A firewall is a set of tools for monitoring and filtering network traffic according to predefined rules.
What types of firewalls are there?
There are software firewalls that are installed on a computer, and hardware firewalls in the form of a separate external unit.
Firewalls serve for various purposes and can:
- Work as a switch;
- Filter network traffic and analyze IP addresses of incoming and outgoing requests;
- Monitor gateways of the session and application level;
- Perform dynamic filtering of network packets.
Network and client firewalls
Firewall (host-based) can be integrated into the operating system or installed additionally to protect one client computer.
Also, the firewall (network) can be installed on the network and act as a network gateway.
A separate computer can act as a network firewall and have a name (PC-based). Or the network firewall can work on a separate hardware platform (ASIC-accelerated).
Firewall functionality
The primary function of a firewall is to protect a computer or networks from external or internal attacks.
What does a firewall do, then?
- Controls access to open services of a network node.
- Allows you to set a set of rules for working with the necessary services.
- Records external and internal network attempts to penetrate the system.
- Blocks attempts to remove information about the protected device or network.
- Can display knowingly false information about client networks or devices.
Firewall and antivirus
The firewall cannot scan the system for malware or perform actions with virus-infected files. Various antiviruses are used for such purposes. It is important to remember that the firewall cannot protect the computer from infected programs that the user installs.
