Next-generation firewalls (NGFWs)

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Next-generation firewalls (NGFWs) Skill Overview

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Description

Next-generation firewalls (NGFWs) are advanced security devices that go beyond traditional firewalls by incorporating additional features such as deep packet inspection, intrusion prevention systems (IPS), and application awareness. They provide enhanced protection by analyzing network traffic in real-time, identifying and blocking sophisticated threats, and ensuring secure access to applications. NGFWs can also integrate with other security tools, manage user authentication, and offer detailed traffic analysis. These capabilities make NGFWs essential for modern cybersecurity strategies, helping organizations safeguard their networks against evolving cyber threats while maintaining high performance and compliance with security policies.

Expected Behaviors

Fundamental Awareness
At the fundamental awareness level, individuals are expected to understand the basic concepts and key features of Next-generation firewalls (NGFWs), recognize their differences from traditional firewalls, and be familiar with common use cases.
Novice
Novices should be able to configure basic settings, set up initial security policies, monitor traffic, and perform basic troubleshooting on NGFWs, demonstrating a hands-on understanding of foundational tasks.
Intermediate
Intermediate users are expected to implement advanced security policies, integrate NGFWs with other security tools, perform detailed traffic analysis, configure VPNs, and manage user authentication and access control.
Advanced
Advanced practitioners should optimize NGFW performance, implement intrusion prevention systems, conduct regular security audits, develop custom security rules, and automate NGFW management and reporting for enhanced security operations.
Expert
Experts are responsible for designing and implementing large-scale NGFW architectures, leading incident response and forensic investigations, developing machine learning models for threat detection, advising on best practices, and conducting advanced penetration testing and vulnerability assessments.

Micro Skills

Fundamental Awareness16 micro skills • 1 months work experience

Defining what a firewall is

Explaining the evolution from traditional firewalls to NGFWs

Describing the primary functions of NGFWs

Identifying the role of NGFWs in network security

Listing the main features of NGFWs (e.g., application awareness, integrated intrusion prevention)

Explaining the importance of deep packet inspection

Describing the role of SSL/TLS decryption in NGFWs

Understanding the significance of identity-based policies

Comparing stateful inspection with deep packet inspection

Explaining the limitations of traditional firewalls

Highlighting the advanced capabilities of NGFWs

Discussing the impact of NGFWs on modern network security

Identifying scenarios where NGFWs are beneficial

Explaining how NGFWs protect against advanced threats

Describing the use of NGFWs in securing remote work environments

Understanding the role of NGFWs in compliance and regulatory requirements

Novice20 micro skills • 3 months work experience

Accessing the NGFW management interface

Setting up network interfaces and zones

Configuring system time and date settings

Updating firmware and software versions

Creating and managing administrative accounts

Defining security policy rules

Configuring rule actions (allow, deny, log)

Setting up application control policies

Implementing URL filtering policies

Configuring antivirus and anti-malware settings

Accessing real-time traffic monitoring tools

Interpreting traffic logs and reports

Setting up alerts for suspicious activities

Using dashboards to visualize traffic patterns

Configuring logging settings and storage

Identifying common NGFW error messages

Using diagnostic tools to analyze issues

Checking connectivity and interface status

Reviewing and interpreting system logs

Performing basic configuration backups and restores

Intermediate25 micro skills • 12 months work experience

Creating and managing application-based policies

Configuring user-based policies

Setting up content filtering rules

Implementing time-based access controls

Configuring geo-blocking and location-based policies

Connecting NGFWs to SIEM systems

Integrating NGFWs with endpoint protection platforms

Configuring NGFWs to work with threat intelligence feeds

Setting up NGFWs to communicate with network access control (NAC) systems

Enabling API integrations for automated workflows

Accessing and interpreting NGFW log files

Using NGFW dashboards for traffic visualization

Identifying anomalies and suspicious activities in logs

Generating custom reports from NGFW logs

Correlating NGFW logs with other network data sources

Setting up site-to-site VPNs

Configuring remote access VPNs

Implementing SSL VPNs

Managing VPN user authentication

Troubleshooting common VPN issues

Configuring LDAP/Active Directory integration

Setting up multi-factor authentication (MFA)

Creating and managing user roles and permissions

Implementing single sign-on (SSO) solutions

Monitoring and auditing user access logs

Advanced25 micro skills • 24 months work experience

Analyzing network traffic patterns

Adjusting NGFW settings for optimal throughput

Implementing load balancing techniques

Configuring Quality of Service (QoS) policies

Monitoring and tuning NGFW resource utilization

Enabling IPS features on the NGFW

Configuring IPS policies and rules

Updating IPS signatures regularly

Monitoring and responding to IPS alerts

Fine-tuning IPS settings to reduce false positives

Developing a security audit plan

Collecting and analyzing NGFW logs

Identifying and addressing security gaps

Ensuring compliance with industry standards

Documenting and reporting audit findings

Understanding the syntax for custom rules

Writing and testing custom security rules

Deploying custom rules on the NGFW

Monitoring the effectiveness of custom rules

Updating and refining custom rules as needed

Setting up automated configuration backups

Creating scripts for routine NGFW tasks

Integrating NGFWs with automation tools

Generating automated security reports

Scheduling regular automated scans and updates

Expert29 micro skills • 48 months work experience

Assessing enterprise security requirements

Selecting appropriate NGFW models and features

Creating network segmentation strategies

Developing high-availability and failover plans

Integrating NGFWs with existing network infrastructure

Documenting NGFW architecture and configurations

Setting up NGFW logging and alerting mechanisms

Analyzing NGFW logs for suspicious activity

Coordinating with incident response teams

Conducting root cause analysis using NGFW data

Preserving evidence for forensic investigations

Reporting findings to stakeholders

Collecting and preprocessing NGFW traffic data

Selecting appropriate machine learning algorithms

Training and validating machine learning models

Deploying models on NGFW platforms

Monitoring model performance and accuracy

Updating models based on new threat intelligence

Staying updated with the latest NGFW technologies

Evaluating new NGFW features and capabilities

Recommending NGFW deployment strategies

Providing guidance on NGFW configuration and tuning

Sharing insights on industry best practices

Conducting training sessions for IT staff

Planning and scoping penetration tests

Identifying potential vulnerabilities in NGFW configurations

Exploiting identified vulnerabilities

Recommending remediation actions

Validating the effectiveness of implemented fixes

Tech Experts

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