What is a firewall? The security of network systems has been greatly threatened in recent decades. For this reason, security systems have evolved with more tools to protect against online threats.
In this sense, the use of the firewall as a defense and protection system has become almost essential. On this occasion, we want to clarify what a firewall is, how it works and what are the most used types of firewalls.
What is a firewall?
A firewall is nothing more than a security device implemented on the network to monitor its traffic. The traffic that a firewall monitors is incoming and outgoing traffic. This system decides whether to allow or block specific traffic according to a series of previously defined security rules.
For more than 25 years, the famous firewalls have been the first line of defense in network security for millions of companies.
The system creates a protective wall. The system creates a protective wall. It does this with your trusted internal networks. External networks like the internet are a threat. A firewall can be software, hardware, or a combination of both.
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How does a firewall work?
As we have mentioned, a firewall can be configured to constantly regulate and monitor all incoming and outgoing traffic. It is not a simple traffic analyzer. The firewall, in addition to analyzing the traffic, can control said traffic.
This means that the firewall analyzes and controls all traffic, allowing or denying access. In fact, some firewalls can be configured to block all traffic, except for those specific people or actions that you allow.
What are the different types of firewalls?
The most common and currently used are the following…
– The packet filter.
We start with the oldest type of firewall of all. Of course, despite being the oldest, it has the advantage of not affecting system performance. It is like a control point that is implemented in a traffic router or switch.
This type of system evaluates the data packets that will arrive through the router. The data that is evaluated with this type of firewall is the source and destination IP address, the type of packet, and the source and destination ports.
– Proxy firewall.
It is one of the first on the market and also one of the safest. In this case, its operation is like a gateway from one network to another. By making use of proxy servers, additional functionality such as content caching can be implemented. It also allows the implementation of other security systems to prevent them from making direct connections from outside the network.
– Gateway type firewall.
El tipo de puerta de enlace a nivel de circuito también es un sistema de aprobación o rechazo de tráfico. Solo en este caso evaluará el protocolo de control de transmisión (TCP). Básicamente, lo que está buscando es determinar si el paquete se origina en una sesión legítima.
– Active inspection firewall.
It is what is currently considered the most traditional on the market. It will simply block traffic based on port, protocol, or state. This type of firewall is called active inspection, since it will monitor all activity from the opening to the closing of the connection.
– Firewall (NGFW).
These are next-generation firewalls. As we mentioned at the beginning, firewalls have been evolving, going beyond active inspections or simple packet filtering.
Currently, many companies have been implementing these next-generation firewalls, which are capable of filtering out the latest threats. In this sense, they can block application layer attacks and even advanced malware.
Firewall (NGFW), is capable of complying with the functionalities of a standard firewall, such as active inspection.
Additionally, it must prevent integrated intrusions, control and recognize applications, upgrade paths, and implement ever-evolving security threat techniques.
– Threat-focused NGFW firewalls.
Threat focused. They include all the functionalities of an NGFW. However, it also adds even more advanced threat detection and remediation features.
A threat-focused NGFW firewall is able to control and protect the assets that are most at risk, while always being able to recognize the full context.
It also reacts faster to attacks with intelligent security automation systems. It also includes advanced detection of evasive or suspicious activity related to EndPoints and network events.
On the other hand, these firewalls considerably reduce the time from detection to removal of the threat. Add constant monitoring of suspicious behaviors and activities.
If you want to know more information and implement efficient security in your small business, you can contact us and we will give you more advice.
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