Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall Reviews

We use it internally. We use it as a firewall.  We use it just as a gateway. 

We have several frontline firewalls. We use a VMware platform to manage traffic between internal and external networks. Products like CheckPoint, Symantec, or Forcepoint aren't highly rated by Gartner. That's why we're planning to migrate our traffic management to a different technology like FortiGate or Palo Alto, which have better ratings.

It provides decent protection for the LAN, especially in run mode. However, from an administrator or engineer's perspective, Forcepoint isn't very clear to use. There are too many menus, and management can be problematic—it's not user-friendly. Also, it's not a cost-effective solution.

We had some licensing issues with its web filtering capabilities. That's why we migrated our web filtering to Cisco Umbrella.

Moreover, the interface is complicated. It's difficult to locate all the necessary menus and functions.

For example, one of the many issues is with SSH. Even now, we haven't successfully opened the port to connect using SSH mode when we want to change the configuration. It's like a black box—not very open to changes and customization. It's simply not easy to configure.

There are other problems, too. For example regarding Forcepoint's Websense component. We had a lot of problems managing the web settings within Websense. That's why we migrated to Cisco Umbrella for cloud-based web filtering.

It's not that Forcepoint is inherently bad. The issue is that it's not user-friendly. It is not easy to use. The developers need to redesign the interface (GUI) for better management. It is very difficult to manage. For example, simple actions require too many clicks compared to FortiGate or Palo Alto. That's the main problem. 

I have been using it for two years now. 

It's a stable product. We're a large company with more than 500 users, both on-site and remote.

It's not a useful tool if your goal is to expand your architecture or platform. 

We didn't have a support contract with Forcepoint because we were planning to move to a different technology.

I work with firewalls like Symantec Data Loss Prevention (DLP), firewalls like Palo Alto, FortiGate, and Check Point, along with routers and switches. I've also worked with Juniper, Cisco Fabric, Cisco Nexus (NX-OS), HPE Aruba.

I switched positions, and my new job doesn't use Check Point. So, the last time I used Check Point was in 2022. 

Now, I use FortiGate, Palo Alto, and Forcepoint. 

We also use different solutions based on use cases or specific functions. For example, we don't use Forcepoint for VPN. We use Pulse on-premises to connect remote users to the local network.

While deployment itself isn't complex, we migrated from Forcepoint to a different environment, such as FortiGate and Palo Alto, in VM mode.

The initial setup might be straightforward, but when working with traffic metrics, adding rules, or expanding the configuration, it's not user-friendly. Troubleshooting stable routing is also difficult. 

Unlike Palo Alto, which has many troubleshooting tools (especially within its security modules), Forcepoint lacks tools that would simplify configuration.

It's not very good, but it's not bad either. My main issue is with the interface, not the heart of the technology itself. Forcepoint's developers need to make it more user-friendly, like FortiGate or Palo Alto. I want it to be easier to manager, use and configure. 

Overall, I would rate the solution a six out of ten. We only use a small amount of Forcepoint's functionality now and will soon migrate away from Forcepoint entirely.

The platform is a firewall and Unified Threat Management (UTM) solution. We have implemented it in our production environment, particularly with VPN configurations. It proves to be an excellent tool for safeguarding our perimeter network. One of its standout features is its centralized management server, allowing us to manage multiple devices using a single console efficiently.

The platform's most valuable features are perimeter network security and URL filtering. These functionalities are crucial for us, particularly because we operate in a highly restrictive environment regarding internet access.

While they offer a comprehensive bundled solution, some users may prefer on-premise deployments for certain features, such as URL filtering. Currently, Forcepoint offers WebSense for URL filtering in the cloud, but users who prefer on-premise solutions may find this lacking. They could improve these particular areas.

We have been using Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall for 15 years.

In terms of stability, the solution is quite robust. We haven't encountered any major issues, and like any other firewall, it operates reliably 24/7 without significant disruptions. However, there have been occasions when units required replacement, especially if covered under warranty. Additionally, we've implemented high-availability configurations to minimize downtime.

In terms of scalability, it depends on the specific model being utilized. Basic models may have limitations and may need to be more scalable. However, mid to high-range firewall models, such as the Next Generation ones, are stackable and scalable. It means multiple branches can seamlessly run the same solution without encountering any issues.

