What Is A Firewall?

A firewall is a device that sits in front of the network that monitors all inbound and outbound traffic for potential threats. If the firewall detects suspicious activity then it processes those threats according to the firewall rules and configuration. Firewalls basically decide what is allowed to come in and out of networks.

How Does A Firewall Work?

Firewalls work by monitoring inbound and outbound traffic on your network. When a data packet requests access to your network, firewalls inspect the packet ahead of time to determine whether the request is valid or potentially dangerous. Next generation firewalls go a step farther with Deep Packet Inspection, cracking open the entire data packet to inspect its contents before reaching a security determination.