What is an NGFW in terms of cybersecurity?

NGFW stands for Next-Generation Firewall, which is a type of firewall that provides more advanced security features than traditional firewalls. NGFWs are designed to provide better protection against modern cyber threats, such as advanced malware, zero-day attacks, and other sophisticated threats that may bypass traditional firewall technologies.

NGFWs typically include features such as application-aware firewalling, intrusion prevention and detection, SSL and SSH inspection, deep packet inspection, and user-based policies. These features allow NGFWs to provide more granular control over network traffic, detect and prevent more advanced threats, and improve visibility into network activity.

One of the key features of NGFWs is application-aware firewalling, which allows the firewall to identify and control specific applications and their associated traffic. This is important because many modern cyber threats are delivered through applications, rather than traditional network ports and protocols. NGFWs can also inspect SSL and SSH encrypted traffic, which can help to detect and prevent threats that may be hidden in encrypted traffic.

Overall, NGFWs are an important technology for improving the security of network infrastructure, and are widely used by organizations of all sizes to protect against a wide range of cyber threats.