What Is a Next-Generation Firewall (NGFW)? [Complete Guide]

What created the need for NGFWs?

NGFWs emerged because perimeter security wasn't enough. Network security needed more context. More control. And a better way to handle complex, encrypted, and evasive traffic.

More specifically:

In the late 2000s, applications started behaving differently. Many used the same ports. Or tunneled through SSL. This made it harder for traditional firewalls to tell good from bad—or even know which app was running.

At the same time, threats got more evasive. Malware could hide in encrypted traffic. Attacks targeted specific apps, users, and data.

Traditional tools couldn’t keep up. They lacked application awareness. They couldn’t inspect encrypted content. And they couldn’t tie traffic back to users in meaningful ways.

That's what created the need for next-generation firewalls (NGFWs).

In 2008, Palo Alto Networks delivered the industry's first next-generation firewall–and it was a new era in network security technology.

The NGFW was designed to provide deeper visibility and smarter enforcement. They combined traditional firewall capabilities with integrated intrusion prevention and full-layer inspection. They recognized traffic based on apps, not just ports. And they helped enforce policy based on who was using what—making them better suited to the risks of modern networks.

How does an NGFW work?

An NGFW analyzes network traffic beyond basic IP addresses and ports. It inspects the full packet to understand the application, user, and content involved in each transaction.

In other words:

It doesn’t just ask where the traffic came from. It looks at what the traffic is doing and who’s responsible for it.

NGFWs operate at higher layers of the OSI model, including the application layer. That’s where many threats now live—hidden inside common services like email, file sharing, or web traffic.

By inspecting traffic at Layer 7, an NGFW can recognize specific applications and detect evasive behavior. This allows it to enforce policies based on how applications are actually being used, not just where they appear to go.

Like this:

The deeper inspection also supports advanced threat prevention. Malicious traffic can be blocked in real time, even when it mimics normal activity.

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What are the limitations of traditional firewalls?

Traditional firewalls were built for a simpler time—when applications were predictable, threats were slower-moving, and networks had clear perimeters.

But that world doesn’t exist anymore.

As apps became cloud-based, threats more evasive, and users more distributed, the cracks in legacy firewall models started to show.

Let’s unpack the core limitations that prevent traditional firewalls from keeping up with today’s traffic, threats, and operational demands, including:

• Poor application visibility

• Inadequate threat detection

• Binary access controls

• Dependency on add-ons

• Operational complexity 

Poor application visibility

Traditional firewalls rely on ports and protocols to classify traffic. That worked when applications followed fixed port assignments.

Today’s applications don’t. Many use nonstandard ports, port hopping, tunneling, or encryption to get around basic traffic controls. This makes them hard to detect—and nearly impossible to control—with a legacy firewall.

Legacy firewalls assume that a given port equals a specific application. But modern applications don’t follow that rule. 

Like this:

A messaging app might run over port 443, just like any web traffic. To a port-based firewall, it all looks the same. The result is a lack of visibility.

Which means: IT teams can’t see what’s actually being used, much less enforce meaningful controls.

Inadequate threat detection

Older firewalls focus on blocking known threats at the network layer. But most modern attacks happen at the application layer and evolve quickly.

Traditional firewalls don’t inspect enough of the traffic to catch those threats. And if they can’t decrypt and inspect encrypted traffic, they miss even more.

In other words: Traditional firewalls aren’t designed to analyze full sessions.

They often check only the initial packet to make a decision. That leaves them blind to payloads that carry malware or exploit code. 

And since so much traffic is now encrypted, threats can hide inside SSL or TLS sessions. If the firewall can’t decrypt that traffic, it can’t stop what it can’t see.

Binary access controls

Legacy firewalls are limited to allow or block decisions. They can’t differentiate between safe and risky use of the same application. 

That’s a problem when many tools have both legitimate and risky use cases. 

For example: A cloud storage app might be fine for collaboration—but a risk for data exfiltration.

