Firewalls are crucial to an organization’s data security and are barrier mechanisms responsible for regulating data flow in accordance with a given set of parameters. It is able to prevent undesirable traffic while permitting desirable traffic to occur.
Example: Let’s think of an organizational network which is externally connected to the internet. This is a system that acts as a barrier, the system monitors all traffic coming in and going out filtering out any IP address that is not authorized to connect to the network. When an attacker attempts to compromise the system, the firewall is capable of preventing the malicious attempt.
Firewalls can be categorized into the following: Hardware Firewall Software Firewall Cloud Firewall. For example, a home router has a built-in firewall to protect personal devices, while enterprises have strong firewall tools to secure their networks.
Real-world case: Their firewall in 2016 identity a strange traffic from an internal device of a major retailer. On investigation, they found malware trying to transfer customer information out of the company. It is even more so when one considers that the firewall’s logs were instrumental in the defence against the breach.
In this case a simple method like turning on firewalls on individuals’ and routers’ gadgets are among the easiest ways towards securing personal information. For businesses, such enhanced solutions like the next-generation firewalls (NGFW) include features such as intrusions prevention and deep packetization.
Tip: Best practises: Incorporating a firewall together with other security features such as an antivirus.
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