We do a lot of posts on server protection because honestly \u2014 it\u2019s pretty important. This time around we wanted to highlight and breakdown one of the most common tools used to protect your machine: the firewall. In this tips and tricks, we\u2019ll go over what is a firewall, how it works, and why there\u2019s no excuse to not be using one.<\/p>\n
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What is a firewall?\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n Divided into network-based\u00a0 or host-based, a firewall is a system of protocols and scripts that monitor, scan and protect a network from potentially malicious or hazardous traffic. Essentially, it acts as the gatekeeper for your server or network, permitting and blocking traffic based on a predetermined set of criteria called \u201crules\u201d.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n A firewall can be installed on an individual server or can function as a stand-alone piece of hardware, known as a perimeter firewall.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n How does a firewall work?\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n Internet traffic is transmitted in a series of data packets that travel out from one location (a source IP) toward a final location\u00a0 <\/span>(destination IP). If the destination IP is on a firewall protected network, the firewall will inspect the packets to verify whether or not it is allowed to enter the network. Then through a process called filtering, where the machine reads the rules defined by the source IP, destination IP, and the packet itself, the packet will either be \u201cdropped\u201d or \u201caccepted\u201d into the network.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n