The history of firewalls is full of terms that label a type of firewall or describe a generation of firewalls. Some of these terms are evasive and even manage to contradict themselves; they may be the result of mixing the research definitions with marketing terminology.

Learn how innovations such as mobility, Web 2.0, social media and cloud computing have dramatically changed the IT landscape and introduced new security threats into corporate and government networks. Now traditional firewalls are coming up short as protocol and port number classifications have been rendered ineffective in blocking threats. In a bold move to reclaim control, CIOs and IT managers are looking to next-generation firewalls with application-layer intelligence that stands strong against today’s threats. It’s that kind of fortified protection that will enable organizations to fully embrace and leverage such innovations going forward.