What Is a Firewall?
A firewall is a type of network security device that monitors network traffic and prevents threats from entering your network. Without a firewall, you could allow any incoming connection to enter your home network, making your computer vulnerable to attacks from malicious hackers and intruders.
There are various types of firewalls, each providing varying levels of protection. It is important to choose the one that best suits your needs.
Next-generation firewalls (NGFWs) are a popular choice for businesses that are regulated by PCI and HIPAA rules. These firewalls combine traditional firewall features with advanced cybersecurity capabilities. They require a high level of expertise to set up.
There are two main types of firewalls: hardware and software. Each is used to monitor and filter network traffic. While the software-based firewall consumes less system resources, it can affect the performance of your system.
Hardware firewalls work by analyzing data packets and determining whether a data packet should pass. However, they also need to be configured for each host device. This can be time-consuming.
Stateful inspection firewalls perform deep packet inspection, monitoring incoming and outgoing packets. They can be configured to apply specific rules for egress and ingress traffic.
The cost of a firewall varies according to the level of threat. As the threat increases, the cost of maintaining the firewall increases as well.
Network layer packet filters evaluate packets at the lower end of the TCP/IP protocol stack. They only allow packets that match a rule set.