What is Network Security Firewall Software?

The firewall software controls the traffic passing between networks and blocks any undesired traffic. The firewall software can easily block network attacks, such as port sweeps or IP scanning. Modern day network firewalls also incorporate and integrate with other security controls to provide an added level of defense. The advanced defenses include intrusion detection and prevention systems, application-layer scanning, and others that monitor fraudulent mechanisms and block sophisticated attack attempts.

Top 10 Firewall Software 2020:

1. SINCH
2. ANAM TECHNOLOGIES LTD
3. HPE
4. CELLUSYS
5. TATA COMMUNICATIONS LTD
6. MAVENIR
7. TELECOM ITALIA SPARKLE
8. EVOLVED INTELLIGENCE
9. BICS
10. ADAPTIVE MOBILE

The MicroQuadrant matrix provides information about the major players who offer firewall software to telecom providers. It outlines the findings and analysis on how well each market vendor performs within the predefined MicroQuadrant criteria. The vendor evaluations are based on 2 broad categories: strength of product portfolio and business strategy excellence. Each category carries various criteria based on which the vendors have been evaluated. The evaluation criteria considered under strength of product portfolio include the breadth and depth of product offering (on the basis of the industries that the vendors cater to, and solution and service offerings), product feature and functionality, focus on product innovation, product quality and reliability, and product differentiation. The evaluation criteria considered under business strategy excellence include effectiveness of growth strategy (on the basis of customers and revenue generation), channel strategy and fit (on the basis of the channel partners that the vendors cater to), geographic footprint (on the basis of geographic presence), and breadth of applications served.

Symsoft, Anam Technologies, Cellusys, SAP, and Tata Communications are the leaders in the firewall software market and are recognized as such. They have a strong portfolio of solutions and services in the market. These vendors have been marking their presence by offering customized solutions as per the requirement of the commercial customers, coupled with growth strategies to achieve consistent, advanced growth in the firewall software market. For instance: Symsoft launched SS7 firewall to provide advanced security solutions for mobile operators against the outlined threats. This advanced security solution helped the mobile operators to ensure subscriber trust and significantly reduce the risk of fraud.

HPE, Mahindra Comviva, Mobileum, NetNumber Inc., Route Mobile, Enghouse Networks, Telecom Italia Sparkle S.p.A, F5 Networks, and AMD Telecom S.A. are recognized as the dynamic differentiators in the network security firewall software market. These companies have an innovative portfolio of solutions and services, and an extensive network of channel partners and resellers to increase the deployment of their solutions across a multitude of vertical markets. The dynamic vendors have been consistently generating positive revenue growth in the firewall software market, and their market position is boosted by the organic and inorganic ventures undertaken by them. To focus more on organic strategies, AMD Telecom has expanded its direct coverage to mobile operators in India, Russia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Haiti, Peru, Cameroon, Mozambique, Timor-Leste, Tanzania, and Burundi.

Evolved Intelligence, BICS, and Adaptive Mobile are recognized as the innovators in the network security firewall software market. These companies offer innovative solutions to cater to the future vulnerabilities of SS7 and diameter protocols. These companies are concerned about their product portfolios, and have the robust potential to build strong business strategies for expanding their presence and staying at par with the visionary leaders. These vendors have been consistently offering SMS and signaling firewall solutions to fulfill customer demands and have been at the forefront for the deployment of network security firewall solutions. For example, Adaptive Mobile launched SS7 Protection to protect the mobile operator’s network from spam and fraud attacks using loopholes in SS7 signalling protocol.

jtendo, Interactive Digital Media, HAUD Systems, Omobio, tyntec, Computaris International, Mavenir, and Openmind Networks are recognized as the emerging companies in the firewall software market. The majority of the emerging vendors have been undertaking multiple acquisitions and boosting their sales capabilities across various regions to offer integrated solutions and services to a wide range of clients. This is evident from the fact that, Openmind Networks partnered with Proximus PLC, a leading Belgian telecommunication service provider. This partnership helped Openmind Networks to offer Traffic Control Platform to replace Proximus’s legacy SMSC and SMS Firewall in a virtualized environment.

