Episode 96: Firewalls — Stateful Inspection and Access Control

This episode introduces firewalls, which enforce security policies by controlling traffic entering or leaving a network. It explains the difference between packet-filtering, stateful inspection, and next-generation firewalls. Stateful inspection, emphasized on the exam, tracks the state of active connections, allowing or blocking packets based on context rather than single rules. Firewalls remain a cornerstone of network security and a frequent subject on the exam.

Examples include deploying firewalls at the network perimeter to block unauthorized inbound traffic or using internal firewalls to segment sensitive resources. Troubleshooting considerations include misconfigured rules that inadvertently block legitimate traffic, overlapping ACLs, or performance issues caused by inspection overhead. By mastering firewall functions, you’ll be able to answer exam questions and manage security enforcement effectively in real-world networks. Produced by BareMetalCyber.com, where you’ll find more cyber audio courses, books, and information to strengthen your certification path.