Top 8 Best Network Firewall Software Tools 2024

Enterprise cybersecurity is composed of some factors like cybersecurity strategies, tools, employee awareness, framework, implementation and audit. Among those tools that play a crucial role in achieving and sustaining cybersecurity, tools like network firewall management, device management, password management, vulnerability management, and endpoint security play equal roles in facilitating cybersecurity for enterprises.

In this article, we’ll be looking at the top eight network firewall software tools that an enterprise needs to consider before purchasing one.

What is Network Firewall Software?

A Network Firewall is a security device that keeps the enterprise network free from malicious or anonymous traffic. Both internet and intranet connections can be secured using this device. Technicians can define firewall policies through which only authenticated and trusted devices will be able to access the enterprise network, and is more like a security at the front line that validates communication between internal and external networks.

Network Firewall is a crucial filter for DDOS activities, worms, viruses, trojans and other malicious intents outside of the enterprise network. An efficiently configured firewall policy will not provide access to any external devices except the ones that have permission to access corporate data inside the network. However, firewalls are just the first line of defense and not permanent armour against cyberattacks. Network Firewalls are broadly classified into software and hardware firewalls. 

While we can understand firewalls in a separate article, in this piece we’ll be covering the top eight network firewall software tools for your enterprise.

1. Palo Alto Networks

Palo Alto Networks firewall is the leading network firewall software in the market. It has been the most preferred firewall software in the market, and Gartner has received more client requests for this software. Also with the acquisition of Twistlock and PureSec, Palo Alto Networks has scaled up its security options. It is also offering security operations and cloud security solutions to the market. Its latest version 9.0, comes with a DNS security service.

After showing improvement in SSL decryption performance, Palo Alto Networks has strengthened its share of large-scale data centres. One key point to pick Palo Alto Networks is that they have been part of Gartner’s Magic Quadrant for Network Firewalls for eight consecutive years. 

With advanced firewall capabilities, and improvements in cloud offerings Palo Alto should be an optimal choice for users if there aren’t any budget constraints. It is a little expensive and can be a challenge for small and medium-level businesses. Without the SD-WAN feature, it is through third-party vendors and they are yet to offer a SaaS model. Though the presales team did receive great appreciation, the technical support team has not received the same in recent times, which could be because of the growing customer base.

Give a try on Palo Alto Networks here: https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/network-security/next-generation-firewall

2. Fortinet

Fortinet is another major player in the network firewall software category and is replacing dedicated routers as an edge appliance with firewalls. Unlike Palo Alto Networks, Fortinet’s pricing appears to be affordable, which helps the customers shortlist Fortinet for their network demands. With support for different firewall models like Alibaba Cloud, AWS, Google, Azure, IBM Cloud, Oracle OCI IaaS platforms and more, Fortinet is the best in the market for its features and affordability.

Fortinet covers endpoints, network, SIEM, NAC, switches and wireless access points. FortiGate firewalls from Fortinet are the most popular product developed by the vendor. With excellent features like virtual security processors, centralized management, reporting, new SD-WAN ASIC, and integrations, FortiGate is an excellent pick for enterprises of all ranges. While everything falls perfectly for Fortinet, the licensing model is found to be a little complicated, along with not-so-supportive technical support, and management complications when new features are released. 

Give a try on Fortigate firewall here: https://www.fortinet.com/products/next-generation-firewall.html

3. Cisco

Cisco is a major IT organization with an excellent network, infrastructure and security space dominance. Most of the Cisco firewalls do go along the large infrastructure deals won by Cisco. Existing Cisco customers are in the mindset to pick Cisco firewalls more than others. It sells multiple firewalls like Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) 5500-X Series and ASAv, virtual firewall appliances, Meraki MX series, Cisco iOS firewall and more. Cisco’s Firepower Management Center (FMC) is an on-premise solution that can be managed centrally and made available for firepower and ASA 5500-X devices. 

Cisco VPN client offers support for mobile devices, and the VPN tunnels are stable compared to others.   Though the infrastructural giant has a lot of benefits, still clients are complaining about deploying firepower VMs on IaaS platforms and because of this Cisco is not deployed in the public cloud, unlike other vendors. FMC lacks maturity compared to other vendors, like no integration with endpoint detection and response tools (EDR) and network security policy management tools (NSPM). Excluding these two cons, Cisco is perfect for corporate network firewall management. 

