For anybody, not having a firewall is risky and leaves them open to all sorts of perils – almost too numerous to list here. For a company, not having a firewall is downright stupidand it leaves them open to legal or financial ruin. What we are getting at, therefore, is that firewalls are central to cyber security, often being the first type of cybersecurity that anyone – individuals and companies, small and large – will install on their computer systems.
Cyber security experts hillstonenet.com say that firewalls are perhaps the one form of cybersecurity that everyone takes for granted.This alone underscores how basic and essential they are.
Moreover, because firewalls are so basic, it follows that the majority of businesses – for whom data breaches and hacking attacks can be ruinous – often employ cybersecurity far and beyond a simple firewall. This could be edge protection, cloudprotection, anti-virus software, and even physical security. Sometimes though it is an upgrade of the firewall itself.
When we talk about more advanced firewalls, there are two major kinds that become apparent. These are the so-called Next Generation FireWalls (NGFWs) and AI firewalls. If you run a company or handle even a small amount of sensitive data, this could be exactly what you need. But what actually is an AI firewall, or a next generation firewall?
As it happens, it is best to think of AI firewalls as the next generation of NGFWs. At risk of veering into tongue twisters, this means an AI firewall is literally the next generation of a next generation firewall. This also means that understanding what an AI firewall is depends upon knowing what an NGFW is.
What’s the Difference Between an NGFW and an AI Firewall?
Or what, for that matter, is a simple firewall. It is best to think in metaphors here (the word firewall is, of course, a metaphor, not actually being a wall of fire). Computers and networks have “ports” (another metaphor), which is defined as any entry point for data, be that a USB port, an internet connection, or the keyboard which you type on.
A firewall can be seen as a type of filter that lets some data through the ports and others not.It is a static system,and it is designed to protect systems from incoming data which might be harmful.
An NGFW is the same thing, but it is programmed with a set of rules to follow. It’s an intelligent version of the most basic firewall insofar as it can follow these (often quite complex) rules and is programmed to, say, let some kinds of data through only from certain users or at certain timesaccording to these predefined rules. It is more flexible and can even be programmed by users.
Now for the AI firewall – what is that, exactly? The AI firewalls is the best and most advanced firewall, and it not only follows a series of programmable complex rules, but it can come up with those rules itself based on an analysis of the data moving through it. Furthermore, it can learn and become more familiar with newer types of data that may be harmful. If harm is done to the system, for example, it can “learn” that the data previously let through is, in fact, not safe. This makes sure it will not make it through the next time.
Conclusion
All of this is an oversimplification. It would be impossible to create a layman’s guide to AI firewalls that is not an oversimplification. The essential idea though is easy to understand. And speaking in more practical terms, an AI firewall is simply the best firewall you can get.
