💔Breaking the Misrepresentation | Netfilter as a Powerful On-Prem Firewall Solution💪

There’s a common misconception in the IT and security industry that next-generation firewalls (NGFWs) from Silicon Valley vendors are the only viable option for securing on-premise environments. With big-budget marketing campaigns and flashy feature sets, these proprietary solutions dominate the conversation around network security. However, the reality is that businesses do not need to rely solely on expensive, proprietary firewalls to safeguard their networks. Netfilter, a powerful, low-level firewall built into any Linux-based operating system, is often overlooked despite its capabilities that rival commercial offerings from big-name vendors.

In fact, many of the cloud-based firewalls offered by major cloud providers, including Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud, are built on Netfilter, not Silicon Valley's proprietary firewalls. This begs the question: why are businesses paying a premium for on-prem solutions when a more flexible, powerful, and cost-effective alternative is available by default?

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What is Netfilter?

Netfilter is a framework that sits at the core of Linux’s networking stack, providing capabilities for packet filtering, network address translation (NAT), and other firewall functionalities. It acts as a powerful tool for managing network traffic, inspecting packets, and enforcing security policies. While Netfilter operates at a low level in the operating system, it offers all the essential capabilities you would expect from a high-end, next-generation firewall:

• Stateful and stateless packet filtering

• Network Address Translation (NAT)

• Traffic shaping and rate limiting

• Deep packet inspection (DPI)

• Logging and alerting

• Custom rules and flexibility for fine-tuned control

Essentially, any Linux-based system (such as Ubuntu, CentOS, or Red Hat) comes equipped with Netfilter as part of its core networking functionality, meaning any business can deploy a powerful firewall without paying for an expensive commercial solution. Furthermore, Netfilter’s flexibility allows it to be tailored to meet even the most specific network security needs.

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Netfilter vs. Commercial Offerings | A Level Playing Field

It’s easy to see why businesses might feel pressured into adopting expensive proprietary firewalls from Silicon Valley vendors, given their aggressive marketing. These solutions often advertise sophisticated features like application awareness, threat intelligence integration, and centralized management. However, most of these features can be replicated using Netfilter with open-source tools and extensions, often at a fraction of the cost.

For example:

• Stateful inspection (tracking the state of active connections) is a fundamental feature of Netfilter, just like in NGFWs.

• Application-level filtering can be configured with additional tools like iptables or nftables, enabling Netfilter to perform at a similar level to commercial NGFWs.

• Traffic shaping and rate limiting, key to modern security practices, can be implemented in Netfilter, matching commercial offerings for managing bandwidth and preventing network congestion.

Moreover, the claim that next-generation firewalls are the only option for advanced security features is disproven by the widespread use of Netfilter in cloud-based environments. Major cloud providers trust Netfilter to secure their infrastructure, and it is the backbone of their firewalls. If Netfilter is good enough for the security of hyperscalers like AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud, it certainly meets the needs of on-premise environments.

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Edge Firewall Flexibility with Fusion’s SD-WAN

One of the reasons businesses turn to next-generation firewalls is for security at the network edge—the point where internal networks connect to the internet. However, solutions like Fusion’s SD-WAN provide the same level of security using Netfilter as its core firewall component, without the additional costs associated with commercial NGFWs.

Fusion’s SD-WAN platform is designed to take full advantage of Netfilter’s capabilities, allowing businesses to configure robust security policies, manage traffic at the edge, and implement customized firewall rules to meet any business requirement. Since Netfilter is built into the Linux operating system, it doesn’t require additional licenses, subscriptions, or proprietary hardware—leading to significant cost savings.

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Network Function Virtualization (NFV) for Added Flexibility

While Netfilter provides a powerful and flexible solution, businesses may still have specific reasons for wanting to use a third-party firewall. In such cases, Fusion’s SD-WAN offers Network Function Virtualization (NFV), enabling the use of any third-party firewall by deploying it as a virtual network function (VNF). Essentially, businesses can use an image of their preferred firewall solution, whether it’s from a well-known vendor or a custom-built application, and deploy it on Fusion’s SD-WAN edge devices.

This level of flexibility means businesses are not locked into a single firewall solution. They can benefit from the robust capabilities of Netfilter while still retaining the option to deploy specialized security tools when necessary.

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Cloud-Based Firewalls | Built on Netfilter

Interestingly, many businesses don’t realize that the firewalls provided by major cloud service providers are also based on Netfilter. AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud all rely on Netfilter to power their firewalls, proving that this open-source framework is capable of securing even the most complex and large-scale infrastructures.

These cloud platforms don’t use proprietary NGFW solutions from Silicon Valley but instead harness the flexibility and performance of Netfilter, augmented with custom management interfaces and monitoring tools. If Netfilter is trusted to secure cloud-based environments that power some of the largest businesses in the world, it’s certainly capable of providing robust security for on-premise networks as well.

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Wrap | Rethink the Need for Expensive Proprietary Firewalls

The perception that businesses must rely on Silicon Valley’s next-generation firewalls for on-prem security is a myth. Netfilter, the core firewall component of any Linux-based system, provides all the essential functionality to secure modern network infrastructures. With tools like Fusion’s SD-WAN, businesses can leverage Netfilter to meet any business requirement—whether it’s advanced traffic filtering, deep packet inspection, or network segmentation—without the need for additional hardware or costly licenses.

Additionally, Fusion’s SD-WAN provides NFV capabilities, allowing businesses to deploy third-party firewalls when needed, offering complete flexibility without vendor lock-in. At a time when businesses are striving for cost-efficiency and flexibility, Netfilter proves itself as a powerful, open-source alternative to overpriced proprietary firewalls.

The next time you consider upgrading your firewall, remember: you don’t need to pay Silicon Valley prices for enterprise-grade security. Netfilter, combined with modern SD-WAN solutions, offers everything you need—and more.

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Ronald Bartels ensures that Internet inhabiting things are connected reliably online at Fusion Broadband South Africa - the leading specialized SD-WAN provider in South Africa. Learn more about the best SD-WAN in the world: 👉Contact Fusion🚀

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