Give a try on Cisco Firewall Management: https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/security/firewalls/index.html

4. ManageEngine Firewall Manager

ManageEngine’s Firewall Analyzer is a robust tool to streamline network security management. This solution empowers sales teams by providing insights into firewall and network activities, enhancing their ability to articulate the product’s value to potential customers. Its intuitive interface facilitates easy comprehension, ensuring sales reps can efficiently convey its benefits.

Key Features:

• IP Address & Switch Port Management
• Firewall Policy Management
• Bandwidth Analysis
• Change Management
• Fault Management
• Network Security Management
• Firewall Log Management
• User Internet Activity Monitoring
• Real-time VPN and Proxy Server Monitoring
• Network & Server Monitoring
• Compliance Management
• Network Forensic Audits
• Log Analysis
• Configuration Management
• Network Traffic and Bandwidth Monitoring

Pricing: 1 Device Pack with 2 Users starts at US $395 for Standard Edition.

5. Checkpoint software technologies

Checkpoint Software Technologies is one of the leading players in the network firewall software tools category. However, as per Gartner research, their influence in this category is reducing compared to other players. It has introduced four new security gateway appliances in the last year and also acquired Dome9 for cloud security posture management. It offers 23 security gateway models ranging from low to high-end options.

With a simple pricing model, and the next-generation firewall features Checkpoint Software Technologies is a wonderful pick for a business. Features like centralized management, multi-domain security management and smart provisioning for MSSPs make it the client’s favourite. However, technical support is the issue as level 3 escalations take longer than levels 1 and 2, with poor communication on the progress at the development end.

Give a try on Checkpoint Software Technologies firewall management here: https://www.checkpoint.com/products/next-generation-firewall/

6. Huawei

Huawei is China-based tech giant that is also involved in the network firewall software tools domain. It includes the Unified Security Gateway (USG), virtual series and Eudemon. Users who are already using Huawei products are most likely to use the firewalls too. It comes with mature SD-WAN capabilities for different scenarios. Huawei firewalls support TLS 1.3, offering deep SSL decryption and traffic inspection options for encrypted communications. 

Along with the above options, Huawei offers integration with an SIEM solution, Cybersecurity Intelligence Systems (CIS) and has a simple integration procedure. However, the vendor appears to be lagging in cloud-based services, and the offerings are mostly appliance-targeted. Roaming users and distributed offices need to be taken care of as a SaaS offering.

Give a try on Huawei’s firewall management tool here: https://e.huawei.com/in/products/enterprise-networking/security/firewall-gateway/usg6600

7. Sophos

Sophos is a leading endpoint and network security vendor from the UK. It’s known for its unified threat management (UTM) market share and also offers robust network firewall software and endpoint security integrations. More applicable to SMBs than enterprises. With the new synchronized security system, chrome authentication, air gap support and central cloud management console for XG firewalls Sophos is delivering the right capabilities to its market segment. It comes with native TLS 1.3 decryption unlike other players, and offers multi-cloud visibility. Also, it owns strong real-time ransomware detection capabilities and coordinates with endpoint and firewalls for threat detection and endpoint health management. 

However, Sophos lacks certifications such as EAL4 and also lacks integration with third-party EDR tools. And need to improve on the SaaS offerings like FWaaS, DL, and CASBs integration.

Give a try on Sophos firewall here:https://www.sophos.com/en-us/products/next-gen-firewall.aspx

8. Forcepoint

Forcepoint is another security vendor based out of the United States in the space of network firewall software tools. It has a good potential in the market, it should be more responsive and improve the focus to expand customer base. SD-WAN has to be a little mature and management of virtual environments like AWS, VMware, and Azure is now made available. The Security Management Center (SMC) is intuitive and hassle-free for managing appliances, ISO images and software. Owns a mature IDPS offers, with threat intelligence from McAfee GTS, best clustering capabilities, and simple VPN configuration templates with a simple UI. 

Furthermore, it owns user entity behaviour analytics (UEBA) capabilities, with advanced threat detection inclusive of sandboxing. On the contradictory, Forcepoint lacks EDR integration with third parties and is yet to provide a SaaS model to keep up with the market pace. Needs to introduce FWaaS, along with its existing multi-cloud support. 

Give a try on the Forcepoint firewall offering here:  https://www.forcepoint.com/product/ngfw-next-generation-firewall

All these firewall software tools help secure the enterprise by being the first line of defense but are not sufficient to combat cyberattacks. As an enterprise, a robust firewall is the first step for a secured network. Give a try on these network firewall software offerings and let us know which suits you.

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