Different Types of Firewalls
Firewalls protect network traffic and devices from intrusion by regulating incoming and outgoing data packets with pre-defined rules. This enables the firewall to filter out unwelcome traffic such as malware, viruses, and malicious connections.
There are many different types of firewalls, which are based on the OSI network layer and layer 3. These can be static, stateful, or dynamic.
Static packet-filtering firewalls operate at the OSI network layer and perform basic filtering based on IP addresses, ports, and packet protocols. These firewalls also prevent two networks from directly connecting without permission.
Stateful inspection firewalls, which are positioned at layers 3 and 4 of the OSI model, perform network-wide traffic monitoring while also performing quick assessments to detect suspicious activity. They also learn from past interactions and apply that knowledge to future decisions.
The most common type of firewalls, stateful inspection firewalls are a great choice for businesses looking for a flexible and reliable solution. They also allow for the addition of other security components to the firewall like antivirus and anti-malware protection.
These firewalls also offer some protection against malicious connections as they can halt these connections and alert the antivirus software to remove the threat. However, they don’t always detect and stop a connection that is legitimate, such as a phishing email or the inserting of an infected USB stick into a computer.
There are many different types of firewalls, including hardware, software, and cloud-based solutions. Choosing the right one for your organization is based on your business needs and network architecture.