Here’s why that matters: Applications aren’t all good or all bad. The same app might be used to share internal files with coworkers—or to send sensitive data outside the company.

Traditional firewalls lack the context to tell the difference. Without user, content, or function-level awareness, the firewall has no way to enforce nuanced policies.

Dependency on add-ons

To keep up with modern threats, many organizations add separate tools—like intrusion prevention systems, URL filters, or antivirus appliances.

But stitching these together creates complexity. It spreads policy across consoles. And when tools don’t integrate well, it’s easier to miss gaps in coverage.

For example: A port-based firewall might allow traffic based on port 443. An external IPS might try to inspect that traffic. But if the firewall didn’t classify the app correctly—or if the IPS doesn’t see all the traffic—something gets through.

Managing policy across separate tools is hard to scale. And the lack of coordination leads to blind spots.

Operational complexity

Adding more devices and controls doesn’t always improve security.

In fact, it often introduces configuration errors, policy conflicts, and delays in response. Most legacy firewalls weren’t built to scale with today’s hybrid environments. Trying to bolt on features just increases management overhead.

Why not just keep adding tools? 

Because more tools mean more rules to manage. More consoles to check. More chances for something to break. 

Firewalls built on outdated architectures weren’t designed for deep inspection, identity-based policies, or application-level controls. Patching them with new features only makes operations slower and riskier.

What are the features of an NGFW?

Core vs. modern NGFW features

Next-generation firewalls combine traditional traffic filtering with advanced detection, control, and integration capabilities. That makes them fundamentally different from older firewall models.

They don't just block or allow traffic based on ports and IPs. Instead, they inspect traffic deeply—down to the user, app, content, and behavior—so policies can be applied with far more precision.

In other words:

NGFWs enable you to detect and control what's happening on the network. Even if it's encrypted. Even if it's evasive.

This section breaks NGFW features into two groups:

1. Core features that define what made NGFWs a major step forward from traditional firewalls
2. Modern features that expand their role with cloud integration, AI/ML, and Zero Trust capabilities

Let's start with the foundation.

Core NGFW features (up to 2020)

The original promise of the next-generation firewall was to close critical security gaps left by legacy firewalls.

Traditional models filtered traffic by IP address and port. That wasn’t enough once applications began evading controls and threats moved up the stack. NGFWs introduced deeper inspection and smarter enforcement—without sacrificing performance.

This section covers the core capabilities that defined early NGFWs. These features are still foundational today, enabling traffic classification, user awareness, content scanning, and policy precision.

Let’s break them down.

Application identification

Application identification allows NGFWs to classify traffic based on the actual application, not just the port or protocol. This means the firewall can detect and control evasive or encrypted applications that legacy systems would miss.

Techniques like protocol decoding, signature matching, and behavioral analysis work together to uncover the true identity of applications—even if they tunnel inside SSL or use nonstandard ports.

User identification

NGFWs map IP addresses to individual users. This lets administrators see who’s behind network activity and apply policies based on identity.

By integrating with directories like Active Directory, NGFWs keep user mappings updated in real time. That makes it possible to enforce role-based access and investigate security events by user rather than just IP.

Content inspection

Content inspection allows NGFWs to detect and block threats inside application traffic. That includes scanning for malware, exploit attempts, and sensitive data.

NGFWs often inspect files as they stream in, rather than waiting for full download. Some also use cloud-based services to analyze unknown threats and enforce URL and file filtering policies in line with internal risk controls.

Granular policy enforcement

NGFWs go beyond simple allow or block actions. Once traffic is identified by application, user, and content, administrators can apply fine-tuned controls.

Like this:

For example: An app might be allowed only for a specific user group or blocked during certain hours. Threat scanning and decryption can also be applied selectively, based on traffic type or destination.

SSL decryption

NGFWs can inspect encrypted traffic by performing SSL decryption. This reveals threats that would otherwise pass through unseen.

