Capterra Glossary
Firewall
A firewall is a built-in internet security device that blocks all unauthorized access to the network while allowing access to authorized users. A firewall works by first monitoring, then filtering all ingoing/outgoing network traffic and subsequently allowing or blocking outsider access according to pre-set rules.
What Small and Midsize Businesses Need to Know About Firewall
Businesses can invest in basic firewalls that use traffic-scanning devices or more sophisticated firewalls that provide more protective features, such as hiding network IP addresses. For both large and small businesses, security breaches can be catastrophic. However, a strong firewall—one that detects and blocks not only unauthorized users, but other unwanted visitors such as viruses and spam—can provide a crucial first line of defense in a company’s computer security system.
Related Terms
- Synchronous
- Software as a Service (SaaS)
- Intranet
- Security Orchestration, Automation and Response (SOAR)
- Identity and Access Management (IAM)
- Managed Service Provider (MSP)
- Haptics
- WAN (Wide-Area Network)
- Service-oriented Architecture (SOA)
- Augmented Reality (AR)
- Chief Information Officer (CIO)
- Security Information and Event Management (SIEM)
- Platform as a Service (PaaS)
- Service-Level Agreement (SLA)
- Scalability
- Data Center
- Authorization
- Multitenancy