NGFW and SIFW firewalls
Introduction
Firewalls act as the primary point of defense in computer networks and protect data from unauthorized access . The two main types of firewalls that are often discussed are next-generation firewalls (NGFW) and stateful firewalls (SIFW) .
SIFW firewalls , sometimes known as stateful monitoring firewalls or traditional firewalls, filter network traffic based on state. Monitor and control ports and protocols. They examine data packets at the network level and transport level and make decisions based on the active session or connection. This type of firewall can determine whether packets are part of a valid connection or not, but has limitations in terms of analyzing the content of data passing through applications .
The next generation firewalls are far more advanced and in addition to having all the features of SIFW , they also have many additional features . NGFWs provide functions such as intrusion prevention (IPS) , application filtering, and malware detection and prevention. They analyze traffic at the application level, which allows the traffic of specific applications to be identified and controlled, even if they do not use standard ports . NGFWs can also perform SSL decryption , allowing them to inspect protected data before it reaches its destination .
The necessity of using firewalls in organizations
The use of firewalls in organizations is essential , because these tools act as the first line of defense against cyber threats . Firewalls have multiple roles in protecting the organization ‘s networks and data , and we will mention some of these necessities below :
- access control
Firewalls control access to the organization ‘s networks and systems .They filter the incoming and outgoing traffic based on a set of security rules and policies determined by the network management . This prevents unauthorized access to the organization ‘s networks and resources .
- Prevention of attacks
Firewalls protect the network by blocking malicious attacks, including Denial of Service ( DoS ) attacks and web application attacks . They have the ability to detect and prevent intrusion and abuse attempts , which can help prevent serious damage to IT infrastructure .
- Monitoring and reported
Firewalls provide network traffic monitoring capabilities and can provide detailed reports of network activity . This information is used to analyze and analyze trends , identify suspicious patterns and improve security systems .
- Protection against malware and viruses
Many modern firewalls have malware detection capabilities and can identify and block virus and malware that try to enter through the network . .
- Compliance with regulations and standards
Firewalls help organizations comply with various industry and legal regulations and standards , including GDPR , HIPAA , and PCI-DSS . This is achieved by providing the required level of data security and protection of personal information .
As a result , firewalls are vital components in any organization’s network security and play an important role in protecting data , users , and infrastructure . IT should protect against the ever – increasing data threats .
known NGFW and SIFW firewalls
In the world of network security , there are several prominent manufacturers of stateful monitoring firewalls ( SIFW ) and next – generation firewalls . (NGFW) provide Here we introduce some examples of famous products for both categories :
- Status monitoring firmware ( SIFW )
This category of firewalls generally fall into older and simpler products that are mostly used for basic access control :
- Cisco ASA 5500 Series
Cisco ‘s ASA ( Adaptive Security Appliance ) series products are widely used for connection status monitoring and traffic filtering . They can also integrate IPS and content filtering capabilities , but are primarily known as SIFWs .
- Juniper SRX Series :
SRX series are known as devices with status monitoring capabilities . They are used in environments that require basic access control and traffic analysis .
- Next Generation Firmware ( NGFW )
NGFWs are designed to deal with more complex data threats and provide more bandwidth to network traffic :
- Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Firewalls :
Palo Alto products are known for their advanced capabilities in application traffic analysis , intrusion prevention , and threat detection . They are one of the leaders in the NGFW market .
- Fortinet Frigate :
FortiGate from FortiNet It is one of the most popular NGFWs on the market , offering advanced traffic analysis , intrusion prevention , and robust management capabilities . to give
- Cisco Firepower NGFW :
Cisco ‘s next – generation firewalls integrate advanced security features such as advanced filtering , intrusion prevention , and segmentation . Data threat analysis helps organizations to protect their information assets against sophisticated attacks .
Key Features
- The key features of SIFW firewalls are :
- Monitoring connection status : SIFWs track communication sessions between devices and based on this status decide whether data packets should be passed or not .
- Access control : These firewalls control access based on IP addresses, ports and protocols .
- Limitations : While SIFWs are limited in detecting threats that come from inside valid data packets, they do not have the capabilities to analyze the content of applications .
- The key features of NGFW firewalls are :
- Application filtering : NGFWs can analyze traffic at the application level and thus have the ability to identify and control the activities of specific software .
- Intrusion Prevention (IPS) : Equipped with intrusion prevention systems allows the NGFW to detect and prevent vulnerabilities and attacks in real time .
- SSL Decryption : This feature allows NGFWs to decrypt traffic protected by SSL/TLS , which helps to better inspect encrypted content .
- Integration with other security systems : NGFWs typically integrate easily with other security products, such as security information and event management (SIEM) systems and other network monitoring tools .
The main differences
- Analysis capabilities : NGFW analyzes network traffic at the application level, while SIFW focuses more on lower levels .
- The most advanced features : In addition to monitoring the status of connections, NGFW uses features such as intrusion prevention, malware detection, and application filtering .
- Multi-Layered Security : NGFW provides multi-layered security that helps manage more complex and diverse threats .
Ultimately, the choice between next-generation firewalls and stateful monitoring firewalls depends on the specific security needs, budget, and complexity of your network environment . NGFW is often a better choice for organizations that need more advanced protection and more granular analytics .
