Which feature provides FortiGate devices with their next-generation firewall capabilities?

The integration of antivirus and intrusion detection systems is fundamental to the next-generation firewall capabilities of FortiGate devices. This feature allows FortiGate to not only monitor and control network traffic based on port and protocol, as traditional firewalls do, but also to analyze data packets within those connections. By incorporating these advanced threat detection techniques, FortiGate can identify and block various types of malware, exploits, and other complex threats in real time, which significantly enhances the overall security posture.

Furthermore, this multifaceted approach to security ensures that FortiGate devices can respond to evolving threats and provide a higher level of protection against both known and unknown vulnerabilities. This capability aligns with the core function of next-generation firewalls, which aims to provide more sophisticated defenses that go beyond mere traffic filtering and extend into deeper packet inspection and threat prevention.