What is a Firewall?
Firewall is a network security device that filters network traffic to protect against malicious activity. It does this by welcoming or blocking data packets (pieces of information you send over digital networks) based on pre-configured rules. Firewalls can be found in hardware, software, or in the cloud to accommodate any organization’s cybersecurity requirements.
They can be categorised based on what they monitor, with network firewalls guarding whole networks and being usually hardware, while host-based firewalls monitor individual devices within the network, and are generally software. Packet-filtering firewalls examine data packets without knowing their context, while stateful inspection firewalls use a table to remember what they have seen before and are considered more secure.
Cyberattacks continue to evolve, driving the need for more advanced firewalls. Next Generation Firewalls (NGFW) are a key component of any comprehensive cybersecurity system. NGFWs offer advanced monitoring and filtering for the most advanced threats, while also offering a wide range of other capabilities like IPSec, SSL VPN, and more.
Most operating systems come with a built-in firewall feature and are recommended to be turned on. However, if not configured and updated regularly, these firewalls can become compromised by malware. Often, this happens because of a misconfigured or missed update from the firewall vendor. Such vulnerabilities may be exploited by threat actors to gain entry into the agency’s network. Once inside, they can move to other agencies’ servers or computers and spread malware to those networks.