Effective NGFWs handle large volumes of encrypted sessions with minimal performance impact. Some even allow traffic decryption policies to exclude sensitive destinations for compliance reasons.

Single-pass architecture

Performance matters when applying deep inspection. NGFWs with single-pass architecture process each packet once, applying all relevant security functions in one flow.

That’s more efficient than legacy firewalls, which may reprocess the same traffic multiple times through different engines. The result is consistent performance even under heavy load.

Modern NGFW features

As threats evolved and enterprise networks became more complex, next-generation firewalls had to keep up.

The core NGFW capabilities introduced in the 2010s laid the foundation. But they weren’t enough on their own to handle modern challenges—like encrypted malware, SaaS sprawl, and IoT exposure.

Today’s NGFWs go further. They integrate advanced security services, expand visibility into cloud and device behavior, and apply machine learning to detect and stop attacks in real time. These additions reflect how firewall functionality has shifted from inspection alone to full-spectrum prevention and control.

Here’s what that looks like.

Advanced threat prevention

NGFWs use a multi-layered approach to block both known and unknown threats. That includes real-time traffic inspection, machine learning, and behavioral analysis to detect malware and exploit attempts as they happen.

Unlike legacy intrusion prevention systems (IPS), modern NGFWs can prevent zero-day attacks inline. They also use shared threat intelligence and automatic signature updates to stay current with evolving threats—without requiring manual intervention.

Advanced URL filtering

Advanced URL filtering blocks access to malicious and risky websites. It uses real-time analysis and machine learning to inspect and classify URLs—even ones that haven’t been seen before.

This helps detect phishing attempts, malware distribution sites, and other web-based threats as users browse. It also supports granular web access policies based on user, group, or application, and helps maintain compliance with corporate browsing standards.

DNS security

DNS security protects the network by analyzing and controlling DNS queries. It prevents attacks like DNS tunneling, cache poisoning, and domain generation algorithm (DGA)-based evasion techniques.

NGFWs with DNS security capabilities monitor DNS traffic for anomalies and known malicious domains. Some solutions use predictive analytics and machine learning to detect zero-day threats at the DNS layer.

Next-generation CASB

A next-generation cloud access security broker (CASB) built into an NGFW gives visibility and control over SaaS usage. It helps secure both sanctioned and unsanctioned cloud applications.

It also provides real-time posture assessments, data protection, and policy enforcement. This makes it easier to prevent data leakage, maintain compliance, and apply Zero Trust principles to cloud environments

IoT security

NGFWs can detect, identify, and secure unmanaged IoT devices on the network. Using machine learning and cloud-scale analytics, they recognize device types, assign profiles, and monitor behavior.

When a device deviates from its baseline, the firewall can automatically enforce a security policy. This helps reduce the risk posed by vulnerable or misconfigured devices without needing additional sensors.

User identification and access management

Modern NGFWs link traffic to specific users, not just IP addresses. They integrate with identity providers to map user identities across different devices and locations.

This enables user-based access policies. It also ensures consistent enforcement for remote users and supports Zero Trust principles by tying permissions to individual users rather than broad network segments.

Credential theft and abuse mitigation

NGFWs help prevent credential-based attacks by monitoring for suspicious behavior, enforcing multifactor authentication (MFA), and blocking known phishing sites.

They also detect when users attempt to submit credentials to untrusted destinations. This stops attackers from using stolen credentials to move laterally or escalate privileges.

Application and control function safety

Application awareness is a foundational NGFW feature. It allows the firewall to identify traffic based on application behavior, not just ports and protocols.

This helps distinguish between safe and risky application use. For example, a file-sharing app might be allowed for IT but blocked for everyone else. NGFWs can also control specific functions within apps, such as file upload or remote access.

Encrypted traffic security

Most internet traffic is encrypted. NGFWs need to inspect encrypted traffic without compromising performance or privacy.

