Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall

Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall provides network security and SD-WAN connectivity for enterprise networks across physical, virtual, and cloud systems. Its Secure Management Center centralizes policy management, log analysis, monitoring, and reporting. Security features include deep packet inspection, anti-evasion defenses, intrusion prevention, vulnerability exploit detection, and DoS/DDoS protection. Firewall clustering supports active-active or active-standby setups with up to 16 nodes, and updates can be pushed without interrupting service. The product supports hybrid deployment and lists physical, virtual, and cloud environments, including major cloud infrastructure and virtual platforms. Integrations include SASE/SSE, web traffic forwarding to Forcepoint ONE, CASB, and Web Security. Remote access options include the Forcepoint VPN client for Windows, Android, and Mac OS, as well as standard IPsec clients. Forcepoint says the product has Common Criteria certification for Network Security Platform 7.3 and FIPS 140-3 Level 2 certification for its NGFW appliance. Pricing is available on request, and there is no free plan. URL filtering requires a separate subscription, and local anti-malware scanning is unavailable on 110/115 appliances.

Forcepoint NGFW combines centralized management, threat protection, and connectivity across hybrid environments. Organizations should account for request-based pricing and the stated subscription and appliance limitations.

It is positioned for large enterprises, campus networks, data centers, offices, branches, remote sites, and stores that need network security and SD-WAN connectivity.

Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall is an enterprise network-security and SD-WAN platform for organizations operating across physical, virtual, and cloud infrastructure. It is best suited to distributed networks with dedicated security teams, centralized policy requirements, and demanding uptime goals. Custom pricing and subscription-dependent capabilities make it less suitable for buyers seeking a simple, fixed-cost firewall.

Overview

Forcepoint NGFW addresses large enterprises, campus networks, data centers, offices, branches, remote sites, and stores through a hybrid deployment model. Physical appliances, virtual appliances, and cloud deployments can be managed under one policy approach, with API access, policy automation, and change control supporting operational consistency. That breadth is valuable when infrastructure spans several environments, but it also reflects an enterprise product that may exceed the needs of a small organization.

The Secure Management Center brings policy management, log analysis, monitoring, and reporting into a central console. For teams responsible for many sites, this reduces the need to manage each firewall as an isolated system and gives administrators a common place to review activity and enforce changes.

Key features

Layered protection

Deep packet inspection, anti-evasion defenses, intrusion prevention, vulnerability exploit detection, and DoS/DDoS protection provide multiple controls at the network edge. SSL inspection, site-to-site VPN, and standard IPsec-client support extend protection and connectivity beyond the appliance itself. URL filtering requires a separate subscription, so the full web-control feature set adds an ongoing licensing consideration.

High availability

Clustering supports active-active or active-standby configurations with up to 16 nodes. Administrators can push updates without interrupting service, a practical advantage for operations that cannot schedule frequent outages. However, local anti-malware scanning is unavailable on 110/115 appliances, making model selection important for deployments that expect that function at the firewall.

Cloud, virtual, and security integrations

The datasheet covers Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, Google, Oracle, and IBM cloud infrastructure. Virtual appliances support x86 64-bit systems, VMware ESXi and NSX, Microsoft Hyper-V, KVM, and Nutanix AHV. SASE and SSE integration can forward web traffic to Forcepoint ONE, while CASB and Web Security integration connects the firewall to broader cloud-access controls. The Forcepoint VPN client supports Windows, Android, and Mac OS, alongside standard IPsec clients.

Forcepoint says the NGFW has Common Criteria certification for Network Security Platform 7.3 and FIPS 140-3 Level 2 certification for its NGFW appliance. Those certifications matter most to organizations with formal security-assurance or compliance requirements.

Pricing

The Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall plan uses pricing by request and supports physical, virtual, and cloud deployments. There is no free plan. Prospective customers are directed to request pricing or speak with a Forcepoint network-security expert, so budget planning requires a direct quote rather than a published rate card.

This approach fits large organizations that need a tailored deployment and can evaluate appliance, virtual, cloud, and subscription requirements together. It is less convenient for smaller teams comparing transparent annual prices. URL filtering is a separate subscription, and the stated appliance limitation on local anti-malware scanning should be included in any model and licensing review.

Platforms

Forcepoint NGFW spans Android, API, Linux, macOS, self-hosted, and Windows environments. Its physical, virtual, and cloud deployment options cover mixed infrastructure, while the listed cloud and hypervisor support gives teams flexibility when standardizing on existing platforms.

Who it's for

This is a strong match for enterprises managing distributed sites, hybrid infrastructure, and high-availability requirements from a central security operation. It also suits organizations that need policy automation, change control, API access, VPN connectivity, and integrations with SASE, SSE, CASB, and web-security services.

Look elsewhere if you need a free tier, straightforward published pricing, or a smaller appliance with local anti-malware scanning. The separate URL-filtering subscription also makes it a less direct fit for buyers expecting broad web controls in the base purchase.

Pros and cons

Pros

• Broad hybrid deployment: Physical, virtual, and cloud options support organizations with mixed infrastructure.
• Centralized operations: Policy management, logging, monitoring, and reporting are consolidated in the Secure Management Center.
• Resilient clustering: Active-active or active-standby clusters can scale to 16 nodes, with updates designed to avoid service interruption.
• Layered network defense: Inspection, intrusion prevention, exploit detection, and DoS/DDoS protection address several threat categories.
• Enterprise integrations: Cloud platforms, major hypervisors, SASE/SSE, CASB, and web-security connections support complex architectures.

Cons

• Custom pricing: Buyers cannot compare a published plan price and must request a quote.
• Extra URL-filtering subscription: Web filtering adds a separate licensing requirement.
• Appliance-specific malware gap: Local anti-malware scanning is unavailable on 110/115 appliances.
• Enterprise overhead: Its breadth and centralized-management model are harder to justify for small or straightforward networks.

Alternatives

ManageEngine Firewall Analyzer is a better fit when you want a published annual option and a free trial; its Standard Edition costs $395 a year for up to 60 devices, while Forcepoint targets broader firewall deployment and threat prevention.

WatchGuard AuthPoint is the more focused choice when the requirement is per-user multifactor authentication rather than a full next-generation firewall.

WatchGuard FireCloud suits buyers seeking a cloud-delivered internet-access service with a published $97.75-per-year license for one user and 1–50 licenses.

ZoneAlarm Extreme Security NextGen is an alternative for device-focused security across Android, iOS, macOS, and Windows.

Comodo Internet Security is worth considering when a Windows-only freemium product and a free plan are priorities.

CacheGuard-OS offers a free Linux and self-hosted option for buyers willing to select installation capacity during setup.

Google Cloud Firewall Policies is the natural alternative when rules-based firewall control inside Google Cloud is the main requirement, including a free Essentials tier.

SonicWall Network Security Manager is an alternative for centralized management and alerting, with a free offering tied to SonicWall firewall support.

Verdict

Choose Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall when your organization needs centralized control, layered threat protection, resilient clustering, and connectivity across physical, virtual, and cloud networks. Its main reason to look elsewhere is the combination of request-based pricing, a separate URL-filtering subscription, and appliance-specific feature limits, especially for smaller teams or buyers seeking predictable costs.