5 Next-Gen Firewall Advantages

The newest firewalls are much more intelligent than previous generations of firewall technology, providing businesses with greater efficiency, security and flexibility.

In the past, using a firewall was like using a sledgehammer for a job that required a chisel. The technology blocked data broadly and sometimes caused more headaches for IT workers than the fixes were worth. But today’s firewalls offer precise and specific control, even down to the individual user.

Furthermore, the multifunctionality of modern firewalls makes them more economical than their predecessors. That’s why it’s imperative for businesses to recognize the value of having a next-generation firewall.

Here are five of the most important advantages that next-generation firewalls bring to the job:

All-in-one functionality: Next-generation firewalls bundle traditional firewall functionality with intrusion prevention, antivirus and protocol filtering.

Greater visibility and control: The devices offer granular control by IP address and user for web-based applications and content, as well as legacy apps and content.

Simplified management: While older firewalls had to be managed individually and configured manually, next-generation firewalls can be monitored and updated from a single console.

Better security: Newer firewalls scan content to prevent data leakage and stop threats with detailed, real-time traffic inspection. Many provide policy- and role-based security.

Lower total cost of ownership: Because next-generation firewalls reduce the number of security appliances needed, capital and operating expenses in turn are reduced. There are soft savings too, such as less time spent managing and configuring the devices by IT staff.

To learn more about how businesses are putting the advanced capabilities of next-generation firewalls to use, read BizTech’s “Security Becomes Smarter.”