When you want your network and data to be safe, you seek the best security system for your network. Therefore, Firewall is the word you hear everywhere. Even the internet claims installing a good firewall reduces the risk of malicious data penetrating your network.
Thus this blog entitled The Proven Hack To Cybersecurity: Firewall and Its Types is here to familiarize you with the actual meaning and use of a firewall in technology. Therefore, keep reading the blog till the end to understand the Firewall and its types in detail.
What is a Firewall?
A Firewall is a security device that can be computer hardware or software that protects our network by filtering traffic and blocking outsiders from gaining access to the private data of our computers. It blocks unwanted traffic on our computers and malicious software from infecting our devices.
What is the use of a Firewall?
A Firewall acts as a gatekeeper as it carefully analyzes incoming traffic from unsecured or suspicious sources to prevent attacks. It is a traffic controller. It acts as a barrier or filter between a computer and another network over the internet. The computer operating system and security software have a pre-installed Firewall. These features must always be left turned on so that security settings should get self-configured to run updates automatically.
The 9 different types of firewalls explained:
There are, in total, nine types of Firewalls, namely-
Packet–filtering Firewall
Packet-filtering Firewall is a program that can block network traffic IP, an IP address and a port number to safeguard a network. It is used for smaller networks and is the fundamental mode of protection. It helps to protect network security by filtering messages at the application layers.
Application-level Gateways
They are also known as proxy firewalls. They help to shield network security by filtering messages at the application layer. It essentially serves as a gateway between the internal network and foreign servers on the web. It is more secure because of its deep packet inspection technology to analyze incoming traffic.
Stateful Multi-layer Inspection (SMLI) Firewalls
SMLI comprises standard firewall capabilities to keep track of established connections. It filters traffic based on state, port, and protocol with administrator-defined rules and context. Similarly, it controls internal traffic by providing multi-layer monitoring. But it is unable to distinguish between good and bad web traffic. Thus we need additional software for safeguarding.
Unified Threat Management (UTM) Firewalls
UTM is a program that combines the functions of the SMLI firewall with intrusion prevention and antivirus. UTM Comprises an umbrella of services. Even cloud management is also an integral part of UTM.
Next-generation Firewalls
Next-generation Firewalls comprise levels of security since it inspects the packet header (contents and source) and is more sophisticated than packet filtering. Such firewalls can block more sophisticated and evolving security threats like advanced malware.
Network Address Translation (NAT) Firewalls
NAT can assess internet traffic and block unsolicited communications. It only accepts inbound web traffic if a device on a private network solicits it.
Circuit-level Gateways
Circuit-level Firewalls are pre-installed firewalls as they do not check for actual data; they inspect information about transactions. But these firewalls are not considered safe as they only check if the TCP is correct; they pass the data containing malware calling it the secure data.
Threat-focused NGFW
Such firewalls are similar to the next-generation firewalls. But the only difference is they deliver remediation along with threat detection. Threat-focused NGFW reacts immediately and provides the best solution for the network since it comprises an advanced automation system. These firewalls solve the issues faster than the other firewalls. Hence, they save time and are reliable.
Cloud Firewalls
Cloud solutions formed the cloud firewalls that mainly operate on the internet by third-party vendors. They are also called FaaS (firewall-as-service) and are similar to a proxy firewall. These firewalls are scalable, secure, and easy to use.
Which is the best Firewall to secure the network?
Thinking about securing the network and data, installing a firewall is the best one can do. Therefore, out of the nine firewalls (Packet–filtering Firewall, Application-level Gateways, SMLI Firewall, UTM Firewall, Next-generation Firewall, NAT Firewall, Circuit-level Gateway, Threat-focused NGFW, and Cloud Firewall), choosing the best Firewall is pretty tough.
In short, nothing like the perfect security of a system or network exists. But installing more than one Firewall can help since it can add more layers of protection. Therefore, one must choose a reliable, authentic, easy-to-use firewall to safeguard the network and data from malware.
Multi-level protection is the best way to shield an organization’s crucial data and information.
Wrapping Up!
Installing firewalls is the best way to guard our network and data. But deciding which Firewall to install leads us to great confusion. Therefore, setting at least two or three firewalls can protect a network.
Your comments and suggestions are what we need to grow.
Happy Learning!