Based on solutions, the network security software market is segmented into firewalls antivirus/antimalware, NAC, DLP, IDS/IPS, SWG, DNS protection, DDoS mitigation, UTM, vulnerability scanning, sandboxing, and others (compliance management, URL filtering, network, and software auditing). Network security software solutions have advanced due to the rapid advancements in ML, AI, and big data analytics. The solutions built with the help of ML, AI, and big data analytics go beyond traditional signature-based detection and help in detecting and remediating the most recent active and passive threats. Thus, network security software solutions form a strong line of defense for enterprises to secure their endpoints, networks, and cloud environment. Organizations adopt a series of policies and cybersecurity solutions and services to prevent unauthorized access and misuse of networking resources. The key trends contributing to the growth in adoption of network security software solutions is the rise in virtualization of servers, enhanced use of cloud computing services, increased BYOD trend at workplaces, and upswing in the use of IoT applications.

FIREWALL

ADVANCED CAPABILITIES OF FIREWALLS TO BOOST ITS GROWTH IN THE NETWORK SECURITY SOFTWARE MARKET

A firewall is a network security framework that monitors and manages incoming and outgoing network traffic based on predetermined security protocols. A firewall functions as a gatekeeper that controls the traffic between the network and application elements. It filters network- and internet-based traffic, concentrating on application-specific granular security type and helps detect application-specific attacks. In the recent years, firewalls have evolved from packet filter to next-generation to better protect corporate networks.

Third-generation firewalls are also known as Web Application Firewalls (WAF); they apply a set of rules to a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) conversation that covers application-layer attacks, such as Cross-Site Scripting (XSS), Structured Query Language (SQL) injection attacks, and application-layer DDoS attacks, and protects application servers from security breaches and loss of critical business information. WAF solutions are deployed ahead of web servers to defend web applications from internal and external threats, control and monitor web applications, and help organizations achieve compliance requirements.

A Next-Generation Firewall (NGFW) is a part of the third-generation of firewall technology that detects and blocks sophisticated cyber-attacks by applying security guidelines at the application, port, and protocol levels. The NGFW systems perform various security functions, such as Deep Packet Inspection (DPI),

IDS/IPS, application control, packet filtering, email security, and threat protection using sandboxing, along with all the capabilities of traditional firewalls. Furthermore, the NGFW offers various deployment options, including hardware-based and virtual-based systems, and cloud-based applications.

ANTIVIRUS/ANTIMALWARE

INCREASING DIVERSITY OF VIRUSES TO BOOST THE GROWTH OF ANTIVIRUS/ANTIMALWARE SOLUTIONS

Antivirus software is a set of programs that detects, prevents, and mitigates cyber threats caused by viruses. The antivirus software prevents, detects, and eliminates malicious activities, such as computer viruses, rootkits, adware, spyware, malware, Trojans, and worms. On the other hand, an antimalware is a software program that detects, prevents, and remediates malicious codes from being executed in a system. Malware is a broader term, encompassing virus and spyware that creates a threat to intellectual, personal, and financial information. The antivirus and antimalware segment has witnessed a tremendous growth in the recent years, due to the simplicity of operations in both, enterprise and consumer domains. Several threat actors are known to use common hacking tools that are often detectable using the antivirus software. Currently, organizations are deploying a range of antimalware products in their business to increase the diversity of detection and ensure that attackers cannot easily bypass a single antivirus.

NETWORK ACCESS CONTROL

ENTERPRISES WIDELY ADOPTING NETWORK ACCESS CONTROL SOLUTIONS TO ENSURE THE SYSTEMS ARE UP-TO-DATE

NAC can be defined as a solution which requires a set of protocols to define and execute a business policy to gain access to the network. The policy is one which would help users access the network nodes securely. If these policy requirements are not met, the user cannot connect their device to the computer network. Authorization, authentication, policy enforcement, and mitigation of non-zero-days attacks are some attack categories which safeguard users. Some capabilities of the NAC include incidence response, policy lifecycle management, guest networking access, and security posture check.

