Evaluating Performance: Fortinet vs. Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Firewall

Fortinet NGFW devices are the core of its Security Fabric. They offer comprehensive threat protection features with an integrated automation-driven network management interface. They also require constant updates to their security features to stay ahead of new threats. This is similar to the way you update your computer’s antivirus software.

Security Compute Rating

Fortinet’s purpose-built ASIC hardware delivers better security performance than the industry average. The company’s single-pass parallel processing architecture enables a high level of throughput and unprecedented features that prevent all threats, including evasive, never-seen-before attacks. This performance advantage is reflected in the fact that Fortinet consistently ranks in the top half of NSS Labs testing, which evaluates security effectiveness and WAN efficiency.

Fortinet also leads Gigabit Ethernet and cloud firewall testing, which is important for buyers in distributed enterprise and branch office settings. In addition, Fortinet is a Gartner Magic Quadrant leader for network firewalls and WAN edge infrastructure. This recognition has fueled the growth of Fortinet’s NGFW sales, which in turn have fueled even higher profits for the company. Users of Fortinet NGFWs remark that the product is reliable and has many valuable features. Overall, Fortinet NGFWs are affordable and offer top results in NSS Labs testing.

Gigabit Ethernet Testing

Regarding Fortinet vs. Palo Alto Networks NGFW, Fortinet’s single-pass parallel processing architecture performs 5 to 20 times better than the industry average (including Palo Alto Networks) in latency tests. This is a key indicator of how well an appliance can perform and how well it can handle security applications such as firewalling. This is one of the most important factors to consider in choosing a next-generation firewall. The higher the latency, the slower your device will be. This can be problematic if you’re using your NGFW to protect cloud applications and users.

Another consideration is the ability to measure your device’s link speed. A good way to test this is to use iperf, which can measure the speed of your interface with no firewalls or encryption. However, remember that the iperf tool measures your actual bandwidth, not what you can theoretically get. Overall, Fortinet has an edge over Palo Alto regarding price and performance. Fortinet is more affordable and has a great user interface.

Moreover, Fortinet’s users find it to be reliable and stable. They also note that it has many valuable features, such as monitoring and reporting on firewall performance. On the other hand, Palo Alto’s NGFW offers many advanced features that may be a bit too complicated for some users. Moreover, it does not provide a complete solution for converged networking and security as its SD-WAN, ZTNA application gateway, and 5G wireless WAN are third-party products that do not integrate with its platform.

NSS Labs Tests

The NSS Labs Next-Generation Firewall group test is a prestigious and rigorous independent testing process that evaluates 11 market-leading NGFWs on security effectiveness, performance and total cost of ownership. NSS tests NGFWs with multiple batteries of sophisticated real-world attacks, evasion techniques and performance metrics, including detections, false positives, and throughput. NSS also performs a TCO assessment based on price per protected Mbps to indicate true value. FortiGate NGFWs consistently beat the competition in the NSS tests with their best-in-class security effectiveness, throughput and lowest TCO. In addition, they provide a consistent and intuitive management interface with a centralized security infrastructure for easy deployment and management. The NGFWs feature security fabric integration to protect across the attack surface and automate network management and security service consolidation.

The NGFWs have a single-pass parallel processing architecture for high performance and support a variety of hardware platforms. Palo Alto Networks has a larger portfolio of products and services than Fortinet, with offerings like Prism Cloud and Cortex series that deliver advanced threat-detection capabilities. The company also offers a wide range of network security solutions, including edge local area networks (LANs), software-defined wide area networks (SD-WAN), and unified threat management. The security platform has received top scores in CyberRatings and MITRE endpoint security tests, and users cite ease of deployment and leadership as key strengths.

Cloud Testing

The NGFWs from Fortinet and Palo Alto Networks are comparable regarding security features. Both are industry leaders recognized in the 2022 Gartner Magic Quadrant. Moreover, both companies have a variety of hardware and software options to choose from. Fortinet’s NGFW technology offers comprehensive network visibility, advanced threat prevention and edge protection for enterprises of all sizes. Moreover, its new PAN-OS development, automation-driven network management and centralized security administration are important features that can future-proof network security. Fortinet’s NGFW technology is robust and easy to understand. The NGFW from Fortinet has excellent performance and offers great value at $2 per protected Mbps. It also boasts impressive capabilities, including built-in SD-WAN, ZTNA application gateway, and 5G Wireless WAN.

Additionally, it is compatible with third-party security solutions for more effective and unified security. The company’s NGFW options include physical appliances PA-5280, PA-3200 and PA-220R. With inline machine learning, the company’s ML-powered NGFW stops 40% more zero-day threats. It provides granular control over SaaS applications and extends SSL decryption capabilities.

Moreover, it enables automation and integration to streamline operations with an intuitive centralized security management console. Furthermore, it allows a consistent end-to-end security posture and secures cloud apps with security services. In addition, it will enable enterprises to leverage their existing investments through its integrated security platform.