BUYER’S GUIDE FOR

Firewall Security
Fortify Your Digital Fortress:
The Ultimate Firewall Security
Guide

Firewall Defined
A firewall is a security mechanism that controls and monitors network traffic based
on predetermined security rules, functioning both at the network level and the
application level. At the network level, it filters traffic based on parameters like IP
addresses, ports, and protocols, serving as a gatekeeper to protect the integrity of
the network.

At the application level, it scrutinizes the traffic directed to and from specific
applications, examining the content and context of the data packets to guard
against application-targeted threats. This integrated approach allows a firewall to
offer comprehensive protection, securing a network from a wide range of external
and internal threats.

Web Application Firewall WAF

Provides specialised protection for web
applications by filtering and monitoring HTTP
traffic, safeguarding against application-layer
attacks like SQL injection and XSS.

Types of Next-Generation Firewall NGFW

Offers advanced security features such as
Firewalls application awareness, integrated intrusion
prevention, and threat intelligence, beyond
traditional firewall capabilities.

Endpoint Firewall(Desktop Firewall)

Installed on individual devices to monitor and
control network traffic, providing protection
against attacks targeting specific endpoints
within a network.
 Authorized Access
How does a Malicious Access

Firewall Work
Firewalls are crucial for Network Security, Network Primeter
serving as a protective barrier against
Firewall
unauthorized access and cyber threats. They
filter incoming & outgoing network traffic,
allowing organizations to control and monitor
Server Router Database
data flow based on predefined rules.
Firewalls also help prevent malware, hackers,
and other malicious activities from
compromising sensitive information and
network integrity.

In Application Security, a firewall functions by monitoring and controlling the traffic specific to
applications, using techniques like Deep Packet Inspection DPI to scrutinize the content and
context of data exchanges. This allows it to detect and prevent sophisticated attacks such as
SQL injection or cross-site scripting XSS . Application firewalls focus on the behavior of
specific application protocols and user-defined rules, offering a targeted defense against
threats at the application level, including zero-day exploits. This targeted approach is essential
for protecting web applications and other software that interact with user inputs or sensitive
data.

Reason Why You Need

Network Firewall

Network Segmentation and Access Control

Firewalls enable you to segment your network into different zones, creating
controlled access points. This separation prevents unauthorized users from
gaining access to sensitive areas of your network and helps contain potential
threats, limiting their ability to spread laterally.

Protection Against Cyber Threats

In today’s digital landscape, cyber threats are relentless and ever evolving.
Firewall software act as a barrier, scrutinizing incoming and outgoing traffic
to identify and block malicious content, malware, and cyberattacks. By
analyzing data packets, firewalls ensure that only legitimate and safe
information enters your network.

Prevention of Data Breaches

Data breaches can result in catastrophic financial and reputational damage.
Firewall software plays a crucial role in preventing unauthorized access to
your valuable data. By implementing strict access controls, they help
safeguard customer information, proprietary data, financial records, and
other critical assets.
 Application Security
Firewalls equipped with application layer inspection capabilities are adept at
detecting & blocking unauthorized access attempts and malicious activities
targeting vulnerabilities in applications. These firewalls align with the Open
Web Application Security Project OWASP guidelines to enhance security,
and often include bot protection features to guard against automated threats.

Regulatory Compliance
Many industries are subject to regulatory frameworks that require stringent
data protection measures. Firewalls aid in compliance by controlling access
to sensitive data, maintaining audit trails, and ensuring that security policies
align with industry standards and regulations.

Benefits of Firewall

Network Firewall
Enhanced Network Security
Efficiently monitors & manages incoming & outgoing network traffic based on predefined security policies.

Virtual Private Network Support

Integrates VPN capabilities for secure & encrypted remote access, facilitating safe & flexible connectivity
for remote users.

Network Segmentation
Helps in segmenting the network, allowing for more controlled access and reduced risk of internal attacks.

