What Type of Firewall is Right For Your Business?
Firewalls are strategically positioned between networks, monitoring anything attempting to enter or leave them. They granularly inspect each data packet, authenticating and verifying connections and blocking those that don’t meet specific criteria. Network firewalls are either a software application running on general-purpose hardware or a hardware appliance designed to protect a dedicated network.
The industry’s most common firewall architecture is the stateful inspection firewall, which checks each data packet for information indicating whether it should be allowed or blocked. This information is found in the packet header, which contains data like source and destination IP addresses, port numbers, and packet protocols. Stateful inspection allows or blocks each connection based on this data, as well as other factors like context (i.e., previous interactions with a given packet).
These are the foundational capabilities that all firewalls must have. However, more advanced technologies like machine learning and automation are enabling a new generation of sophisticated firewall solutions that can stop threats from penetrating a network in real-time.
Regardless of what type of firewall you use, regular updates are important for addressing vulnerabilities and safeguarding optimal performance. In addition to this, it’s vital to have processes in place for reviewing firewall logs and responding to security alerts promptly. This helps limit the damage from a successful attack and minimize the risk of unauthorized activities that may be underway. As such, it’s critical that all organizations follow best practices for firewall management.