Next Generation Firewalls
Would you choose an NGFW for a small business? Why or why not?
No, I would not choose an NGFW for a small enterprise. Businesses are not usually guaranteed to obtain the necessary funding to implement a next-generation firewall, particularly if the company is not large enough to justify the cost (Jordan, 2022). Small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) may be unable to raise the requisite funds or even handle data that require close protection. In such instances, a robust traditional firewall may be sufficient for network and data security. However, SMEs must be aware that their security measures should be more active than NGFW organizations, because there is no guarantee that their data will not be compromised (Liang & Kim, 2022). Since they may lack enough money for next-generation firewalls, SMEs can maintain data and network security by ramping up existing security measures or looking for cost-effective alternatives like the Unified Threat Management Systems.
Would you choose an NGFW for a large organization? Why or why not?
Yes, I would choose an NGFW for a large enterprise. Typically, NGFWs are more suitable for big organizations that handle sensitive data and are prone to frequent cyberattacks, for example, banks (Jordan, 2022). Also, large organizations are able to afford IT personnel, expertise, and skills to configure the NGFW system effectively. Maintaining a pool of IT experts allows large organizations to fix data and network security loopholes, helping protect their systems from user errors. Properly configured firewalls are exposed to minimal risk of any form of attack (Vacca, 2012). Thus, since large organizations can afford to maintain an experienced team of IT experts, I would choose an NGFW for large enterprises. The experienced IT personnel will help configure and maintain the system for maximum protection.
References
Jordan, J. (2022, December 29). The Importance of Next-generation Firewalls for Small Businesses. Retrieved from Better World Technology: https://www.betterworldtechnology.com/post/the-importance-of-next-generation-firewalls-for-small-businesses#:~:text=For%20SMBs%2C%20investing%20in%20a,%2C%20encryption%2C%20and%20antivirus%20protection.
Liang, J., & Kim, Y. (2022). Evolution of firewalls: Toward securer network using next-generation firewall. In 2022 IEEE 12th Annual Computing and Communication Workshop and Conference (CCWC), 0752-0759.
Vacca, J. (2012). Computer and information security handbook. Newnes.