Application Firewall
Web Application Security
Specializes in filtering & monitoring HTTP traffic to protect web applications from application-layer attacks
like SQL injection & cross-site scripting XSS .

Customised Protection
Offers tailored defenses that can be adjusted to suit the specific requirements of different web
applications.

Compliance & OWASP Alignment

Aids in adhering to security standards and follows the Open Web Application Security Project OWASP
guidelines, ensuring robust application security.

Bot Protection
Application firewalls effectively block malicious bots involved in credential stuffing, scraping, and DDoS
attacks, safeguarding web applications from automated threats that threaten security and user
experience.
 Next Generation Firewall
What’s The Difference

Features Traditional Firewall Next

Click Generation
to know more Firewalls

Traffic Filtering Basic packet filtering Deep packet inspection DPI

Intrusion
Basic packet filtering Advanced intrusion detection
Prevention

Advanced Threat
No advanced threat analysis Proactive threat detection
Intelligence

VPN Support Basic or no VPN support Built-in VPN capabilities

Bandwidth
Limited or no control Granular bandwidth control
Management

Factors to consider
Before Buying Next Generation Firewall

Security Controls Advanced Security Virtual or Cloud Environments

Ensure the firewall offers customizable Look for advanced threat protection Check compatibility with virtualized or
security controls to match specific features to defend against sophisticated cloud-based infrastructures for
network requirements. cyber attacks. seamless integration.

Network Size and Performance Support Options DLP Data Loss Prevention)
Consider the firewall’s capacity to Evaluate the availability and quality Verify the firewall’s ability to prevent
handle your network’s size and of technical support and customer sensitive data from leaving the
performance needs efficiently. service. network.

URL Protection Application Control Deep-Packet Filtering

Ensure it can effectively block access Look for capabilities to control Confirm the firewall’s proficiency in
to malicious or inappropriate application use within your examining detailed packet content for
websites. network. security threats.

Multi-Factor Authentication Sandboxing Geo-Blocking

Check if it supports MFA Multi-Factor Determine if it can isolate and Assess its ability to block or allow
Authentication) for enhanced security analyze suspicious files in a safe traffic based on geographic
verification. environment. locations.

SSL/TLS Inspection Proxy Server Packet Filtering

Ensure it can inspect encrypted Verify if it offers proxy server Confirm its effectiveness in filtering
SSL/TLS traffic for hidden features for additional security and incoming and outgoing network
threats. anonymity. packets.

VPN Virtual Private Network) IPS/IDS SDWAN

Check for VPN Virtual Private Ensure it includes IPS/IDS Intrusion Consider its compatibility with SDWAN
Network) capabilities for secure Prevention System/Intrusion Detection Software-Defined Wide Area Network)
remote access. System) for proactive threat mitigation. technology for advanced management.
 Strength & Caution Analysis
of Top 10 Firewall Industry Leaders
Click to know more

Strength
1. IoT/ICS Security: Strong focus on IoT and industrial control system ICS security with dedicated teams and partnerships.
2. Licensing Flexibility: Diverse licensing agreements and favorable commercial terms for customized solutions.
3. Customer-Focused: Praises for SecureX threat correlation platform and above-average technical support.
4. Distributed Office: Cisco Meraki firewalls offer ease of deployment and tight integration with Cisco Umbrella for remote offices.

Caution
1. Multiple Firewall Lines: Complex portfolio with overlapping capabilities; can lead to deployment challenges.
2. Container Firewall: Lack of a dedicated containerized firewall offering for container security.
3. Sales Execution: Firewalls often sold as part of larger Cisco enterprise agreements, less visibility in standalone firewall deals.
4. Customer Feedback: Reseller partners may not recommend due to legacy issues and buggy firmware. Firewall management GUI and
cost outside of enterprise agreements are concerns.

Strength
1. Platform Strategy: Offers a comprehensive security portfolio with centralized management via the Infinity Portal.
2. Data Center Focus: Trusted by large organizations with scalable Maestro hyperscale solutions.
3. Flexible Pricing Models: Favorable subscription-based pricing for large and midsize enterprises.
4. Advanced Threat Detection: ThreatCloud coordinates malware intelligence, extensive IPS signatures & client-side application detection.

