Modern NGFW solutions are increasingly integrating AI to manage network security, shifting from simple threat detection to complex traffic control and administrative assistance. Global vendors like Palo Alto Networks, Cisco, and Juniper utilize hybrid architectures, combining local machine learning with cloud-based services to analyze threats and automate configuration tasks.
International vendors are actively implementing AI-driven management tools. Cisco offers an AI Assistant for policy management, while Check Point and Juniper have introduced AI-based copilots for configuration and troubleshooting. Fortinet has announced AI-aware application control and visibility into agent-to-agent interactions in its latest FortiOS 8.0 release.
In Russia, vendors are adopting diverse strategies. Kaspersky integrates ML for heuristic file analysis, while Ideco focuses on operational AI scenarios. Ideco NGFW Novum v23 includes a Shadow AI Discovery module that recognizes 83 AI protocols, including ChatGPT and GigaChat, allowing administrators to apply network policies without decrypting TLS traffic.
Ideco provides external AI services for log and rule analysis via REST API in read-only mode, ensuring manual control over configuration changes. The company plans to introduce an LLM Proxy in version 24 to enable session logging and request filtering, moving toward a more autonomous security management cycle.
When selecting an NGFW, experts recommend testing solutions against specific scenarios, such as AI agent integration, rule auditing, and the ability to handle complex network configurations. Security teams should prioritize solutions that balance automated analysis with human oversight of critical policy changes.
