Skip to content

Next-generation firewall

Also known as NGFW

A firewall that inspects traffic by application and content rather than only by port and address.

Traditional firewalls decide based on source, destination, and port. An NGFW identifies the actual application in the traffic, inspects it for threats, applies web filtering, and can enforce policy per user rather than per IP address.

The capabilities usually require subscription licensing on top of the hardware, and inspection of encrypted traffic needs certificate deployment to work. Both are frequently missed when budgeting.

Where this comes up

Next-generation firewall sits inside our networks and infrastructure work. If you are trying to work out what this means for your own environment rather than in the abstract, that is the page worth reading next, and a short call will get you a straight answer faster than either.

Managed IT services Ask an engineer

Related terms

Firewall A device or service that controls which traffic is allowed between networks based on a set of rules. Deep packet inspection Examining the contents of network traffic, including decrypting HTTPS, rather than just the addressing information. Unified threat management A single appliance combining firewall, intrusion prevention, antivirus, web filtering, and VPN. DNS filtering Blocking access to malicious or unwanted destinations at the point where a name is looked up.

More in networks and infrastructure

802.1XBandwidthDHCPDKIMDMARCDMZDNSGuest network

Back to the full glossary →

Want this explained against your own setup?

Definitions only get you so far. Book a short call and we will tell you whether this actually matters for your business, and what we would do about it.

Call (855) 737-9500 / (480) 573-3349

Email [email protected]

15-minute response on critical issues, 24/7. Onboarding in two to three weeks.

We reply within one business day. No spam, no pressure.