What is the difference between network firewall and firewall manager?

Some of the popular tools for managing firewall rules include Windows Firewall, iptables, and pfSense (an open-source firewall distribution). These tools allow users to control network access and improve security by defining rule sets.

To configure a firewall, follow these five steps:

• Secure your firewall.
• Build your firewall areas and IP addresses.
• Create lists for access control.
• Configure other firewall logging and services.
• Now, test the firewall configuration.

Most companies use stateful inspection firewalls. It offers a combination of packet filtering and advanced features like intelligence detection, traffic filtering and network monitoring for better network security.

The best firewall security management software examples are Palo Alto Networks, Smartguard, Sophos Firewall, Check Point, and Fortinet. These solutions offer robust features for network protection and monitoring.

One can get a free trial for Sophos XG firewall to get familiar with the platform, after which someone from the support team would contact them regarding the pricing structure.

The benefits of using Sophos XG firewall are as follows:

• Threat protection: By isolating compromised systems, Sophos XG Firewall automatically responds to security incidents and defends against unknown threats.
• Network monitoring: Sophos XG Firewall monitors a user's network and reveals apps, risks and hidden users, which helps in preventing potential issues.
• Easy to use: Sophos XG Firewall provides users with an easy-to-use management interface.
• Integration: Sophos XG Firewall can easily integrate with different Sophos security tools.