In our organization, approximately 200 users utilize the solution. It is extensively and regularly used as our users rely heavily on URL filtering.

Although they offer a premium technical support option, which is costly, we have yet to opt for it during our years of using the product. There can sometimes be a delay in receiving support, but typically, they respond within 24 to 48 hours. Despite this, the quality of support provided has been excellent.

The initial setup of Forcepoint is straightforward for trained engineers, but it may appear complex for those without specific training. The deployment process typically involves mounting the firewall and booting it up with an initial setup from a USB boot device. From there, the installation process continues according to the specific requirements and configurations.

In our case, it took more than 15 to 20 days to refine policies and access configurations to meet our specific needs. However, it typically takes less than one to two hours for the firewall to be functional and up and running.

Once you have clarity on what needs to be deployed and what is best for their operations, it typically only requires the support of one or two Forcepoint engineers to assist in deploying the solution.

We took assistance from integrators to implement the product.

The product generates a return on investment.

It is an affordable product. We purchase its yearly license.

Initially, we used Symantec Firewall, which was many years ago. About eight years ago, we transitioned to Stonesoft, the parent company of Forcepoint. We decided to use Forcepoint primarily due to its reputation as a top-notch firewall solution for security.

We utilize Forcepoint to manage secure remote access primarily through VPN terminals and VPN clients.

The SD-WAN capability of Forcepoint did not directly support our network performance, as we did not proceed with its implementation. We were in discussions about enabling SD-WAN but needed help executing the plan. Eventually, due to the end-of-life status of our product, we transitioned to Fortinet as our vendor for SD-WAN solutions.

Deploying and managing the platform was not particularly straightforward. It necessitated experienced engineers trained in Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall. Once set up, there were no significant issues or challenges in day-to-day management.

They offer templates that provide detailed reports categorized by user, device, and internal network access.

The value and impact of using this solution lie in the assurance of protection and security. Ultimately, the greatest return on investment (ROI) comes from safeguarding the business from potential attacks and vulnerabilities.

I rate it a nine out of ten.

Educational institutions are the main users. We planned to use it as an all-in-one solution, primarily as an edge solution and Internet-facing firewall.

We're trying to use all the firewall's features. Most of the features were effective, but the usability is a huge concern. 

My experience with this Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall wasn't very pleasant due to its complexity. For example, the firewall loses some features when working in a cluster, which is a huge challenge. It caused me several weeks to solve an issue to make the VPN work, even after opening several cases with support. Also, the debug, which should provide essential knowledge about everything going on, the flow of traffic, and how the engine works, wasn't very informative in identifying the issue.

The problem was eventually solved by chance, thanks to an idea from an expert in the market. We had to refer to a freelancer engineer with huge experience with the Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall, and he noticed something that solved the issue by luck. We had no evidence or logs that showed this was the issue.

It's the most complicated firewall I've ever faced. You have to know what you're doing to achieve the plan and take action. It would be best to be an expert, take a course, or at least read the full documentation carefully. The interface isn't organized in the same way as other competitors.

You have to be an expert in it. You need to watch training videos or read the full documentation to understand how it works, even to implement a minor firewall change. Working with this firewall requires a lot of knowledge.

I have been working with the product for three years. 

The tool's stability, policy enforcement, and management are magnificent. I rate it a nine out of ten. It depends on the resources available. In my experience, I encountered a situation where the switch collapsed before the firewall did due to huge traffic. The switch crashed before the firewall crashed because of the enormous data transfer and network traffic.

We contacted support three times, opened three cases for the same issue, and didn't find out what the issue was for two months.

Negative

We need to rethink the usability and the availability of training and resources. These should make administration and operating this solution as easy as other competitors. For example, competitors like Fortinet and Palo Alto have easier management, especially Fortinet.

It has some documents if you can reach them. That's one of the other things they need to improve badly - the documentation is inaccessible. But when we reach the right information for what we're trying to do, it is mostly informative and easy. I'd say it's seven out of ten for ease of use if you follow the instructions. It would work. It's deployed on-premises. I wasn't involved in the implementation phase. It was implemented before I joined the company.

