Information Technology Specialist (ITS) Cybersecurity Practice Exam

Which of the following is a function of a firewall?

1. To encrypt data during transmission

2. To prevent unauthorized access to or from a private network

3. To detect and remove malware

4. To optimize network speed

The correct answer is: To prevent unauthorized access to or from a private network

Firewalls serve a critical role in network security by acting as a barrier between trusted internal networks and untrusted external networks, such as the internet. Their primary function is to monitor and control incoming and outgoing network traffic based on predetermined security rules, which helps prevent unauthorized access to or from a private network. By filtering this traffic, firewalls can block malicious attacks, unauthorized access attempts, and other security threats, thereby maintaining the integrity and confidentiality of the data within the private network. While encryption is essential for protecting data during transmission, firewalls are not responsible for encrypting data; that function is typically performed by VPNs (Virtual Private Networks) or other encryption protocols. Similarly, the detection and removal of malware falls under the capabilities of antivirus solutions and intrusion detection systems rather than firewalls. Lastly, optimizing network speed is not a function of firewalls; in fact, since they need to inspect traffic, they can sometimes introduce latency. Therefore, the correct identification of a firewall's purpose is to prevent unauthorized access, which is fundamental to establishing secure network environments.