DATA LOSS PREVENTION

RISING DATA BREACHES CAUSED BY ADVERSARIES NATIONWIDE TO FORCE ENTERPRISES TO ADOPT DATA LOSS PREVENTION SOLUTIONS

DLP is a security approach that prevents the organizations sensitive data from being transmitted outside. DLP is a comprehensive network security solution that ensures the prevention of information loss while the data is in endpoint action, network traffic, or storage. It addresses data security needs when the data is at rest (providing perimeter security, network monitoring, internet access control, and messaging control), in use (providing Security Information and Event Management [SIEM], user monitoring, usage monitoring, application control, and Identity and Access Management (IAM), and in motion (endpoint security, mobile device protection, encryption, firewall, and physical media control). The DLP technology uses business rules, policies, and procedures. Sensitive data, such as secret company information, intellectual property, and financial information, is protected from unauthorized disclosure through the deployment of risk assessment measures, strict governance policies, and privacy policies. Email is the greatest risk vector for inbound and outbound threats for data loss. DLP solutions help prevent the transmitting of sensitive data in the organization to any unauthorized location through various communication modes.

The segment covers the market for DLP software that employs various techniques, such as keyword matching, traffic pattern analysis, network monitoring, and file tracking to help prevent data leakage. The growing insider threats and strict implementation of government regulations and laws are fueling the adoption of DLP solutions across the globe.

INTRUSION DETECTION SYSTEM/INTRUSION PREVENTION SYSTEM

INCREASING DATA BREACHES AND THEFTS TO FUEL THE DEMAND FOR INTRUSION DETECTION SYSTEM/INTRUSION PREVENTION SYSTEM SOLUTIONS

The process of detecting and preventing events that try to violate the confidentiality, integrity, or availability of data is referred to as the IDS/IPS. IDS/IPS is a network security solution that monitors networks and systems for identifying malicious activities, detecting information about the activities, attempting to prevent them, and finally reporting them. Network-based Intrusion Detection System (NIDS) can be used to detect attackers’ activities on internal networks. However, for an IDS to be useful, it needs a robust rule set. There are various types of IDS that include NIDS, Host Intrusion Detection System (HIDS), signature-based IDS, and anomaly-based IDS. NIDS monitors the inbound and outbound traffic of all the devices across enterprise networks. HIDS identifies malicious network packets that originate from inside the organization that a NIDS fails to identify. HIDS also detects malicious network traffic that originates from the host itself. Signature-based IDS compares the malicious network traffic against a database of known malicious threats. An anomaly-based IDS monitor networks the traffic and compares it against an established baseline.

SECURE WEB GATEWAYS

INCREASING LEVEL OF NETWORK DATA BREACHES TO FUEL THE DEMAND FOR SECURE WEB GATEWAYS SOLUTIONS

SWG is a network security software solution that protects computers from user-initiated web traffic and enforces company policies. These solutions protect end users from various security threats and malware such as ransomware, which might infect the network and the terminal. These solutions also help in maintaining the privacy and confidentiality of important data, thus preserving their value within the enterprise. As web and internet access for employees is business critical and cannot be avoided, enterprises have been encouraging the application of SWGs for real-time protection against dynamic malwares, such as ransomware and strong policy enforcement.