They offer policy-based decryption for SSL/TLS traffic, including TLS 1.3.

Admins can choose which traffic to decrypt and which to exempt based on sensitivity or regulatory requirements. Once decrypted, traffic can be inspected for threats, then re-encrypted for delivery.

Management centralization and security capability integration

NGFWs support centralized management across all firewall deployments—on-premises, cloud, and branch. This helps ensure consistent policy enforcement and visibility across environments.

Integration is key. NGFWs combine traffic inspection, threat prevention, DNS filtering, CASB, and IoT visibility into one platform. This reduces the need for separate tools, simplifies administration, and lowers the risk of gaps between point products.

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What are the benefits of an NGFW?

Next-generation firewalls do more than just protect the network perimeter. They unify traffic visibility, application control, and advanced threat prevention into one security platform.

Here's how that translates into real operational and security value.

Improved visibility and control

Traditional firewalls focus on IP addresses, ports, and protocols. NGFWs shift the focus to applications, users, and content.

Why does that matter?

It gives administrators more relevant insights. You can see exactly which applications are running, who's using them, and what kind of content is being transmitted. From there, you can apply policies based on business context—not just technical attributes.

This level of control helps reduce blind spots and makes it easier to enforce security standards without overblocking legitimate activity.

Better alignment with business needs

NGFWs help IT teams support business requirements without compromising security.

For example: Instead of blocking a cloud storage app outright, you can allow it only for specific users or limit risky actions like file sharing. 

This lets the organization adopt tools it needs while maintaining control over how they're used.

In other words:

NGFWs make it easier for security teams to say "yes"—with guardrails.

Stronger protection against modern threats

Today's attacks often bypass traditional firewalls. They target applications directly. They hide inside encrypted traffic. And they use fast-changing techniques to avoid detection.

NGFWs are designed to deal with this.

They inspect traffic in real time, apply behavioral analysis, and pull threat intelligence from cloud-based sources. This helps detect and stop attacks that haven't been seen before—like zero-day exploits or targeted malware.

The result: Broader protection with faster response.

Security without sacrificing performance

Security tools can create latency if they're not designed to scale.

NGFWs address this with architecture that processes traffic efficiently. Instead of sending data through separate engines, they apply multiple inspection and control functions in a single pass.

That reduces processing time. And it keeps performance stable—even with high traffic volumes or heavy use of encrypted connections.

Simplified infrastructure and management

NGFWs consolidate multiple security functions into one platform. 

For example: It's not uncommon to find URL filtering, IPS, DNS security, and CASB features all in the same device or service.

This reduces the number of tools you need to manage. It also cuts down on policy sprawl, configuration errors, and gaps between products.

Centralized management makes a big difference here. It helps teams maintain consistent policies across locations and deployment types—on-premises, remote, or cloud-based.

Consistent protection across locations

NGFWs apply the same policies to users no matter where they are. That includes employees working remotely, in branch offices, or on mobile devices.

Why this matters:

Without consistent policy enforcement, users outside the network perimeter can introduce security gaps. NGFWs close those gaps by extending full inspection and control to all traffic—regardless of location.

In other words:

You get the same level of protection for every user, even in distributed or hybrid environments.

Support for Zero Trust security models

NGFWs help enforce Zero Trust principles by verifying users, devices, and applications before granting access.

Here's how:

Instead of trusting internal traffic by default, NGFWs apply policy checks to everything. They integrate with identity systems to make decisions based on user role, group, and behavior—enabling more granular control.

That helps organizations reduce implicit trust, limit lateral movement, and strengthen segmentation.

Operational and cost efficiency

NGFWs reduce the need for multiple standalone tools. By consolidating security functions into one platform, they help lower both capital and operational costs.

Instead of running separate appliances for threat detection, URL filtering, and application control, you can centralize those capabilities. That means fewer systems to license, power, maintain, and manage.

