EC-Council Certified SOC Analyst (CSA) Practice Exam 2025 – Comprehensive Prep

The role of a firewall is best described as filtering incoming and outgoing network traffic. Firewalls are critical security devices or applications that act as a barrier between a trusted internal network and untrusted external networks, such as the internet. They enforce a set of predefined security rules that determine which traffic is permitted or denied based on factors like source and destination IP addresses, ports, and protocols.

By filtering traffic, firewalls help to prevent unauthorized access to or from a network, thereby controlling the flow of data and protecting systems from external threats. This functionality is essential for maintaining the integrity and confidentiality of the data within the network.

While detecting intrusions in real-time, logging database transactions, and encrypting communications are important security measures, they are not the primary functions of a firewall. Detection and real-time monitoring are generally handled by intrusion detection systems (IDS), while logging and transaction monitoring relate to database management systems and security monitoring tools. Encryption of network communications may involve different technologies such as VPNs or TLS/SSL, rather than the primary role of a firewall.