Next-Gen Firewall Buyer’s Guide

Choose a firewall built to protect the AI-era network. 

Encrypted traffic, distributed environments, unmanaged devices, and AI-accelerated threats are changing what organizations need from their firewalls. Performance still matters, but only when the solution can keep critical protections enabled, turn network activity into action, and remain manageable as requirements grow. 

This buyer’s guide gives network, IT, and security leaders a practical framework for comparing firewall solutions. It covers: 

• The 9 evaluation criteria that determine whether a firewall can deliver the right security, performance, resilience, and operational fit.
• How to assess protected performance with inspection and threat prevention enabled, rather than relying on headline throughput figures.
• Questions to ask firewall vendors about Secure by Design capabilities, AI-service controls, connected detection and response, and deployment requirements.
• A vendor shortlist framework to help you compare evidence, dependencies, complete configuration costs, and long-term value.