CCNA Objective 1.1.c covers Next-Generation Firewalls (NGFWs) and Intrusion Prevention Systems (IPS) and this one trips a lot of people up. Here’s the breakdown: • Traditional firewalls: filter traffic based on IP, port, and protocol. • Next-Gen firewalls: inspect traffic at higher layers, they’re application-aware and user-aware, meaning they can identify specific apps and users, even if everything’s running over HTTPS. • IPS (Intrusion Prevention System): monitors network traffic in real time

Cisco ASA with FirePOWER Services vs Palo Alto Next-Generation Firewall