serves as the sentinel in a security stack, can sometimes call for a drawn-out installation process, continuous maintenance, and administration that is fragmented.

These supplementary expenditures mount up over time and have the potential to have a detrimental effect on many security initiatives. These impacts can be amplified and create a barrier to delivering the degree of security that businesses require to maintain the integrity of their company when resources are tight.

The Firepower Next-Generation Firewalls (NGFWs) from Cisco are designed to provide users, hosts, networks, and infrastructure with a unified view of telemetry as well as the activities of potentially dangerous files through the Firepower Management Center. The Cisco Next-Generation Firewall (NGFW) is automatically updated with threat data and rule sets from Cisco Talos. Additionally, the solution’s automated policy application and enforcement enable users to concentrate on more important responsibilities.

You can handle firewalls, application control, URL filtering, and malware protection when you use centralized policy management. From this screen, you may monitor newly found threats and initiate the process of removing them. In addition, there is a URL filtering capability that can classify over 280 million URLs into 80 distinct categories.

For businesses that want protection for either public or private cloud environments, Cisco’s FirePOWER series is the product line that comes highly recommended.

Who is it recommended for?

It’s suitable for organizations that require a comprehensive security solution with capabilities for both public and private cloud environments. Cisco FirePOWER is particularly beneficial for businesses looking for a unified view of security across their networks.

4. Sophos XG Series

Next-generation firewalls, such as those offered by the Sophos XG Series, utilize threat intelligence and intrusion prevention technology to thwart attacks from unknown threats. The threat intelligence offered by the Sophos XG 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 XG Series is recommended for its excellent threat intelligence and intrusion prevention technology, ideal for small businesses seeking comprehensive next-generation firewall protection.

The security against Layer 7 web-based threats that a web application firewall provides is essential. In a similar vein, there is a solution that may safeguard the user’s inbox from dangers such as phishing assaults and spam. This solution is known as anti-spam.

The next-generation firewall (NGFW) solution provided by Sophos is widely considered to be among the finest available to small enterprises. The organization provides exceptional prevention and can uncover concealed dangers. It can successfully isolate a machine that has been compromised, and the software offers comprehensive traffic insights, system status reports, and simple access to current firewall rules. Having said that, there are a few downsides to it.

There are, for instance, few choices available for integrating the software with third-party products like endpoint protection systems. On the other hand, it has received good marks for its ease of setup, maintenance, support, and cloud functions, which has contributed to its widespread adoption among organizations. Support is offered for both Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure.

Using a virtual private network, or VPN client, your remote workers may effortlessly connect to your network. Users can log onto the network regardless of where they have physically situated thanks to the availability of the VPN software on both Windows and macOS. Additionally, there are mobile VPN clients that are application-based and come equipped with IPSEC and SSL VPN.

Who is it recommended for?

This firewall solution is particularly suited to small enterprises that need advanced security measures without requiring extensive IT infrastructure. It’s also beneficial for businesses looking for user-friendly firewall solutions with effective threat detection.

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.

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.

Key Features:

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

Why do we recommend it?

Juniper Networks is recommended for its next-generation security solutions, offering a balance of superior protection and integrated services for businesses of all sizes. Its versatility and performance are key strengths.

The SRX Series is a family of firewalls and SD-WAN systems developed by Juniper Networks. These solutions are targeted for use in private, hybrid, and public cloud settings. Deep packet inspection is used by the firewall to examine incoming traffic to identify viruses, malware, and other dangerous attachments. This helps the firewall protect against online threats.

Users can easily scale up their level of security to fit their unique requirements by utilizing Juniper SRX. The company’s service processing cards, often known as SPCs, are made to give customers the ability to satisfy all of their requirements. Administrators do not have to go out and purchase specialized hardware each time they have a new task that has to be completed. Their SPCs can be readily and swiftly modified as needed. Users are now able to scale up according to the specific project that they are working on at that given moment because of the advent of SPCs.

In addition, these firewalls are equipped with Juniper Sophisticated Threat Prevention, which is capable of recognizing both known and undiscovered threats thanks to its use of machine learning and advanced malware analysis. Users can control the safety measures at several different sites from a single point thanks to the implementation of centralized security management.

Who is it recommended for?

It’s suitable for both small and large businesses looking for scalable and effective network security solutions. Juniper Networks is particularly beneficial for organizations seeking a security solution that grows with their network demands.

Forcepoint Next-Gen Firewall FAQs