The Industrial Next Generation Firewalls market research delivers current market analysis plus a five year market and technology forecast. The research is available in multiple editions including worldwide, all regions, and most major countries.
Industrial Next Generation Firewalls Market Set for Growth Despite Economic Uncertainty
ARC’s new research on Industrial Next Generation Firewalls (NGFWs) shows strong market growth for the foreseeable future. In spite of economic uncertainty and reduced spending in many industries, demand for increased cybersecurity remains strong in the industrial and critical infrastructure sectors. ARC’s new Industrial Next Generation Firewall research examines how these products are evolving. Today’s NGFWs are more than just firewalls; they are increasingly adopting more sophisticated software technologies and security functions. This is particularly true of industrial AI, which is being used to automate threat response, provide deeper insight into network and asset behavior, and ease the burden of manual effort required to configure and
maintain NGFWs.
Industrial Next Generation Firewalls Strategic Issues
In addition to providing a five-year market forecast, the Industrial Next Generation Firewalls market research provides detailed quantitative current market data and addresses key strategic issues as follows.
Solutions Should Support Zero Trust Security
Remote access and mobility will impact every industrial operation and eventually demand zero trust security within OT systems. Security solutions for zero trust are discussed in our Market Analysis Report on Industrial/OT Secure Connectivity Solutions. However, these solutions will require network security tools that can support micro-segmentation and granular user privileges.
AI and Firewalls
The burgeoning field of industrial AI is the primary growth driver behind the significant expansion in industrial NGFW software capabilities. AI can automate tasks that once required a considerable amount of manual and repetitive effort. Suppliers are introducing AI assisted configuration capabilities that can significantly reduce the amount of time and effort required to configure firewall rules and overall firewall policies. AI can offer enhanced threat detection and response capabilities by establishing baselines for normal network behavior and more quickly identifying abnormal behavior or potential attacks. AI has the capability to analyze vast amounts of network traffic data. AI can also automate functions like incident response. End users must carefully evaluate the AI capabilities of industrial NGFW suppliers.
Industrial DPI Functionality
NGFW suppliers continue to enhance the DPI processing capabilities of their products. While this is a positive trend, end users should carefully assess the breadth and depth of ICS protocol coverage in any solution under consideration — especially when protecting controllers (PLCs, DCS systems) and remote SCADA units. Parsing standard ICS commands, such as Modbus register reads and writes, helps block spurious messages, prevent malicious setpoint changes, and safeguard sensitive data like recipes. However, blocking unauthorized access to control device configuration, logic, and firmware requires understanding proprietary commands specific to each automation supplier. Suppliers of industrial DPI firewalls vary widely in their expertise and investment in reverse-engineering such protocols. Some automation vendors also offer their own products tailored to their proprietary systems. These factors are critical in supplier evaluation.
