What is a Cybersecurity Firewall?
A cybersecurity firewall is a crucial network security system designed to protect a trusted network from unauthorized access and external threats originating from external networks. It acts as a barrier, monitoring incoming and outgoing traffic based on predefined security rules to allow or block data packets and prevent potential cyberattacks. Firewalls can be either hardware appliances or software applications and play a vital role in safeguarding sensitive information and preserving the integrity and confidentiality of the network.
Key functions of cybersecurity firewalls include:
● Packet
Filtering: Examining individual data
packets to allow or block them based on predefined rules.
● Stateful
Inspection: Tracking the state of
active connections to ensure that incoming packets belong to existing,
authorized connections.
● Proxying:
Acting as an intermediary between
clients and servers, protecting internal network details from external
exposure.
● Network
Address Translation (NAT): Hiding
internal IP addresses behind a single public IP address enhances network
security.
● Application
Layer Filtering: Analyzing data at the
application layer to detect and prevent specific types of cyber threats.
● Intrusion Detection and Prevention: Identifying and blocking potential intrusions or suspicious activities in real-time.
Type of Cybersecurity Firewall
Firewalls come in various
designs, each with unique advantages and disadvantages. The following are a few
of the most popular kinds of firewalls:
● Packet-filtering
Firewalls are the primary type of firewall. They filter network
packets based on their source and destination addresses, ports, and protocols.
Packet-filtering firewalls effectively block common types of attacks, such as
port scans and denial-of-service attacks. However, they are not as effective at
blocking more sophisticated attacks, such as malware and zero-day attacks.
● Circuit-level
Gateways, a more advanced firewall
type than packet-filtering firewalls, establish a virtual circuit between two
hosts before allowing traffic. This proactive approach helps prevent attacks
exploiting TCP/IP vulnerabilities and enhances security. Additionally,
circuit-level gateways are effective at blocking specific malware, like worms and
viruses, providing comprehensive protection
● Application-level
Gateways (also known as proxy
firewalls) are the most advanced type of firewall. They work by inspecting the
contents of network packets at the application layer. This allows them to block
a wider range of attacks, including malware, zero-day attacks, and
application-specific attacks. Application-level gateways are also more
effective at controlling access to specific applications and services.
● Next-generation Firewalls (NGFWs) are a new type of firewall that combines the features of packet-filtering, circuit-level gateway, and application-level gateways. NGFWs also include additional features like intrusion prevention, deep packet inspection, and cloud-based threat intelligence. This makes them the most effective type of firewall available today.
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