Which of the following keeps hackers from getting into a network by acting as a gateway?

The correct answer is Firewall.

Key Points

• A Firewall is a network security device that monitors and filters incoming and outgoing network traffic based on an organization's previously established security policies.
  • The primary purpose of a firewall is to create a barrier between a trusted internal network and untrusted external networks, such as the Internet.
  • Firewalls can be hardware, software, or a combination of both.
  • They use a set of rules to control the incoming and outgoing traffic to protect the network from unauthorized access.
  • In essence, a firewall acts as a gateway, permitting or blocking data packets based on the security rules set up by the network administrator.
  • Besides preventing unauthorized access, firewalls can also log traffic and alert administrators about suspicious activities, contributing to the overall security posture of the network.

Additional Information

• There are several types of firewalls, including packet-filtering firewalls, stateful inspection firewalls, proxy firewalls, and next-generation firewalls (NGFW).
• Packet-filtering firewalls examine packets and allow or block them based on the source and destination addresses, ports, or protocols.
• Stateful inspection firewalls track the state of active connections and make decisions based on the context of the traffic.
• Proxy firewalls filter network traffic at the application level, providing additional security features such as content filtering and traffic monitoring.
• Next-generation firewalls (NGFW) combine traditional firewall technology with additional functionalities like deep packet inspection (DPI), intrusion detection/prevention systems (IDS/IPS), and application awareness.