Top 5 Firewalls for 2022

2022 is well under way, and there are exciting changes in the firewalls market. How are firewalls helping organizations in 2022? Our reviewers share their thoughts with us about the top firewalls of 2022 according to what features they find most valuable. 

Here is our list of the Top 5 Firewalls of 2022: 

1. Fortinet Fortigate

Our users rank Fortinet Fortigate as the #1 firewall solution. This innovative line of firewalls is designed to protect from network threats. Users can manage the firewall from centralized automated control, giving administrators full visibility and control over the system. It is scalable without compromising security. Here is what our users have to say: 

A.M, a security presales consultant at a tech services company, says Fortigate has a “straightforward implementation, is priced well, and has an effective proxy mode”. Some of the features he found most valuable are: 

• The ability to work in proxy mode. 
• Built-in features such as SD-WAN. 

D.M, chairman of the board at a tech services company, says the best part of Fortinet Fortigate is that it is “Complete, stable and easy to use.”  The antivirus and internet navigation inspection are some valuable features mentioned by this user. 

The high price tag is one of the downsides mentioned. Users would also like to see improved visibility and tech support. 

2. Check Point NGFW

Check Point NFGW is in second place in our reviewer’s list of best firewalls. This next-generation firewall uses deep-packet inspection to identify and control applications. Among its valued features are the application and user control, integrated intrusion prevention (IPS), and sandboxing. Here is what our reviewers have to say: 

Andres L., a professional tech manager in Tolima government, Mexico, says Check Point NGFW offers “Great protection, timely security updates, and good support.” The features he considers most valuable include: 

• Scalability. The product allows their organization to grow without affecting security. 
• The technical support is strong both in the distribution channels and the manufacturer.
  
  
• It is an all-in-one solution. Check Point NGFW includes all services to protect the entire infrastructure, including end-users. 

Another user, a technical architect at a computer software company, says the best feature of Check Point is that it “is easier to manage and has better support than competing solutions.”

Although he considers Check Point to be expensive, the ease of management and support make it worth the price tag. However, this user would like to see Check Point add more cloud management features and better integration with LAN software. 

3. pfSense

In third place, we have pfSense, an open-source and free operating system for firewalls. It contains a DNS Server, WiFi access point, VPN server, and DHCP server, all in the same hardware device. The centralized console has a user-friendly web interface. Users value the ease of use, the high-security level, and the solution’s scalability.  Here is what our users have to say: 

Arturo R.,  a system implementer at a tech vendor, says pfSense is a “highly scalable, open-source solution, fast and simple to set up.” The open VPN helps to interconnect the company network securely. He mentions that the antivirus features may benefit from some improvement. 

G.C., a manager at a media company, says the best feature of pfSense is that it “supports NAT configurations, has many plugins and is perfect for small networks.” It is very simple to use, and it allows you to monitor the network without having to configure a switch and sync VLANs to it. The feature this reviewer considers more valuable are the plugins or add-ons, since you can use them to perform internal testing of your network. However, it would be good to have a mobile app to remote the monitoring. 

4. Cisco Firepower

Cisco Firepower provides advanced threat defense capabilities to meet diverse needs, from small offices to large data centers. Firepower can be deployed as a physical or virtual device. Its advanced threat defense capabilities include next-generation intrusion protection system (IPS), advanced security intelligence, advanced malware protection, application visibility and control (AVC), and includes flexible VPN features. Here is what our reviewers have to say about Cisco Firepower, their number 4 choice of firewall: 

An engineering services manager at a tech services company says the best thing about Firepower is “the ability to implement dynamic policies for dynamic environments.” This reviewer considers the Unified Event Viewer to be one of the most valuable features of Firepower 7.0. This feature is helpful in finding data and fixing issues faster. Also, he says the UI is user-friendly and easy to manage. The Dynamic Access Policies allow replication of configurations. This reviewer would like to see Cisco continue to approach things from a policy-oriented perspective. 

Another user, an IT administrator of a healthcare company, says Firepower is “reliable, with good support, good documentation and straightforward to set up.” The security intelligence feeds are refreshed every hour. The versatility and SIEM integration are other valuable features. On the downside, this reviewer would like to see faster load times and deployment speed. 

5. Sophos XG

Sophos XG is a firewall solution that provides real-time security and insights to protect from malware and advanced threats. It uses application control to identify the source of an infection in the network. Sophos provides centralized management to set up, manage, and monitor firewalls. It also protects against lateral movement by isolating compromised systems regardless of network point. Here is what our reviewers have to say about Sophos XG: 

K.A., a director of a digital design company, says Sophos XG is “user friendly, with good load-balancing functionality, and easy to manage.” The interface is intuitive and extremely easy to manage. The load-balancing capability is another of their strengths, as well as the stability. 

S.I., an IT analyst at a large tech company, says what he likes most about Sophos XG is “Its security, dual switch capabilities, and good support”. He can create an automatic switch between two ISPs or the cloud. When upgrading on the Sophos XG firmware, though, he says that some of the automatic switches don’t work. The documentation could also be improved.