How do conventional firewalls primarily protect a network?

Conventional firewalls primarily protect a network by filtering out unauthorized access. This is achieved through various methods, such as establishing rules that dictate which traffic is allowed to enter or leave the network. Firewalls can be set to block traffic from known malicious IP addresses, deny access to specific ports, and inspect incoming and outgoing packets to ensure they meet predefined security criteria.

The main objective of a firewall is to create a barrier between a trusted internal network and untrusted external sources, monitoring and controlling the flow of data to prevent unauthorized access and potential threats. By effectively filtering traffic based on certain rules or policies, firewalls help to maintain the integrity and security of the network environment.

While data encryption is crucial for securing data in transit, it is not the primary function of a conventional firewall. Monitoring internal traffic and analyzing application behavior are tasks associated with more advanced security measures, such as intrusion detection systems and application firewalls, rather than the core functions of conventional firewalls.