UTM and next-gen firewalls: What’s the difference? (Infographic)

Often times, security companies use technical terms inconsistently, leading to some confusion. We’d like to clear the air about what we mean by unified threat management (UTM) and next-gen firewalls (NGFW).

In this simple infographic, we define what Sophos means by UTM, and explain how UTM is similar but distinct from NGFW. Although some people use the terms interchangeably, there are key differences.

As we explain below, next-generation firewalls are typically defined as firewalls enhanced with intrusion prevention and application intelligence. On the other hand, UTM systems include those features—plus additional technologies such as email security, URL filtering, wireless security, web application firewalls and virtual private networks (VPNs). In this view, UTM systems include NGFWs as components.

Click on the image below to download the infographic as a PDF.

Manager’s guide to UTM and next-gen firewalls

UTM systems are among the most widely used tools in the information security arsenal. The concept of unified threat management is very appealing: multiple critical security technologies, integrated on a single platform, provided by a single vendor.

IT managers evaluating UTMs need clearly defined criteria to choose the right protection. You may wonder: Is a UTM solution right for my organization? What security features are most important? What other issues need to be considered, such as ease of management and support for remote users?

Download our free guide to get the answers to these questions: A Manager’s Guide to Unified Threat Management and Next-Gen Firewalls. (Registration required).