Difference Between Software and Hardware Firewalls

By filtering out unauthorized traffic and detecting suspicious behavior, hardware firewalls protect enterprise networks from malware and cyber-attacks. Newer hardware firewalls integrate an intrusion detection system (IDS) to identify suspicious traffic that indicates a network breach.

Security administrators can configure hardware firewalls with granular firewall rules and policies to control the data flowing to and from specific IP addresses, ports, applications, services, devices and users. They control what traffic enters and leaves the network based on defined rules and policies.

Because of their position, hardware firewalls act as the first line of defense for a private network. Hardware firewalls are placed behind the router of an internet connection so that all incoming and outgoing traffic funnels through the firewall for inspection. Newer next generation hardware firewalls also integrate additional security features such as antivirus and intrusion prevention systems for enhanced protection.Ī hardware firewall is an essential network security solution for organizations looking to protect their enterprise network from malicious traffic and cyber-attacks. A hardware firewall is a physical device that is installed between a private computer network and the internet to monitor and filter incoming and outgoing network traffic using defined rules and policies.