What is the primary purpose of a firewall?

Study for the Fortinet Network Security Expert (NSE) 2 Test with flashcards and multiple-choice questions. Each question is detailed with hints and explanations. Get fully prepared for your certification exam!

The primary purpose of a firewall is to control and filter network traffic. It acts as a security device that monitors and regulates incoming and outgoing network packets based on established security rules. By doing so, a firewall helps protect internal networks from unauthorized access, data breaches, and various types of cyber threats by allowing or blocking traffic based on defined criteria.

Firewalls can be implemented in hardware or software and serve as a barrier between trusted internal networks and untrusted external networks, such as the internet. This traffic control capability is essential for maintaining the integrity and confidentiality of the data within a network while also ensuring that only legitimate traffic is allowed to pass through.

Other options, while relevant in different contexts, do not capture the primary function of a firewall. For instance, enabling fast data transfer is not a primary goal; rather, it may be an incidental outcome of efficient traffic management. Providing internet access also isn't a direct purpose of firewalls; they manage how users access the internet and what data can be sent or received. Similarly, user authentication is an important aspect of network security but falls under a different scope than traffic filtering, which is the core function of firewalls.

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