Firewalls are a vital part of cybersecurity. They protect computer networks by examining incoming and outgoing data and blocking it based on predefined rules. They can be hardware, software, or a combination of both.
Unfortunately, firewalls can be overused for unethical purposes like government censorship or monitoring online employee activity leading to privacy concerns. To help combat this, some IT professionals turn off or disable critical functions of their firewalls.
How Firewalls Work
Firewall filters can recognize harmful data in your computers and networks because they read all of the data sent between the computers on your network and the Internet. Data is delivered as data packets, and a firewall can see the contents of each box by reading the header. The header can include things such as the source and destination addresses of the packet, its packet sequence information, and its payload.
Now, what is a firewall in computer network? Firewalls are a physical and virtual barrier between your computer and an external network like the Internet. They monitor incoming traffic and block unrecognized or unwanted data based on pre-established security rules. This way, a firewall protects you from hackers and other malicious activities by screening all data packets before they can access your computer or private information.
The firewall will then compare the data in each packet to your configured security rules. If a harmful piece of data is found, the firewall will stop it and may even warn the computer user via a pop-up window on their screen.
You’ve likely heard the term firewall before and wondered how it works to protect your devices, systems, and data from cyberattacks. But have you ever considered the many threats that can penetrate your networks? No matter how sophisticated your cybersecurity solutions are, hackers will continue to exploit loopholes in every system, software, and hardware.
Security
Firewalls offer a layer of security that prevents cybercriminals from infiltrating your network. They block unwanted or malicious traffic by analyzing it and determining whether it is safe. This way, firewalls stop hackers before they can infect your computers and steal sensitive data.
Firewall software is the first line of defence for any devices connected to the Internet. It protects the device it is installed and devices that connect to it via the same network. This includes enterprise servers, home IoT devices, and other connected systems.
It can be a hardware device or an application on your computer. A hardware firewall sits between the router and your network, while a software-based firewall runs on your computer and is an internal program.
A firewall analyzes the data packets that enter your network from multiple OSI model layers. It compares each frame and box it receives with a list of rules that you define. If a package matches any of the rules, it can then be allowed to pass through or blocked and discarded.
The type of firewall you choose will depend on your budget, the number of devices needing protection, and how much control you want over the rules and policies. Another deciding factor is the level of support you can expect from the vendor to keep the software updated with any security threats and bug fixes.
Performance
A firewall’s performance measures how it handles data packets that enter and exit the network. For example, users within the network send and receive email (smaller data packets), access files on a network server (medium data packets), and upload or download more important documents or videos (larger data packets). As a result, a firewall must be able to handle mixed data packet sizes to protect the network effectively.
Firewall performance is often measured using a standard test tool that simulates mixed traffic to evaluate network firewalls and other security devices under optimal testing conditions. However, real-world data packet sizes are more complex than standard test data, so it is essential to find a network firewall that can adapt to the varying needs of a business or organization.
This cloud package takes the network firewalls and other security devices your organization already has and implements them with the company’s security policies to create an end-to-end protection mechanism. For instance, you may not be making the most out of your network firewall’s deep packet inspection capabilities or implementing traffic segmentation; this is where it comes in. Request a demo.
Management
Firewalls are a security staple, but they must be appropriately managed. A poorly managed firewall can open the network to security threats and performance problems. Fortunately, there are many steps you can take to ensure that your firewall is well-managed.
One of the first steps to take is to audit firewall rules and make changes when needed regularly. This includes identifying unnecessary or redundant practices, optimizing the control set for performance and security, and ensuring that the remaining regulations are clear.
The next step is ensuring all firewall users understand the deployed policies. This often falls to a security or compliance manager in midsize and large enterprises. This person is not usually a hands-on operational worker but should monitor the deployed policies and ensure they are consistent with the organizational security strategy.
Lastly, monitoring the firewall continuously for updates and potential vulnerabilities is essential. This can be done by deploying a firewall management tool. This tool scans firewall logs for activity that could indicate suspicious network activity and provides real-time visibility into your firewall security posture.
This can also be used to identify new firewall rules and objects. For example, if you have a law that allows a disaster recovery service that hasn’t been used for a long time, consider closing it.