Top 7 Next Generation Firewall Vendors For New Jersey Businesses

Top 7 Next Generation Firewall Vendors For New Jersey Businesses

Written by Joe Cannata

Posted on March 14, 2022

When securing your business data, you want the best. You want the best firewall, the best router, and the best dashboard to centrally manage your entire schedule of safety. Your team needs end-to-end cybersecurity like every other team on the market right now and it takes a security expert to reach the standards you require.

However, one thing many businesses notice today is how much more cybersecurity software and support is needed beyond the firewall itself. There was a time when the firewall was the beginning and end of data security. A well-built firewall was good enough to stop unwanted contact while still allowing users to browse the internet. However, the risk landscape has changed since that time. Malware has become more complex and, thankfully, so too have firewalls.

It’s time for businesses to streamline their security measures with a next-generation firewall provided by a top vendor.

What is a Next-Generation Firewall?

A next-generation firewall or NGFW takes a look at what is really required of a firewall in the current digital environment. Firewalls serve an important purpose, controlling traffic in and out of your network and each endpoint. But traditional firewalls are limited in comparison with the scope of today’s threats. The Next-Generation line of firewall software is not just a set of rules regarding programs and ports. They are also a platform to manage your permitted and secured apps. You can manage your address book, filter websites, and integrate DPI (deep packet inspection and IIP (integrated intrusion protection).

NGFWs are prepared to take your security to the cloud with virtualized appliances, containerized versions, and FWaaS platforms. You have the opportunity to build advanced and multi-level protection into the foundational infrastructure of your business network.

What Should a New Jersey Business Look for in an NGFW Provider?

Companies go through structural updates as technology improves, and the next-generation firewalls are merely a part of this. But first, you’ll need to choose the right NGFW provider to connect you with all the latest the in firewall features, functionality, and cybersecurity protection. What makes a good NGFQ provider for your New Jersey business?

A Comprehensive NGFW Product Line

First, check to see if they have a comprehensive suite of NGFW products. While presented as one platform, next-generation firewall features often come in a product line instead of a single unified experience. This allows you to build your own security solutions, but also means you need to be aware of whether a provider offers, say, Network Access Control (NAC), Identity and Access Management (IAM), and/or Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA), all of which contribute to authority access control and help to secure who and when your network is accessed.

Conveniently Scaled Subscriptions

Make sure the price point is right. There are several  NGFW solutions out there and their prices are scaled based on the client size, need, and sophistication they expect. You don’t have to choose the highest or lowest value, simply keep the cost of each quote or estimate in mind as you are choosing which firewall provider to build with.

Tailored to Your Business Needs

Lastly, be sure that the NGFW can be tailored to the exact size, features, and security standards that your business requires. Every sector and business model has unique requirements including regulatory compliance and the style of your workflow. A good next-generation firewall helps to defend against unwanted intrusions or data exposures, but it must do that in the natural flow of your office.

The Top 7 Next-Generation Firewall Vendors

Who are the top seven next-generation firewall vendors to choose from? Let’s dive into the industry leaders of this innovative new approach to cybersecurity essential software.

1. Fortinet’s FortiGate NGFW

Fortinet is a FWaaS, or Firewall as a service. This means it provides third-party protection for your assets using a subscription model. Through the FortiGate cloud suite, you will find FortiSASE options along with the FortiManager dashboard.

• Secure Email Gateway – SEG
• Web Application and API Protection – WAAP
• Network Access Control – NAC
• Identity and Access Management Services – IAM
• Security Operations Center – SOC
• Secure Access Service Edge – SASE
• Zero Trust Network Access – ZTNA
• Endpoint Detection and Response  – EDR

2. Cisco Firewall

Cisco is a long-trusted brand and specialist in industrial and business hardware. Their foray into firewall services provides a rock-solid baseline to compare other next-generation firewalls against. The Cisco NGFW is extensive with an incredible array of dashboard options and implementation.

• Intrusion Prevention
• Advanced Malware Protection
• Cloud-Based Sandboxing
• URL Filtering
• Endpoint Protection
• Web Gateway Protection
• SEG Security
• Network Traffic Analysis
• Network Access Control
• Cloud Access Security Broker – CASB
• SecureX Extended Detection and Response – XDR

3. Palo Alto Networks – Panorama NG Firewall

Palo Alto provides NGFW as a wide selection of features you can build into an FWaaS package. Each aspect of the package has a different name including PA-Series for hardware, VM-Series for virtual, Prisma Access for FWaaS, and CN-Series for COntainerized firewall support. All your Palo Alto features are managed through the Panorama cloud-based firewall manager.

• IoT Security
• Enterprise Data Loss Prevention – DLP
• SaaS Security
• Advanced URL Filtering
• Threat Prevention
• DNS Security
• WildFire Malware Analysis Engine

4. Juniper XRX Series Services Gateways

Juniper focuses more on networks and security products as opposed to the broader focus of its competition. Juniper recently launched Juniper Secure Edge, a new cloud-delivered security package. This extends the Juniper Security Director cloud management platform.

• Hardware SRX
• Virtual SRX – vSRX
• Security Information and Event Management – SIEM
• Distributed Denial of Service (DDOS) MItigation
• Threat Intelligence
• Advanced Threat Detection
• IoT Security
• Industrial Control Systems – ICS
• Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition – SCADA

5. SonicWall Series of Firewalls

The SonicWall brand focuses on security for hardware appliances, with one line for virtual appliances. SonicWall offers support through their products TZ, NSa, and NSsp series and NSv for virtual. This firewall is designed to work in conjunction with both Microsoft 365 and the Google Workspace including Box and Dropbox.

• Hardware firewalls
• Virtual appliance firewalls
• EDR
• SEG
• ZTNA
• CASB
• SD-WAN

6. Check Point Quantum and Harmony

Check Point Software Technologies has built two pillars of NGFW software. The first is designed to secure hardware and virtual appliances, called Quantum. This was published under the CloudGuard Brand. For FWaS, they created Harmony as a SASE solution.

• Quantum Security Management – on-premises support
• Infinity Portal – cloud-hosted support
• Centralized management and monitoring portals
• Infinity SOC
• Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response (SOAR)
• CloudGuard

7. Sophos Firewall 

Sophos Firewall offers a similar mix of hardware and cloud-based firewall solutions. This is a smaller offering with slightly more limited dashboard control.

• XGS Series and SD_RED
• Cloud Optix – Cloud Security Posture Management (SCPM)
• Intercept X – Endpoint and Server Protection
• EDR
• ZTNA
• Sophos Central – SOC Managed Service Portal

Choosing the Best NGFW for Your New Jersey Business

Your business security structure deserves the full-service benefits of a next-generation firewall. But which NGFW is the best choice for your business, budget, and security needs? To custom-tailor, your NGFW solution, contact us today!