Caution
1. Sales and Marketing: Lack of proactive presales teams and awareness marketing.
2. Product Integration: CSPM not integrated with on-premises firewall central management.
3. SD WAN Integration: No built-in SD WAN capabilities; relies on partnerships for FWaaS.
4. Uncategorized Websites: Unable to dynamically classify uncategorized websites, leading to operational complexity.

Strength
1. Cloud and Branch-Office Features: Mature integration with AWS and Azure, FWaaS for remote work, and IoT connectivity.
2. Firewall Deployment: Offers products for all major firewall modes, including hardware, virtual, containerized, & industrial requirements.
3. Competitive Pricing: Low-end appliances provide a favorable total cost of ownership TCO , with pool-based licensing for flexibility.
4. IoT Features: Enhances IoT security through partnerships and edge compute logic.

Caution
1. Virtualization Challenges: Hardware appliances may not isolate features when running multiple virtual instances.
2. Multiple Management Portals: Separate management consoles for different environments can be confusing and challenging.
3. Lacks native Endpoint Detection & Response EDR and offers limited third-party integration. IPS uses third-party technology with
fewer signatures.
4. Customer Feedback: Limited reporting on content-filtering modules, complex product management, and some shortcomings in
reporting as per customer feedback.

Strength
1. FortiGate appliances offer advanced SD WAN & routing capabilities with features like forward error correction & intelligent app routing.
2. Flexible Zero Trust Network Access ZTNA modes, including on-premises and FortiSASE, with integrated CASB.
3. A wide range of networking, network security, and security operations products with integration through the Fortinet Security Fabric.
4. Mature on-premises and cloud-based centralized management through FortiManager and FortiCloud, offering ease of configuration.

Caution
1. Visibility Challenges: Less frequent consideration for cloud firewall and FWaaS use cases, primarily known for hardware firewalls.
2. Lacks a native containerized firewall, providing container security through FortiGate-VM firewalls and Calico integration.
3. No integration between FWaaS and FortiGate firewalls; FortiSASE lacks integration with FortiGate’s SD WAN capability.
4. Customer Feedback: Some clients find FortiGate firewalls less competitive in terms of price/performance, especially for midsize
enterprises and data centers.
Strength
1. Product Portfolio: Offers a wide-ranging product portfolio, including firewalls, SASE Prisma Access), and XDR Cortex Data Lake).
2. Deployment Modes: Supports multiple firewall deployment forms, making it suitable for hybrid environments.
3. Advanced Security Features: Strong threat detection and prevention, IoT security, DNS security, and 5G security capabilities.
4. FWaaS Maturing Prisma Access offering with full SSE capabilities and various security components.

Caution
1. Technical Support: Feedback indicates declining technical support quality, with extended escalation cycles at Level 1 support.
2. Cloud-based firewall management not on par with on-premises management, primarily used for Prisma Access.
3. ELA Contracts: Lack of transparency in ELA contracts with bulk pricing and unclear itemization of costs.
4. Customer Feedback: Reports of connectivity and routing issues with Prisma Access services, particularly related to FWaaS and
GlobalProtect.

Strength
1. Offers hardware and virtual firewall appliances with native SD WAN support, FWaaS, and containerized firewall options.
2. Unified management console Security Director) for all security products, shared threat intelligence & comprehensive security offerings.
3. Focus on IoT security, automated device fingerprinting, and partnerships for threat detection and response in industrial applications.
4. High-throughput firewalls with efficient traffic decryption; centralized manager can oversee a large number of Juniper devices

Caution
1. Not as prominent on customer shortlists, mostly considered by telecom carriers or for consolidation with Juniper’s networking products.
2. Slower in identifying and introducing products for emerging security use cases like FWaaS, ZTNA, and cloud security.
3. Limited in-house security product portfolio compared to competitors, reducing its appeal for security vendor consolidation.
4. Customer Feedback: Feedback includes slow responsiveness, perceived lack of innovation for emerging security use cases, high
pricing, and additional costs for SD WAN and DLP features.

