iSACA Cybersecurity Fundamentals Certification Practice Exam

What is a key feature of Next Generation Firewalls?

1. Application awareness to optimize performance

2. Only allowing remote access

3. Detection of hardware failures

4. Streaming data without any filtering

The correct answer is: Application awareness to optimize performance

Application awareness is a key feature of Next Generation Firewalls (NGFW) that enables them to inspect and control traffic based on the specific applications being used, rather than just relying on port and protocol information. This ability allows NGFWs to understand the context of the traffic, enabling them to enforce security policies more effectively, optimize performance, and prevent applications from being exploited. By being application-aware, NGFWs can recognize distinct applications, apply granular security measures, and even differentiate between various types of traffic from an application, allowing for more refined control. This contrasts with traditional firewalls, which typically focus on network-layer aspects and lack the capability to analyze application-level traffic deeply. Other options describe features or characteristics that are not associated with NGFWs. For example, only allowing remote access is a more limited function that does not encompass the broader security and application management capabilities of NGFWs. Detection of hardware failures is a general IT infrastructure concern and doesn't pertain to the specific capabilities of NGFWs. Streaming data without any filtering implies a lack of control and security that is counterproductive to the purpose of firewalls, which is to monitor and filter traffic effectively. Thus, application awareness stands out as the defining feature that enhances security and performance in