It also reduces the administrative burden. With a single policy framework and management interface, security teams can save time and reduce complexity.

What are the most common NGFW misconceptions?

Misconception #1: An NGFW is the same as a UTM

Unified threat management (UTM) appliances bundle multiple security functions into a single device. These may include a basic firewall, antivirus, and intrusion prevention.

NGFWs, on the other hand, offer deeper integration and context sharing across security functions. They apply consistent policy enforcement across applications, users, and content. UTMs don't have the same visibility or control over app behavior or user identity.

They also lack the depth of inline threat prevention available in most NGFWs.

Misconception #2: Proxy-based firewalls offer equivalent protection

Proxy firewalls inspect traffic by terminating the session and creating a new one on behalf of the client. While this can obscure internal systems, it limits application coverage.

NGFWs inspect traffic in-line without terminating the session. They can analyze application behavior, enforce granular policies, and apply threat prevention in real time.

This gives them broader applicability and deeper control than proxy-based products.

Misconception #3: A web application firewall (WAF) can replace an NGFW

WAFs focus on application-layer (Layer 7) traffic, particularly for HTTP-based applications. They look for vulnerabilities caused by poor coding practices or misconfigurations.

NGFWs operate across the full OSI stack. They provide network-layer visibility, user mapping, encrypted traffic inspection, and advanced threat prevention. 

WAFs are useful for protecting individual applications. But they don't replace the broader protection NGFWs offer for the entire network.

Misconception #4: Vulnerability and patch management is a firewall function

Some assume NGFWs can detect and patch vulnerable systems. That's not accurate.

Vulnerability management tools scan hosts, check patch levels, and flag outdated software.

NGFWs can restrict traffic to vulnerable systems or detect exploit attempts, but they don't replace a dedicated patch management process.

Misconception #5: NGFWs include full data loss prevention (DLP)

While NGFWs can detect sensitive data patterns in traffic, they don't provide full DLP capabilities.

Purpose-built DLP tools are designed to analyze content in depth, track data usage, and enforce complex data-handling policies. 

NGFWs can block traffic matching specific patterns, but they don't offer the same level of contextual data analysis and policy enforcement.

Misconception #6: NGFWs fully replace secure web gateways

Secure web gateways (SWGs) use URL categorization and filtering to enforce browsing policies. They may include sandboxing or malware detection, but are usually limited to web-based traffic.

Modern NGFWs often include integrated URL filtering. But not all provide the same level of content filtering, isolation, or dedicated web inspection features as a SWG.

That said, NGFWs offer more consistent policy enforcement across multiple types of traffic and protocols.

Misconception #7: Threat intelligence from an NGFW is enough on its own

Most NGFWs use proprietary threat intelligence feeds to detect and block threats. These feeds are useful—but may be limited to the vendor's view of the threat landscape.

Here's the issue:

Sophisticated attackers move fast and use evasion techniques that can bypass single-source detection. 

Which means that broader threat intelligence—such as from government, open source, and commercial feeds—can provide more comprehensive protection. 

NGFWs that don't support easy integration with third-party intelligence may fall short in identifying new or targeted threats.

Misconception #8: NGFWs support unrestricted threat intel integration

Some assume they can easily load large third-party IP or domain blocklists into an NGFW. 

That's not always the case.

Many NGFWs have strict limits on list sizes and ingestion formats. They may allow basic external list integration, but lack the scale or flexibility needed for operational threat intelligence programs. 

This makes it harder to use open source or commercial feeds at full fidelity.

What are the differences between NGFWs and traditional firewalls?

Traditional firewalls were built for a different era of network traffic. They use static rules to filter traffic based on ports, protocols, and IP addresses.

That worked when applications mapped cleanly to well-known ports.

But today's applications rarely follow those rules.

Many use dynamic ports, encryption, and tunneling techniques that evade basic filtering. As a result, traditional firewalls can't reliably identify what's actually on the network.