If you're not an expert and you haven't taken a course or have the correct materials to run the solution, I don't recommend it. You have to be an expert in this specific solution before using it. Overall, I'd rate Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall six out of ten.

The product's most valuable features are its extensive policy features, especially the S7 Pro features, and its DNS security feature, which provides an additional layer of protection not found in other firewalls.

A VPN client feature is missing in our region, which we hope Forcepoint will address in future updates.

We have been using Forcepoint's Next Generation Firewall for the past year.

We find the product to be stable and reliable in terms of performance.

Forcepoint's firewall is highly scalable, which helps our organization handle increased traffic and services. Approximately 35,00 user networks are protected by the product. 

Our decision to utilize the product was based on competitive analysis, and it emerged as the preferred solution.

The setup process is more complex than other solutions but provides satisfactory results. We began the migration process one month before deploying the device and involved two people in it. Maintenance is relatively easy, and we usually contact our partners for assistance when needed.

The platform has significantly enhanced the security of our public services. However, with the rise in IoT devices, it is unclear if Forcepoint addresses this challenge.

I advise ensuring you have experienced personnel to handle the device effectively after installation.

I recommend Forcepoint's firewall and rate it a nine out of ten.

We primarily use the solution for perimeter security. We use it across the entire office.

The most valuable feature is the fact that I can connect both offices together under the solution. I have two offices, and I can route the internet of both offices using the same product. The connectivity is great.

The integration capabilities are good. 

They need to improve their alerts. If I could integrate some of the alerts on WhatsApp, that would be nice. I should have the option to get my alerts, not just by email. I'd like to also see them, for example, on WhatsApp. 

I've been using the solution for two years. 

It is stable and reliable. I'd rate it eight or nine out of ten. There are no bugs or glitches, and it doesn't crash or freeze. 

The scalability is very good. I would rate it eight or nine out of ten in terms of the ability to expand.

We have about 200 people using the solution at this time.

Technical support is okay.

Neutral

The initial setup has a moderate amount of difficulty. I'd rate it five out of ten in terms of ease of deployment. The user interface was not something I was very familiar with. There was a little bit of complexity that I had to deal with. IN the end, it took a few days to get everything up and running. 

The pricing is okay. I'd rate it five or six out of ten in terms of affordability.

We are partners. 

We are using the latest version of the solution. 

I'd recommend the solution to others. Overall, I would rate the product eight out of ten. 

We primarily use it as a next-generation firewall. 

The application control is great.

The solution offers very good filtering. 

There's a sandbox that we can leverage. 

We have resources of XD1 to properly manage the solution. The security management center is one of the best parts of the product.

I found the initial setup process to be very simple and straightforward.

Technical support is quite good.

The capacity for reading the users in a domain and the capacity to integrate the solution with the active directory or any kind of directory services need improvement. 

You do need knowledge of the solution in order to set the product up properly.

I've used the solution for a very long time. I've used Forcepoint for ten years or more. 

The number of users depends on the customer environment. Typically, there are up to 5,000 users. 

At the moment, there are no plans to increase usage.

I've found the technical support to be helpful and responsive. They are good overall. 

I've worked with next-generation firewalls for ten years, so for me, the initial setup was simple. That said, analysts that have never worked with Forcepoint, will face a more complex setup process.

Licensing costs are paid annually. You pay standard licensing costs. There are no extra costs involved. 

We are Forcepoint partners. 

I deployed the latest version of the solution about a month ago.

For those that plan to implement this solution, I'd advise them to know their environment very well first in order to successfully implement the firewall. 

I'd rate the solution ten out of ten.

I use Next Generation Firewall as the main point of security in our infrastructure.

Next Generation Firewall's best feature is that it can be managed on one platform.

Next Generation Firewall's configuration could be improved.

I've been using Next Generation Firewall for a month.

The initial setup was straightforward, and the full configuration took two to three hours.

We used an in-house team.

Next Generation Firewall is moderately priced.

I would rate Next Generation Firewall five out of ten.

Our use cases involve deploying the Forcepoint solution, which includes installing the SMC server, management server, log server, as well as physical appliances and designing the clustering of Forcepoint.

