New Sourcefire Firewall with Content Filtering

Sourcefire understands the need for network security in today’s computer age and as a network security vendor they also understand the responsibility of deterring both external and internal threats. While firewalls have typically been designed to keep you external threats which can attack from anywhere in the world many times people neglect to think about internal threats can come from inside the networking system itself. Sourcefire understands his dilemma and has responded by creating a new line of products which combine intrusion prevention systems and firewalls so system administrators have greater control over the security of their networks.

The Evolution of Firewall Technology

Sourcefire calls this new technology the “Next-Generation Firewall.” Instead of completely revamping their current firewall technology this new system instead builds upon it creating a new system that can be more accurately described as technological evolution rather than a technological breakthrough. Despite this fact the Next-Generation Firewall from Sourcefire promises to be an indispensable tool for many network systems.

To combat the possibility of internal threats which exist within a network Sourcefire’s next generation firewall has several handy features network administrators will find useful. Chief among these is their content filtering aspects which allows administrators to monitor activity on the network by using various automated programs.

Another interesting aspect of Sourcefire’s Next-Generation Firewall is the fact that their Real-time Network Awareness technology is now known as FireSIGHT. This name change isn’t just for show, the technology itself has also been upgraded to allow administrators to access detailed real-time information on network users. They will now have access to a variety of in-depth information such as what applications users are using, what device are running, what services they are accessing and more.

The Big Picture

While Sourcefire’s Next-Generation Firewall is not specifically designed to replace existing firewalls many network administrators and businesses will want to take advantage of the new features which allow greater levels of network control. Traditionally firewall simply focused on protecting networks from threats rather than providing control over its users. Sourcefire’s Next-Generation Firewall is a definite game changer in this regard.

With many network administrators in need of greater levels of control of the various aspects of their network Sourcefire’s Next-Generation Firewall is designed to give them the control they need. One of the ways it does this is by providing administrators with a contextual view of activity on the networks while allowing them to set parameters for various users and what they are allowed to do on the network.

This technology can also be used to determine which users are allowed to access external sites such as Facebook and YouTube as well. This can help to cut down on the risk of external threats as well as allowing administrators have a greater degree of control concerning how users are utilizing their computers and their time. This can be utilized to ultimately increase productivity among workers.

Competing in Today’s Market

While the firewall market has traditionally been dominated by big names such as McAfee, Hewlett-Packard and others Sourcefire stands to make a huge impression by bringing greatly improved technology with more functionality to the market. While it remains to be seen whether or not Sourcefire will truly become a dominant force in the industry their focus on innovation and improving existing firewall technology has them favorably positioned to do well in the near future.