Firewalls are used to prevent unauthorized access by third parties on a private network. These are network security systems (hardware/software based) that monitor and control the flow of traffic between the Internet and a private network according to a set of user-defined rules. Firewalls protect your organization's computer network from unauthorized inbound or outbound access and provide optimal network security.
There are three basic types of firewalls that companies use to protect their data and devices, blocking destructive elements from their networks. Packet filter, health check and proxy server firewall. We will briefly introduce each of them.
packet filter
Packet filter firewalls control network access by analyzing outgoing and incoming packets. Allows packets to traverse or block paths against a predetermined criterion, such as allowed IP addresses, packet types, and port numbers, such as: Packet filtering techniques are suitable for small networks, but they become complex when applied to large networks. These firewalls cannot block all kinds of attacks. The application layer cannot exploit vulnerabilities or overcome attacks that fight fraudulent attacks.
status check
Stateful Packet Inspection (SPI), also known as dynamic packet filtering, is a powerful firewall architecture that inspects end-to-end traffic flows. These smart and fast firewalls use smart methods to block unauthorized traffic by analyzing packet headers, providing proxy services and inspecting packet state. These firewalls operate at the network layer of the OSI model and are more secure than basic packet filtering firewalls.
Proxy server firewall
A proxy server firewall, also known as an application-level gateway, is the most secure type of firewall that effectively protects network resources by filtering messages at the application layer. Proxy firewall masks IP addresses and restricts traffic types. They provide a complete protocol-aware security analysis of the protocols they support. A proxy server provides the best internet experience and improves network performance.
This is about a basic firewall configured to protect private networks. Whatever firewall you choose, make sure to check the proper configuration as loopholes can do more harm than good without a firewall. Create a secure network and install appropriate firewalls to restrict access to computers and networks.
