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Firewalls

A firewall is a network security device that monitors and controls incoming and outgoing traffic based on defined security rules, which can either accept, reject, or drop traffic. Firewalls can be categorized into host-based, which protect individual devices, and network-based, which filter traffic across an entire network. They are essential for establishing a barrier between secure internal networks and untrusted external networks like the Internet.

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4 views2 pages

Firewalls

A firewall is a network security device that monitors and controls incoming and outgoing traffic based on defined security rules, which can either accept, reject, or drop traffic. Firewalls can be categorized into host-based, which protect individual devices, and network-based, which filter traffic across an entire network. They are essential for establishing a barrier between secure internal networks and untrusted external networks like the Internet.

Uploaded by

adityavermanda2004
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Firewall

A firewall is a network security device, either hardware or software-


based, which monitors all incoming and outgoing traffic and based
on a defined set of security rules it accepts, rejects or drops that
specific traffic.
Accept : allow the traffic
Reject : block the traffic but reply with an “unreachable error”
Drop : block the traffic with no reply
A firewall establishes a barrier between secured internal networks
and outside untrusted network, such as the Internet.

How Firewall Works


Firewall match the network traffic against the rule set defined in its
table. Once the rule is matched, associate action is applied to the
network traffic. For example, Rules are defined as any employee
from HR department cannot access the data from code server and
at the same time another rule is defined like system administrator
can access the data from both HR and technical department. Rules
can be defined on the firewall based on the necessity and security
policies of the organization.
From the perspective of a server, network traffic can be either
outgoing or incoming. Firewall maintains a distinct set of rules for
both the cases. Mostly the outgoing traffic, originated from the
server itself, allowed to pass. Still, setting a rule on outgoing traffic
is always better in order to achieve more security and prevent
unwanted communication.
Incoming traffic is treated differently. Most traffic which reaches on
the firewall is one of these three major Transport Layer protocols-
TCP, UDP or ICMP. All these types have a source address and
destination address. Also, TCP and UDP have port numbers. ICMP
uses type code instead of port number which identifies purpose of
that packet.
Types of Firewall
Firewalls are generally of two types: Host-based and Network-based.
1. Host- based Firewalls : Host-based firewall is installed on each
network node which controls each incoming and outgoing packet.
It is a software application or suite of applications, comes as a
part of the operating system. Host-based firewalls are needed
because network firewalls cannot provide protection inside a
trusted network. Host firewall protects each host from attacks
and unauthorized access.
2. Network-based Firewalls : Network firewall function on
network level. In other words, these firewalls filter all incoming
and outgoing traffic across the network. It protects the internal
network by filtering the traffic using rules defined on the firewall.
A Network firewall might have two or more network interface
cards (NICs). A network-based firewall is usually a dedicated
system with proprietary software installed.

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