Tulemüüridest

Tulemüüridest refers to firewalls in Estonian. A firewall is a network security device or software that monitors and controls incoming and outgoing network traffic based on predetermined security rules. It establishes a barrier between a trusted internal network and untrusted external network, such as the Internet. Firewalls can be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of both.

The primary function of a firewall is to prevent unauthorized access to or from a private network. It achieves this by examining data packets and deciding whether to allow them through or block them based on a set of defined rules. These rules can be based on various factors, including the source and destination IP addresses, port numbers, and protocols.

There are different types of firewalls, each with its own method of operation. Packet-filtering firewalls examine individual packets. Stateful inspection firewalls track the state of active network connections. Proxy firewalls act as intermediaries between the internal network and the external network. Application-level gateways, also known as application firewalls, inspect traffic at the application layer.

Firewalls are a fundamental component of network security, providing a crucial layer of defense against cyber threats. They are used in a wide range of environments, from small home networks to large enterprise networks and data centers, to protect sensitive data and critical infrastructure from malicious attacks. Regularly updating and configuring firewalls is essential to maintain their effectiveness against evolving threats.