External reviews are not included in the AWS star rating for the product.
My main use case for Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall is to manage the security perimeter.
A quick, specific example of how I use Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall to manage my security perimeter involves making inspection, NAT, and ACL.
In addition to managing the security perimeter with Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall, we also need to manage the SD-WAN functionality and VPN intra-site.
Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall offers excellent features including a centralized management console and log feature.
I appreciate the centralized management console and the log feature because the logs are clear and easy to use, which helps my daily work.
I would also add that the load balancing feature and the active-active functionality are notable aspects of Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall.
Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall has positively impacted my organization by providing always-on perimeter security.
Always-on functionality for my organization means it has reduced the downtime.
Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall can be improved with better response from support.
I do not have anything more to add about the needed improvements, especially regarding the interface or other technical aspects.
Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall is deployed in my organization on-premises.
Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall is stable.
Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall has good scalability.
Regarding customer support, last year it was not as good or quick, but the last call and ticket raised seemed to be better.
I would rate the customer support a seven.
Positive
Previously, I used a Cisco Firewall, and I switched to Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall because of the central management and the deep log information.
My experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing has been in line with the market.
I have seen a return on investment with time saved and also fewer employees needed.
My experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing has been in line with the market.
Before choosing Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall, I also evaluated the Check Point solution.
I would rate Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall a nine on a scale of one to ten.
I give it a nine because support is not always very speedy, which stops me from giving it a ten.
My overall review rating for Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall is nine.
Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall was implemented for SD-WAN solutions across all 1,500 plus locations. The deployment includes routing and BGP routing, L3 switching, L2 switching, and site-to-site VPN and SSL VPNs. IPS enabled antivirus applications, IPS, IDS, application control, and quality of service are also included. All firewalls are managed through the SMC, which is the Security Management server center. Overall, no issues have been encountered, but there are some dependencies on the SMC components. Occasionally, connectivity challenges between Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall and SMC have been observed. It is important to ensure that licenses are renewed before expiring, as no modifications are allowed after the license expires.
Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall policies are created with source IP and applications policy configurations. Some routing and BGP routing have been added, and new locations have been added. All firewalls are synced with the SMC.
Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall provides excellent SD-WAN solutions. It is very easy to connect Wi-Fi solutions and any other interface solutions. Both on-premise solutions and hybrid solutions are available. It can be easily integrated with different solutions.
Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall provides excellent SD-WAN solutions that make it very easy to connect Wi-Fi solutions and any other interface solutions. Both on-premise solutions and hybrid solutions are available, and it can be easily integrated with different solutions.
Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall has positively impacted the organization. Previously, it was very difficult to handle all traffic because multiple locations experienced downtime, firewalls went down, and internet connectivity issues occurred. There was a lease line option previously, which was very critical for connectivity. After Forcepoint SD-WAN solutions were deployed across different locations, all traffic goes through Wi-Fi solutions, which are directly connected to Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall. This is very easy, time-saving, and has improved security. Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall has many security solutions available. There is no doubt that it is a good firewall. All types of policies can be created, and all GFW features are available. All those security solutions can be utilized.
Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall is overall good, but AI enabled features are not available. Many templates and AI security features are needed and are currently missing.
I have been working with Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall for the last four years. I have worked with all types of Forcepoint products, including Forcepoint DLP, Forcepoint endpoint solutions, Forcepoint web security, and Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall. There is a deep understanding of all Forcepoint products.
Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall is stable based on this experience.
Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall's scalability is good and can handle growth or increased demand easily.
The experience with Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall customer service has been very good. TAC engineers are very experienced and troubleshoot issues within the expected timeframe with no problems.
Positive
Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall has a boot option and is very easy to deploy, taking very little time. Only one boot is required, or a pen drive can be inserted and booted, then rebooted, and it will automatically connect the firewall with the SMC. Policies can be easily published through SMC. The firewall can be deployed within 20 minutes.
In this organization, five people manage 1,500 plus locations with Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall. This reduces the number of employees, saves time, and reduces costs. This is a good consideration.
Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall provides cost savings with minimal costs. It does not have high pricing for on-premise solutions and on-cloud solutions. It is easy and offers different solutions for each solution type with small, mid, and large scale options available. This makes it easy to choose the appropriate firewall and minimize costs and save money.
Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall is an excellent firewall with many next-generation features, including IPS, IDS, application console, UTM, quality of service, DDoS protections, and deep packet inspections. All types of VPN connectivity and routing are available. It is very easy to understand and deploy. The only issue that has been observed is related to licensing. It is important to ensure that licenses are renewed before expiration, as no modifications are allowed after the license expires. This would be helpful for users and clients. Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall has only two components: SMC and Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall. Overall, the rating for Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall is 10 out of 10.
I might not be the right person to discuss the main use cases for Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall for these clients. I can send an email and reply with what we can in broad strokes without identifying any specific customers. I would have to ask my teams that handle these solutions.
