Are next-generation firewalls legacy technology?
A few years ago, next-generation firewalls (NGFWs) came out of nowhere to become a network security staple. These devices combined traditional L3/L4 packet filtering with deep packet inspection, IPS, and other network security services along with knowledge about users and applications. This broad functionality packaging changed the network security paradigm—everyone needed, or at least wanted a NGFW at the perimeter or within the internal network.Fast forward to 2017, and the bloom is coming off the NGFW rose for several reasons: Requirements have changed. NGFWs followed in the footsteps of earlier firewalls—physical appliances installed inline to protect private networks from the public Internet. Back then, mobile and remote office workers VPNed into the corporate network and traffic was backhauled for Internet ingress/egress. This model is changing rapidly, however. As cloud computing, SaaS, mobility and broadband networks evolved, mobile and remote worker connection are often dual homed, offering direct connections to the public internet. Once this happens, NGFWs lose their usefulness, offering no visibility or control of network traffic. Software is eating the world. Remember Marc Andreessen’s famous essay about the rise of software? Ironically, his publication doesn’t dedicate a single word to cybersecurity, but make no mistake, software is eating Continue reading
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