What Is a Firewall?
A firewall is a network security device that monitors and filters outgoing and incoming data packets by comparing them with pre-established rules. This helps to protect a computer from malware attacks. Firewalls can be found in both hardware and software forms and are used to create a barrier between a private network and untrusted external networks. The main function of a firewall is to inspect and authorize data packets on the basis of various criteria such as source, destination, packet type, and port number. It can also identify whether a specific data packet is a part of a larger set of packets and decide to allow or deny it.
The primary goal of a firewall is to protect computers from malware attacks that can shut down a business or organization’s digital operations, resulting in hefty losses for the enterprise. Installing a firewall can prevent viruses, worms, Trojans, spyware and other threats from accessing a system.
Firewalls are strategically positioned to closely monitor everything that attempts to enter and exit a network. They are able to granularly examine and authenticate each data packet in real time.
Compared to packet filtering firewalls, stateful multilayer inspection (SMLI) firewalls are a step up by tracking the state of each active connection and are more effective in mitigating cyberattacks. These types of firewalls are often integrated into UTM firewall solutions to provide a unified view of all incoming and outgoing data for better threat protection.