A Comprehensive Analysis of NGFWs for Cyber-Physical System Security After the CrowdStrike Incident

The CrowdStrike outage in 2024, underscored the urgent need for robust cybersecurity measures. This study provides a rigorous scientific analysis of ten leading Next-Generation Firewalls (NGFWs) through a multi-faceted methodology. Data were collected from updated vendor datasheets, comprehensive interviews with 50 IT experts, and performance testing using live product demos. The study includes firewalls from Check Point, Cisco, Juniper Networks, Palo Alto Networks, pfSense, Sophos, Trend Micro, Forcepoint, Huawei, and SonicWall. Key performance metrics analyzed include throughput, latency, concurrent connections, and VPN capabilities. The findings reveal that Check Point and Juniper Networks SRX series lead in throughput, achieving up to 500 Gbps and 365 Gbps, respectively. Palo Alto Networks and Trend Micro excel in advanced features like AI support, scoring 10/10 in user-friendly interfaces and threat intelligence. The survey of IT experts indicated that 80% of users are satisfied with their current NGFW, but 20% expressed interest in switching to alternatives like Palo Alto Networks or Fortinet for better AI support and scalability. This paper significantly contributes to the scientific community by offering validated, comprehensive insights into NGFW performance, aiding informed decision-making in enhancing cybersecurity infrastructure post-CrowdStrike outage.