What to Consider When Choosing a Next-Generation Firewall (NGFW)

The increase in remote work, a necessity during the pandemic but now becoming the norm in many companies, has challenged notions of traditional perimeter-based security on many levels. The standard firewall will no longer suffice as users access systems and data from virtually any device and any location. The data center is no longer the core. Indeed, some of the data they seek is not even located behind the firewall at all. It’s in the cloud or Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) applications. Network edges are expanding, not just to accommodate remote workers, but also to support branch offices, remote campuses and the like.

While the data center is still vital to host business critical applications and data that can’t be moved to the cloud for intellectual property and compliance reasons, hybrid deployments are becoming more prevalent as people and digital assets spread out geographically. However, as the network edges expand, so does the attack surface. This reality necessitates a stronger security posture to protect employees and data. The Next-Generation Firewall (NGFW) offers a solution. It adds functionality like content security, web filtering, edge security and Software-Defined Wide Area Network (SD-WAN) to defend users and digital assets alike in this new era of security. As part of the Secure Access Service Edge (SASE), the NGFW either natively integrates or works with Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) to secure the workforce transition without compromising user experience.

The rapid pace of change and evolution of security models can make it challenging to identify the right NGFW solution. This paper looks at key considerations in choosing an NGFW. Based on real user experiences with the Fortinet FortiGate NGFW, also known as Network Firewall, it discusses factors like segmentation, performance, visibility and more to guide potential NGFW buyers to select a solution that will meet their needs.