Getting the Most Out of Your Firewall
Firewall is a software or hardware solution that acts as the gatekeeper for your network. It looks at the information passing in and out of your system and decides who stays in and who goes out. This keeps cyber attacks from infiltrating and stealing data, devices, or systems within your network. Think of it like a digital bouncer at a nightclub: Only those who meet certain criteria (or have a guest list) are allowed in.
Packet filtering firewalls operate at the network layer, examining data packets that enter your system to assess their technical properties such as IP addresses, ports, and protocols. They allow or block traffic based on predetermined rules, including those that identify and filter specific types of known threats.
Unlike basic packet filtering, stateful inspection firewalls use a state table to record connections and their behavior over time. This allows them to make smarter decisions about what traffic can pass through based on a more comprehensive understanding of the context of each connection.
Getting the most out of your firewall requires ongoing maintenance. Regularly assessing and reviewing logs, disabling insecure protocols, and periodically removing unused rules are some best practices to help your firewall keep up with your business and prevent security breaches. Also, consider separating your firewall from VPNs and reducing broadcast traffic to manage bandwidth and reduce the load on network firewalls. Lastly, update your firewall software and firmware regularly to address vulnerabilities that attackers may be exploiting.