“Next-Generation Firewalls” (NGFWs) refer to a class of advanced network security devices designed to provide enhanced protection and control compared to traditional firewalls. NGFWs combine traditional firewall functionalities with additional capabilities such as application awareness, intrusion prevention systems (IPS), advanced threat protection, and user-level controls.

Key features commonly found in next-generation firewalls include:

1. Deep Packet Inspection (DPI): NGFWs can analyze network traffic at a granular level, including inspecting the content of data packets. This allows them to identify and control specific applications, protocols, or services traversing the network.
2. Application Awareness: NGFWs can identify and classify network applications, regardless of the port or protocol being used. This enables more precise control over application-level activities and helps enforce security policies based on application usage.
3. Intrusion Prevention Systems (IPS): NGFWs incorporate IPS functionality to detect and block known vulnerabilities, exploits, and malware in real-time. They use signatures and behavioral analysis techniques to identify and mitigate threats.
4. User Identification and Control: Next-generation firewalls can associate network activity with specific users, allowing organizations to enforce policies based on individual or group-level user identities. This feature is particularly useful in enforcing security and access controls in environments with user mobility or bring-your-own-device (BYOD) policies.
5. Threat Intelligence Integration: NGFWs often integrate with external threat intelligence feeds and security platforms to enhance their ability to detect and block emerging threats. This integration enables proactive protection against known malicious IP addresses, domains, or file hashes.
6. SSL/TLS Inspection: Next-generation firewalls can decrypt and inspect encrypted traffic to identify potential threats hidden within encrypted connections. This capability helps detect and prevent attacks that may leverage secure communication channels.
7. Network Visibility and Logging: NGFWs provide detailed logs and reports on network traffic, user activities, and security events. This information assists in incident response, forensic analysis, and compliance requirements.

It’s worth noting that the field of network security is constantly evolving, and new advancements may have been made since my last update. To stay up to date with the latest developments in next-generation firewalls, I recommend consulting industry resources, security vendors, and experts in the field.