How does Azure Firewall enhance Azure Security compared to Network Security Groups?

Azure Firewall enhances Azure Security significantly with its ability to tag traffic based on Fully Qualified Domain Names (FQDNs). This feature allows Azure Firewall to inspect and control traffic not just based on IP addresses, but also based on the domain names of the applications being accessed. This capability is crucial in modern cloud environments, where applications are often accessed through dynamic IPs that can change frequently. By utilizing FQDNs, organizations are afforded greater control over their traffic rules, allowing for more granular and precise security policies.

Furthermore, this tagging capability aids in simplifying policy management since organizations can create rules that apply to entire domains rather than managing lists of IP addresses, which can be cumbersome and harder to maintain, especially in dynamic environments. It allows security teams to enforce policies that protect their resources while still enabling the necessary access for legitimate user activities and applications. This contrasts with Network Security Groups (NSGs), which primarily focus on controlling traffic based on IP addresses and ports without the added flexibility that FQDN tagging provides.