Strength
1. Offers native SD WAN capabilities and Cloud Edge Secure Access with FWaaS, ZTNA, network access control, and CASB features.
2. Pricing: Competitive pricing suitable for midsize enterprises, with included SD WAN and DLP functionality at no extra cost.
3. Customer Feedback: Praised for its single management interface, low total cost of ownership TCO , and administration simplicity.
4. Capture Security Center CSC provides a unified management portal for SonicWall products, simplifying administration.

Caution
1. Primarily seen on midsize enterprise firewall shortlists, lacks visibility for other use cases like distributed offices and data centers.
2. Limited support for virtual instances on hardware appliances, fewer web application categories, no native XDR offering, and reliance
on third-party XDR platforms.
3. Limited public cloud support AWS and Azure only), lack of pay-as-you-go option for Azure, and absence of container firewall.
4. Customer Feedback: Limited and non-granular reporting capabilities, long delays in technical support, as indicated by clients.

Strength
1. Built-in advanced SD WAN capabilities with IPv6 support, advanced dynamic routing, VPN management controls, and active-active
clustering for distributed offices.
2. Integration through EasyConnect between Forcepoint firewalls and Forcepoint ONE enhances advanced threat detection
3. Mature application control, DLP, and URL filtering with dynamic categorization of uncategorized sites and service chaining.
4. Customer Feedback: Praised on-premises firewall manager NGFW Security Management Center) with granular management, zero-
touch provisioning, VPN management.

Caution
1. Lacks FWaaS features for branch offices and roaming users, limited IoT protocol support, and no 5G support on appliances.
2. Not highly visible on pure-firewall shortlists, including distributed offices & cloud firewall use cases; lacks dedicated container firewall.
3. Uses 2 separate endpoint agents ECA & Forcepoint ONE for different solutions, making management & consolidation less attractive.
4. No ELA contracts covering firewall product line and other products, leading to licensing complexity and discouraging consolidation.
Strength
1. Platform Approach: Unified platform integrating firewall, EDR, and XDR with centralized management and correlation capabilities.
2. Strategy and sales execution target midsize enterprises; offers managed threat response and rapid response services.
3. Cloud-Based Centralized Manager: Single cloud-based management console for all products simplifies management.
4. Strong customer support, mature product documentation, and enhancements like context-sensitive help and how-to videos.

Caution
1. Less common for non-midsize enterprise firewall use cases, despite offerings for ZTNA and cloud firewall with container firewall.
2. ELA Pricing: Lacks Enterprise License Agreement ELA pricing, which some clients desire for product consolidation.
3. No FWaaS offering despite demand for branch offices and roaming users; lacks support for 5G in SD WAN-enabled firewalls.
4. Customer Feedback: Some clients find Sophos expensive in comparison to other vendors targeting midsize enterprises.

Strength
1. Product Strategy: Shifted focus towards an MSP-focused strategy, making WatchGuard Cloud service-provider-friendly and scalable.
2. Firebox firewall managed in conjunction with endpoint security products, enabling threat analysis across multiple data sources.
3. OT Security: Offers ruggedized network firewalls and includes SCADA signatures in feature bundles.
4. Pricing Strategy: FlexPay licensing model offers various payment options, including pay-as-you-go.

Caution
1. IaaS Security: Limited public-cloud-friendly firewalls for AWS and Azure, lacks support for other IaaS providers like GCP.
2. FWaaS and ZTNA No FWaaS or ZTNA offerings, which are increasingly in demand by small and midsize clients.
3. Lacks offerings for emerging cloud security use cases like containerized firewall and microsegmentation, limiting visibility in certain
shortlists.
4. Advanced Networking: No 5G-supporting firewalls, limiting adoption in regions with extensive 5G infrastructure.

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