DISTRIBUTED DENIAL-OF-SERVICE MITIGATION

WEAKENING OF NETWORK PERFORMANCE AND DISRUPTION OF INTERNET SERVICES TO FUEL THE ADOPTION OF DISTRIBUTED DENIAL-OF-SERVICE MITIGATION SOLUTIONS

The DDoS mitigation is a technique to overcome DDoS attacks on systems linked to the internet. A DDoS attack is aimed at disrupting the normal function of a website and therefore demands high security. It is planned and coordinated, and creates a false traffic that prevents normal traffic from getting through. This leads to the depletion of network bandwidth, computing power, and operating system data structure resources, and the inundation of network infrastructure. A DDoS attack is executed from a master system to a network of computers. It disrupts the functioning of many resources, such as networks, websites, servers, or endpoints. Denial of Service (DoS) attacks, on the other hand, aim at disrupting the functioning of the target machine by flooding it with false requests and making it unavailable for legitimate requests. DDoS attacks have become a real threat to enterprises. Enterprises need to forestall their applications, network solutions, and services to combat the evolving sophisticated DDoS attacks. DDoS attacks affect the application layer, protocol layer, and the bandwidth of the network. Enterprises use DDoS protection and mitigation solutions and services for adaptive defense against DDoS attacks. DDoS attacks affect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of resources, which may result in billion-dollar losses for enterprises.

UNIFIED THREAT MANAGEMENT

UNIFIED THREAT MANAGEMENT TO PROMOTE FILTERING BASED ON BUSINESS REQUIREMENTS

UTM is a single hardware or software system that provides multiple security functions to protect enterprises from evolving cyber threats. It is a combination and an integration of various security features that provide robust security to enterprise applications from threats. UTM, being an integrated solution, provides multiple functionalities, such as spam blocking, gateway anti-virus, spyware protection, intrusion prevention, and URL filtering. UTM solutions offer network security, web security, email security, and cloud security. These solutions protect the enterprise infrastructure from cyber threats, such as ransomware, phishing, and botnets. UTM solutions are extremely popular in SMEs, as they overcome the tide of sophisticated and blended threats from multiple vectors and secure business-critical broadband internet connections. Moreover, they are cost-effective and handle all security functions of an entire network. UTM vendors are continuously adding new security functions to the solution to support the emerging cloud computing and virtualization trend.

VULNERABILITY SCANNING

GROWING NEED FOR VULNERABILITY SCANNING TO IDENTITY GAPS AND RISKS IN AN ENTERPRISES SECURITY POSTURE

Vulnerability scanning refers to a security technique, which proactively identifies security vulnerabilities in computer systems, networks, or applications. A set of procedures is designed to assess an organizations’ critical assets and network infrastructure. Vulnerabilities arise owing to faulty programming and weak configurations, which leads to potential paths for anomalies to enter IT systems. The vulnerability scanners are capable of seeking out flaws in the organizations’ security posture. Moreover, it systematically audits internal networks that are connected over the internet to determine if and where a system can be exploited. Vulnerability scanning tools ensure strong security for data, employees, systems, and customers, by eliminating security gaps within an organizations’ network infrastructure. Today, organizations are incorporating vulnerability scanning solutions to keep pace with an ever-evolving risk and compliance landscape. These solutions help an organization to combat a wide range of risks related to technology, commerce, information security, and operation among others. The growth drivers of this vulnerability scanning solutions are the growth in the need for internal audit features and regulatory compliance mandates with an unprecedented pressure of strict adherence.

SANDBOXING

DEMAND FOR INTEGRATED AND CUSTOMIZED SECURITY SOLUTIONS TO SUPPORT THE HIGH GROWTH OF THE SANDBOXING SOLUTION

Sandboxing is a malware analysis tool, used to detect and restrict new and unknown malware and targeted attacks from entering an enterprise network. As the threat landscape is continuously evolving, organizations are struggling to address sophisticated and advanced threats. Malware can penetrate an enterprise network through emails, untrusted websites, and downloadable files, such as executables, compressed files, PDFs, and MS Office documents. A sandbox enables the detection of malware in such files, which are not known so far. Any newly detected malware is immediately informed to the vendor’s threat intelligence database and then to all other customers across the world. A pre-filter tool, mostly associated with the sandboxing solution reduces the latency in delivering safe contents to the end user by identifying known malwares through a signature-based matching technique. Files, coming from a suspicious source, are only quarantined by the sandbox, thus preventing any delay in delivering data.