In the ever changing digital landscape, network security is becoming more and more crucial. The firewall, which guards sensitive data for your company against online attacks, is the fundamental component of this system. 

But how can you pick the best kind when there are so many options?

Why Is a Firewall Necessary? 

The first line of defense against cyberattacks is a firewall and technologies like Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) and Secure Access Service Edge (SASE), which block dangerous or unneeded network traffic from reaching your PCs and network. They can also prevent harmful software from getting online and accessing your PC.

If your workstation didn't have a firewall, it would be like leaving the front door of your house open and inviting intruders. Your cloud-based data is as vulnerable to compromise after your workstation is. 

Most Popular Firewall Types

Firewalls come in a variety of forms, each with a special method for safeguarding your computer. Now let's look at five of the most popular kinds of firewalls.

Gateway at the Circuit Level

By keeping an eye on TCP handshakes and network protocol session start messages, circuit-level gateways offer network security. Without looking at the packets themselves, this determines whether the session that was started is authentic or whether the distant system is considered reliable.

Gateway at the Application Level (Proxy Firewall)

An application-level gateway is the only point of entry and exit for the network; it is also known as a proxy or proxy firewall. It filters packets according to a number of parameters, such as the HTTP request string and the target port. Despite offering strong data protection, these gateways can negatively impact network speed and are difficult to maintain.

Packet Filtering Firewall

Working at vital intersections like routers and switches, packet filtering firewalls check each packet against predetermined standards including IP addresses, packet kinds, port numbers, and other packet protocol headers. Usually, suspicious packets are dropped rather than sent, which causes them to disappear.

Firewall for Stateful Inspection

While inspecting every packet, Stateful Inspection Firewalls monitor if it is a part of a running TCP or other network session. Although it may have an impact on network performance, this dual function offers greater security than either packet filtering or circuit monitoring alone.

An example of a stateful inspection variation is a multilayer inspection firewall, which takes into account transactions across several protocol layers in the seven-layer Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) architecture.

Firewall of the Next Generation (NGFW)

NGFWs integrate stateful inspection with packet inspection, and they frequently come with antivirus, malware filtering, intrusion detection/prevention systems (IDS/IPS), and deep packet inspection (DPI). Traditional firewall packet inspection simply looks at the protocol header; DPI looks at the data inside the packet, increasing the level of scrutiny.

Tips for Choosing the Right Firewall For Your Business

Selecting the ideal firewall requires more than just checking off items on a list; it also involves taking into account the things your company wants to protect, the resources it has available, and the design of its IT infrastructure.

Keep in mind that not all organizations are the same, and a firewall that works well for one may not be adequate for another.

It's critical to have a compass in the form of a thorough grasp of the particular requirements and context of your organization before diving headfirst into the world of firewalls.