What does a firewall primarily protect against?

A firewall primarily protects against unauthorized access to a network or device. Its main function is to monitor and control incoming and outgoing network traffic based on predetermined security rules. By doing so, a firewall serves as a barrier between a trusted internal network and untrusted external networks, such as the internet. This helps to prevent malicious actors from gaining access to sensitive information or initiating harmful activities within the network.

While data loss, network congestion, and high latency are important concerns in network management and security, they are not the primary roles of a firewall. Data loss typically involves measures like data backups and recovery solutions rather than traffic filtering. Network congestion relates to the overall performance and bandwidth management of a network, and high latency involves delays in data transmission, none of which are directly addressed by a firewall’s functionalities. Therefore, the focus of a firewall on preventing unauthorized access provides clarity on its pivotal role in maintaining network security.