When it comes to next-generation firewalls (NGFWs), threat intelligence is essential. After all, the biggest challenges to a firewall are zero-day and advanced attacks that can only be thwarted by the use of a host of threat indicators. Since firewall administration is often slow and inflexible, it is sometimes impossible to stop today’s cyber criminals in a fast and efficient manner.
What are Next Generation Firewalls?
Next Generation Firewalls (NGFWs) are firewalls that combine two things: the functionality that traditional firewalls offer, and advanced security measures, such as application usage tracking, antivirus and anti-spam, intrusion prevention, and Web/content filtering. These measures result in a more modern, more effective firewall that further reduces the possibility of an attack on a company’s technical information.
NGFWs use three main methods to use threat intelligence effectively. These are:
- Processes that guarantee the threat intelligence is high quality.
- Threat intelligence that is quickly disseminated and policies that are dynamically enforced.
- Being able to use threat feeds that come from a wide variety of sources.
Threat Intelligence and Threat Indicators
NGFWs use advanced security measures that must rely on threat intelligence and threat indicators that are continuously updated. Without being updated, these programs lose their effectiveness. The most important types of threat intelligence include spyware and malware signatures for the antivirus feature, indicators of network and protocol anomalies to prevent intrusion and alert the staff, Web filtering software that keeps users away from inappropriate sites, and threat containment data that blocks cyber-attacks like advanced persistent threats (APTs).
Cybercriminals are constantly looking for new ways to compromise companies’ computer systems. Even though there is no guarantee that these attacks will ever happen, NGFWs allow for a more secure way to make sure that your data is safe from these individuals.
