Firewall

Glossary

What is a Firewall?

An essential component of network security, a firewall keeps an eye on all incoming and outgoing traffic and filters data packets according to pre-established security rules to thwart potential attacks and prevent unauthorised access.

It protects against harmful traffic, such as viruses and hackers, by acting as a barrier between the internal network and external sources like the internet. Firewalls operate in a variety of ways, such as physical hardware, digital software, and cloud-based services. They are used in both home and business settings, and many products come with built-in firewall capabilities.

Types of Firewalls and their Deployment Methods

  1. Packet Filtering Firewalls: Based on predetermined rules, these analyse every data packet entering the firewall and decide whether to allow or prohibit it. They function at Layer 3, or the network layer, in the OSI paradigm.
  2. Stateful Inspection Firewalls: Firewalls that store a table of established connections and utilise it to decide which packets to accept or deny are sometimes referred to as dynamic packet filtering firewalls. They combine the functionality of packet filtering with connection status monitoring.
  3. Proxy Firewalls: By intercepting requests and responses and transmitting them on the client’s behalf, proxy firewalls function as go-betweens for the client and the server. By concealing the actual network addresses, they add another degree of protection.
  4. Application Layer Firewalls: They can understand certain apps and protocols and function at the OSI model’s application layer (Layer 7) to provide more precise traffic control. They do a more thorough inspection of data packets and base their judgments on information unique to each application.
  5. Next-Generation Firewalls (NGFW): NGFWs have sophisticated features like application awareness, deep packet inspection, and intrusion prevention systems (IPS) that go beyond the scope of conventional firewall capabilities. By providing a more thorough defence against contemporary threats, they improve security.
  6. Hardware and Software Firewalls: Hardware firewalls are physical devices that serve only as firewalls. They are frequently utilised in bigger network environments and offer high-performance filtering and security capabilities. Software firewalls are implemented on individual machines or servers to protect the host level. They are widely used in personal computers and provide flexibility in configuration and management.

Forms of Cyberattack that a Firewall can Block

  1. Denial-of-Service (DoS) Attacks: By filtering out excessive traffic intended to overload network resources, firewalls can prevent or mitigate denial-of-service (DoS) attacks and preserve regular service availability.
  2. Malware Infections: Incoming traffic that contains dangerous software, such as Trojan horses, worms, or viruses, can be blocked by firewalls to stop them from entering the network and infecting devices.
  3. Hacking Attempts: Firewalls monitor incoming traffic and enforce access control policies to detect and prevent unauthorised access attempts, such as port scanning and brute force assaults.
  4. Phishing and Social Engineering: Firewalls save consumers from falling prey to social engineering techniques by blocking access to phishing websites and emails by screening out suspicious URLs and content.
  5. Exploit Attempts: Protecting against known vulnerabilities in software or systems, firewalls can stop network traffic carrying exploit payloads, preventing hackers from accessing or taking control of susceptible equipment without authorisation.
  6. Data Exfiltration: Data breaches and the illicit exposure of private information can be avoided by using firewalls to monitor outgoing traffic and identify and stop unauthorised attempts to transport sensitive data outside the network.
  7. Command and Control (C&C) Communication: Firewalls are able to detect and block unusual network traffic patterns, which in turn prevents outbound connections to known malicious servers used for C&C communication.

How can iZOOlogic help my Company or Organisation?

Find out how iZOOlogic can protect you against potential cyber threats with the Web App Threat Protection solutions.

To find out more about how iZOOlogic can help protect your company’s cyber security, schedule a demo.