Next-generation firewalls (NGFWs) are designed to address that gap.

Instead of assuming traffic type based on port numbers, NGFWs analyze the actual application behavior.

They use a combination of application signatures, protocol decoders, and heuristics to identify applications and their functions—regardless of port or encryption.

NGFWs also incorporate features like user identity, content inspection, and threat prevention into a unified policy model.

In other words: Traditional firewalls rely on limited indicators. NGFWs rely on direct application awareness and integrated control.

That shift allows them to enforce more precise security policies across modern, encrypted, and evasive traffic—something legacy firewalls weren't built to do.

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What to look for in an NGFW solution

Choosing a next-generation firewall isn't just about checking off features.

Most NGFWs come with the same core capabilities. What matters more is how effectively they deliver those capabilities in your environment.

In other words:

It's not just what the firewall can do. It's how well it does it.

Here's what to look for.

Consistent performance under load

An NGFW should maintain low latency even when all security services are turned on.

Threat inspection, decryption, and logging can add overhead. The right solution handles this without degrading user experience or throughput.

This is especially important for real-time apps, branch environments, and encrypted traffic.

Centralized policy management

You should be able to manage all firewall instances—on-premises and in the cloud—from one console. That includes creating policies, viewing logs, and pushing updates globally.

Look for intuitive policy workflows and tools that make large-scale management easier, not harder.

Operational efficiency

Managing security shouldn't require jumping between tools. 

The firewall should reduce administrative overhead by simplifying policy creation, automating tasks, and consolidating capabilities.

This helps teams stay focused on actual threats, not manual processes.

Cloud and automation readiness

An NGFW should work with modern infrastructure. That includes public clouds, private clouds, and automation tools like Terraform and Ansible.

Why? Because your environment will keep evolving. The firewall should keep up.

Scalability and deployment flexibility

You might need to deploy NGFWs in data centers, branch offices, or public clouds. 

The solution should support a mix of physical, virtual, and cloud-native form factors—and scale as your needs grow.

This avoids re-architecture later on.

Integration with broader security ecosystems

NGFWs shouldn't operate in a vacuum. The solution should integrate with identity providers, endpoint protection, threat intelligence, SIEMs, and other security tools.

That way, data flows between systems. And you get a more complete view of risk.

Licensing and total cost of ownership

Different vendors package features in different ways. Some include advanced capabilities in the base license. Others charge separately.

Understand what's included. Make sure your pricing model aligns with your long-term needs—not just today's deployment.

How to successfully deploy NGFWs in 11 steps

Deploying a next-generation firewall (NGFW) isn't just about getting the device online.

It involves planning, policy alignment, architectural decisions, and long-term operational readiness.

Step 1: Align with current security policies

Start with policy.

Your deployment should reflect what the organization already considers acceptable use and risk tolerance. If those policies are outdated or unclear, update them before touching the firewall.

Step 2: Define technical and operational requirements

Document what your network needs from a functional and administrative standpoint. This includes network segmentation goals, remote access scenarios, and integration requirements across teams.

Step 3: Select appropriate network locations

Where you place NGFWs matters. 

In some cases, you may need perimeter enforcement. In others, internal segmentation is the priority. 

Choose locations that align with the type of traffic you need to inspect and the risks you need to manage.

Step 4: Plan for segmentation

Segment the network logically. This allows you to isolate sensitive systems, reduce lateral movement, and enforce policy boundaries. 

Use zones that reflect business function, sensitivity, or trust level.

Step 5: Map out remote and branch connectivity

If your organization supports remote users or branch offices, factor them into your design. The deployment should allow consistent enforcement regardless of user location.

Step 6: Support dynamic environments

Modern environments change often. That includes virtual machines, containers, and cloud workloads. 

Make sure your deployment model can handle shifts without requiring frequent reconfiguration.

Step 7: Build governance into the rollout

Involve stakeholders across IT, HR, and compliance. 