I can share what we appreciate about Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall and what clients generally choose it for. We have had good experience with their responsiveness, which exceeds other products sometimes. Their customer service and price point are competitive for the US market primarily.
The centralized management console of Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall is something we have been struggling with because everybody has their own approach, but most customers have mixed solutions. We end up having customers that are either running two consoles or requiring a third-party solution to monitor everything. From a configuration standpoint, it has been easy to manage.
Regarding security, these are security solutions, and when referring to performance, it works effectively. Features are very similar across products. Each vendor has their own distinctive elements, but in general, for the most concerning and most sought-after features, it is very complete.
At this moment, nothing specific comes to mind regarding improvements for Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall.
The main feedback we receive concerns pricing. If I only have a chance to give one suggestion, it would be to keep pricing competitive. AI improvements could be beneficial, as having AI capabilities has become an important checkmark feature.
It has been stable.
On a scale of 1 to 10 for customer service for Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall, I would rate it at least 9, 9.5.
Positive
The initial setup of Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall is usually straightforward from a professional use and expert perspective - it is normal and not difficult. However, these are products that require expert knowledge to some degree in my experience.
For deploying Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall into client environments, the approach depends on the implementation. For deployment of individual components, we would typically deploy an engineer or technician for individual boxes. If it is going into an existing system, an engineer must be involved. For a full deployment, we need a solutions architect to examine it, and we involve different vendors for their guidance as they are the true experts in each of their components.
In terms of comparing Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall on a general level, they are very similar regarding features and quality of performance compared to Palo Alto or Cisco or some of the other major players for next generation.
Our team has experience with multiple solutions including Palo Alto and Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall.
We have a mix of clients, primarily focusing on finance and telecom. As the CEO of the company, I lead the teams, negotiate the brands, and secure them. I am sometimes involved in purchasing products or quoting for bigger projects.
Regarding integration with third parties, we work as an MSSP and support MSPs with their solutions. The integration has been very successful for monitoring and ongoing use of the solutions, particularly from an operational perspective for monitoring faults and issues.
Comparing pricing to other solutions on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest price, Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall ranks around seven within the US market. There are other products that are less expensive, but they are frequently ranked among the industry leaders.
We generally work with SMBs and medium to smaller companies given our addressable market, and the experience has been good.
I rate Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall 9 out of 10.
The product's most valuable features are its extensive policy features, especially the S7 Pro features, and its DNS security feature, which provides an additional layer of protection not found in other firewalls.
A VPN client feature is missing in our region, which we hope Forcepoint will address in future updates.
We have been using Forcepoint's Next Generation Firewall for the past year.
We find the product to be stable and reliable in terms of performance.
Forcepoint's firewall is highly scalable, which helps our organization handle increased traffic and services. Approximately 35,00 user networks are protected by the product.
Our decision to utilize the product was based on competitive analysis, and it emerged as the preferred solution.
The setup process is more complex than other solutions but provides satisfactory results. We began the migration process one month before deploying the device and involved two people in it. Maintenance is relatively easy, and we usually contact our partners for assistance when needed.
The platform has significantly enhanced the security of our public services. However, with the rise in IoT devices, it is unclear if Forcepoint addresses this challenge.
I advise ensuring you have experienced personnel to handle the device effectively after installation.
I recommend Forcepoint's firewall and rate it a nine out of ten.
I use the Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall in my company for the protection of the Layer-2 networking area, which consists of Wi-Fi connections used in the enterprise.
The most valuable feature of the solution I like stems from the fact that the installation and configuration can be done locally. It is also easy to set up security capabilities. Forcepoint acts as a multi-service provider.
The endpoint protection capabilities of the product are an area of concern where improvements are required.
I have experience with Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall.
Stability-wise, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.
Scalability-wise, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.
Around 100 people in my company use the tool.
The product's initial setup phase is easy.
There is a need to make payments towards the licensing charges attached to the product. The product is not expensive.
The tool's SD-WAN capabilities are supported by the tool.
It is a nice product to use. The product can be used in the data center as a firewall.
The product does provide reporting and visibility features. There are many features provided by the product, especially the area of availability.
I rate the tool an eight out of ten.
The platform is a firewall and Unified Threat Management (UTM) solution. We have implemented it in our production environment, particularly with VPN configurations. It proves to be an excellent tool for safeguarding our perimeter network. One of its standout features is its centralized management server, allowing us to manage multiple devices using a single console efficiently.
The platform's most valuable features are perimeter network security and URL filtering. These functionalities are crucial for us, particularly because we operate in a highly restrictive environment regarding internet access.
While they offer a comprehensive bundled solution, some users may prefer on-premise deployments for certain features, such as URL filtering. Currently, Forcepoint offers WebSense for URL filtering in the cloud, but users who prefer on-premise solutions may find this lacking. They could improve these particular areas.