Forcepoint is a good solution because it has a central server that serves as a management console. You can manage 100s of firewalls from this single console. Additionally, a key advantage is that Forcepoint provides VPN services as part of its basic subscriptions. It is not necessary to pay extra to use VPN services.

There is certainly room for improvement. In larger companies with extensive infrastructure, retrieving logs for a longer period of time can sometimes take a bit longer than desired.

In bigger companies with a larger volume of logs; it takes more time to retrieve them due to the increased amount of data.

I have been working with Forcepoint for about two years.

It is a very stable solution. If you set everything well, if your policy is well designed, it's stable.

Overall, I would rate the stability a nine out of ten. 

It is a very scalable solution. If you don't have enough capacity, you can easily double or even triple it. If you need to add extra Forcepoint devices due to insufficient power, it's just a matter of expanding the cluster. Additionally, the physical boxes can be set up as a hybrid cluster, which means you don't necessarily need the same expensive appliances. You can purchase more affordable ones and integrate them into the Acris cluster. Forcepoint's physical appliances can share and distribute the network traffic between them.

We have enterprise-level as well as small-sized clients. 

The customer service and support are quite good. They are very educated. I never had a case that I wasn't able to solve successfully. So, they are reliable. 

Positive

The initial setup is very easy because all you need to do is create a USB disk, which you can obtain from the management server. You configure it once. After that, you just connect the physical server to Ethernet, insert the USB disk, and turn it on. Everything else will be done. You configure it for the first time on the management server and then install it on the FlashDesk. After that, you simply connect the physical server to Ethernet, insert the USB disk, and turn it on. That's it. And everything else will be taken care of.

If you do a simple installation, just the physical setup, it's a matter of hours. For a single installation, for a small business or company where you have around 150 users on the network edge, one engineer is enough. Therefore, the time to deploy the solution depends on the size of the installation.

Moreover, some maintenance is required for the solution. One person or one administration is enough for maintenance. 

I would recommend the solution. Overall, I would rate the solution a nine out of ten because there are disadvantages like only some logs for enterprises. It takes a bit longer for it.

The solution's most valuable features are reporting, support, and classification of cyber attacks.

They should provide more details on potential cyber-attacks over a dashboard or email for the solution. Also, they should include centralized dashboard configuration and management.

We have been using the solution for three years.

I rate the solution's stability an eight or nine.

I rate the solution's scalability a nine out of ten.

The solution's technical support team is quite responsive and provides consistent support.

Positive

The solution's initial setup process is complex. It is challenging to identify new and existing systems.

We implemented the solution with the help of a system integrator.

The solution is expensive.

I rate the solution a seven out of ten.

Many of our clients have a two-stage firewall. They use one vendor in the data center and another on-prem, so we have to choose between Forcepoint or Cisco. There are choices, but many of our clients have Forcepoint.

Configuration is not easy because it has an old-fashioned interface. The configuration interface is highly complex, and it's been the same for years. They have to change the interface.

The structure of the configuration interface isn't like Palo Alto or FortiGate where you can do everything from a single screen. With Forcepoint, you have to import or assign rules because it's working with SMC, the central firewall management. Also, you cannot communicate directly with the product. You have to communicate with the product through the management interface. 

The dashboard also should be updated. 

I'm the PS manager, and our team is working with many products, including an email gateway and Forcepoint Next-Generation Firewall. We've been using it for more than four years.

Forcepoint's stability is satisfactory, for the most part, but when you have a log increase, you will face issues. If the hard disk is full of logs, it won't accept any configuration. 

If you want help from the support desk, you have to contact tech support and ask them to access the product to go through more troubleshooting. It's the same with web, email, and DLP.

We use multiple firewall solutions, including Cisco, Palo Alto, and FortiGate.

Setting up Forcepoint is okay, but you have to import the device and establish tunnel communication between the device and the SMC or the central management team. Deployment takes about five days from beginning to final confirmation, and we have a team of about six people for managing Forcepoint. According to the policy, you have to do things according to the number of clients behind the firewall. It's not straightforward, and it depends on the number of parameters or assets as well as the configuration the customer requires.

The license is based on the number of clients behind the web gateway. If you increase the number of agents, the license will cost more.