Make sure there is shared ownership of decisions that affect user access, acceptable use, and escalation paths.

Step 8: Document configuration standards

Don't rely on ad hoc decisions. Establish naming conventions, baseline rule sets, change control procedures, and logging practices before deployment begins.

Step 9: Validate before production cutover

Test in a lab or staging environment using representative traffic. 

Validate policy logic, administrative workflows, and interoperation with other tools. This reduces the risk of misconfiguration during rollout.

Step 10: Monitor and adjust post-deployment

Once in place, the firewall should be continuously monitored. 

Track rule effectiveness, policy violations, and unexpected traffic behavior. Use this feedback to refine configurations over time.

Step 11: Prepare for long-term maintenance

Firewalls are not set-and-forget. 

Assign ongoing responsibilities for updates, rule reviews, and audit readiness. And ensure your team has the access and training needed to manage the deployment long term.

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How do NGFWs compare with other security technologies?

Next-generation firewalls (NGFWs) don't exist in a vacuum. They complement, differ from, and sometimes overlap with other security technologies. 

Here's how they compare.

NGFW vs. WAF

NGFWs and web application firewalls (WAFs) protect different layers of traffic. 

NGFWs inspect network-layer traffic, often at layers 3, 4, and sometimes 7. WAFs focus on HTTP traffic at layer 7, specifically to protect web applications.

An NGFW might block malicious inbound traffic targeting the network. But it won’t stop an injection attack targeting a specific web form.

That’s a WAF’s job. NGFWs help control general access to apps. WAFs analyze how those apps behave under active use.

They also differ in who manages them. NGFWs are usually handled by network security teams. WAFs often require input from application developers. That’s because policy tuning depends on application logic, not just traffic patterns.

NGFW vs. UTM

At first glance, unified threat management (UTM) systems and next-generation firewalls (NGFWs) can seem similar—both combine multiple security functions into a single device. But the differences become clear with scale, flexibility, and depth of control.

UTMs consolidate basic features like firewalling, antivirus, URL filtering, and sometimes intrusion prevention. They’re typically designed for smaller environments and emphasize simplicity over customization. Their strength lies in offering broad protection through a general-purpose package.

NGFWs, by contrast, are built for deeper inspection and more advanced security enforcement. They provide granular visibility into applications, users, and content—making them better suited for enterprise or high-volume networks.

Another key distinction is flexibility. While UTMs tend to be static, NGFWs can be tailored to specific use cases, offering more precise control and integration across complex environments.

NGFW vs. FWaaS

Firewall-as-a-service (FWaaS) is a deployment model. It refers to delivering firewall capabilities from the cloud.

NGFW is a set of capabilities. So you can have a FWaaS that uses NGFW features.

The key distinction is how they’re deployed and managed.

Traditional NGFWs are often physical or virtual appliances deployed on-premises.

FWaaS shifts the firewall to a cloud-based model, typically managed by a service provider.

This can be useful for organizations with a distributed workforce or heavy cloud adoption. But it doesn’t change the fundamentals of firewall inspection. Whether on-prem or cloud-hosted, a firewall still needs to enforce policy, inspect traffic, and log activity.

In other words:

FWaaS is a delivery method. NGFW is a capability set. The two are not mutually exclusive.

NGFW vs. network firewall

A network firewall filters traffic between a trusted internal network and an untrusted external one. It typically works by inspecting packets and applying rules to allow or deny traffic based on IP addresses, ports, and protocols.

NGFWs build on this foundation. They include all the core capabilities of traditional firewalls—but go further. NGFWs analyze traffic at a deeper level and add features like application awareness, user identification, and integrated threat prevention.

Put simply:

Network firewalls control traffic at the perimeter. NGFWs add context and control based on who the user is, what application they're using, and whether the traffic poses a threat.

They're not separate categories. NGFWs are the next evolution of network firewalls.

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NGFW FAQs