We have been using Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall for 15 years.
In terms of stability, the solution is quite robust. We haven't encountered any major issues, and like any other firewall, it operates reliably 24/7 without significant disruptions. However, there have been occasions when units required replacement, especially if covered under warranty. Additionally, we've implemented high-availability configurations to minimize downtime.
In terms of scalability, it depends on the specific model being utilized. Basic models may have limitations and may need to be more scalable. However, mid to high-range firewall models, such as the Next Generation ones, are stackable and scalable. It means multiple branches can seamlessly run the same solution without encountering any issues.
In our organization, approximately 200 users utilize the solution. It is extensively and regularly used as our users rely heavily on URL filtering.
Although they offer a premium technical support option, which is costly, we have yet to opt for it during our years of using the product. There can sometimes be a delay in receiving support, but typically, they respond within 24 to 48 hours. Despite this, the quality of support provided has been excellent.
The initial setup of Forcepoint is straightforward for trained engineers, but it may appear complex for those without specific training. The deployment process typically involves mounting the firewall and booting it up with an initial setup from a USB boot device. From there, the installation process continues according to the specific requirements and configurations.
In our case, it took more than 15 to 20 days to refine policies and access configurations to meet our specific needs. However, it typically takes less than one to two hours for the firewall to be functional and up and running.
Once you have clarity on what needs to be deployed and what is best for their operations, it typically only requires the support of one or two Forcepoint engineers to assist in deploying the solution.
We took assistance from integrators to implement the product.
The product generates a return on investment.
It is an affordable product. We purchase its yearly license.
Initially, we used Symantec Firewall, which was many years ago. About eight years ago, we transitioned to Stonesoft, the parent company of Forcepoint. We decided to use Forcepoint primarily due to its reputation as a top-notch firewall solution for security.
We utilize Forcepoint to manage secure remote access primarily through VPN terminals and VPN clients.
The SD-WAN capability of Forcepoint did not directly support our network performance, as we did not proceed with its implementation. We were in discussions about enabling SD-WAN but needed help executing the plan. Eventually, due to the end-of-life status of our product, we transitioned to Fortinet as our vendor for SD-WAN solutions.
Deploying and managing the platform was not particularly straightforward. It necessitated experienced engineers trained in Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall. Once set up, there were no significant issues or challenges in day-to-day management.
They offer templates that provide detailed reports categorized by user, device, and internal network access.
The value and impact of using this solution lie in the assurance of protection and security. Ultimately, the greatest return on investment (ROI) comes from safeguarding the business from potential attacks and vulnerabilities.
I rate it a nine out of ten.
Our use cases involve deploying the Forcepoint solution, which includes installing the SMC server, management server, log server, as well as physical appliances and designing the clustering of Forcepoint.
Forcepoint is a good solution because it has a central server that serves as a management console. You can manage 100s of firewalls from this single console. Additionally, a key advantage is that Forcepoint provides VPN services as part of its basic subscriptions. It is not necessary to pay extra to use VPN services.
There is certainly room for improvement. In larger companies with extensive infrastructure, retrieving logs for a longer period of time can sometimes take a bit longer than desired.
In bigger companies with a larger volume of logs; it takes more time to retrieve them due to the increased amount of data.
I have been working with Forcepoint for about two years.
It is a very stable solution. If you set everything well, if your policy is well designed, it's stable.
Overall, I would rate the stability a nine out of ten.
It is a very scalable solution. If you don't have enough capacity, you can easily double or even triple it. If you need to add extra Forcepoint devices due to insufficient power, it's just a matter of expanding the cluster. Additionally, the physical boxes can be set up as a hybrid cluster, which means you don't necessarily need the same expensive appliances. You can purchase more affordable ones and integrate them into the Acris cluster. Forcepoint's physical appliances can share and distribute the network traffic between them.
We have enterprise-level as well as small-sized clients.
The customer service and support are quite good. They are very educated. I never had a case that I wasn't able to solve successfully. So, they are reliable.
Positive
The initial setup is very easy because all you need to do is create a USB disk, which you can obtain from the management server. You configure it once. After that, you just connect the physical server to Ethernet, insert the USB disk, and turn it on. Everything else will be done. You configure it for the first time on the management server and then install it on the FlashDesk. After that, you simply connect the physical server to Ethernet, insert the USB disk, and turn it on. That's it. And everything else will be taken care of.
If you do a simple installation, just the physical setup, it's a matter of hours. For a single installation, for a small business or company where you have around 150 users on the network edge, one engineer is enough. Therefore, the time to deploy the solution depends on the size of the installation.
Moreover, some maintenance is required for the solution. One person or one administration is enough for maintenance.
I would recommend the solution. Overall, I would rate the solution a nine out of ten because there are disadvantages like only some logs for enterprises. It takes a bit longer for it.
