Next-generation firewalls are a class of firewall that are implemented in either software or hardware and are capable of detecting and blocking complicated attacks by enforcing security measures at the protocol, port and application level.

The difference between a standard firewall and next-generation firewalls is that the latter performs a more in-depth inspection and in smarter ways. Next-generation firewalls also provide additional features like active directory integration support, SSH and SSL inspection, and malware filtering based on reputation.

Next-generation firewalls safely enable applications and prevent modern threats by inspecting all traffic—applications, threats, and content—and tying it to the user, regardless of location or device type. The application, content, and user—the elements that run your business—become integral components of your Security policy. This allows you to align security with your key business initiatives. With next-generation security platform, you reduce response times to incidents, discover unknown threats, and streamline security network deployment.

– Safely enable applications, users, and content by classifying all traffic, determining the business use case, and assigning policies to allow and protect access to relevant applications.

– Prevent threats by eliminating unwanted applications to reduce your threat footprint and apply targeted Security policy rules to block known vulnerability exploits, viruses, spyware, botnets, and unknown malware (APTs).

– Protect your data centers through the validation of applications, isolation of data, control over rogue applications, and high-speed threat prevention.

– Secure public and private cloud computing environments with increased visibility and control; deploy, enforce, and maintain Security policy rules at the same pace as your virtual machines.