stateful inspection

Question 1

What is stateful inspection in a firewall?

Answer 1

• Stateful inspection is a firewall technology that monitors the state of active connections and tracks the context of network traffic.
• It inspects the entire connection rather than just individual packets, allowing for better security by ensuring that traffic is part of a valid, established connection.

Question 2

How does stateful inspection differ from traditional packet filtering?

Answer 2

• Traditional packet filtering only examines individual packets in isolation based on pre-configured rules (e.g., IP address, port number).
• In contrast, stateful inspection tracks the state and context of the connection, allowing the firewall to differentiate between valid and invalid packets even if they are part of the same session

Question 3

What are the benefits of stateful inspection over basic packet filtering?

Answer 3

The benefits include better security because stateful inspection can recognize and track ongoing communication, ensuring that packets are part of a legitimate session. It also prevents certain types of attacks, like spoofing, by verifying that packets correspond to a valid session.

Question 4

In stateful inspection, what happens when a new packet arrives?

Answer 4

When a new packet arrives, the firewall checks if it matches the state of an established connection. If it does, the packet is allowed; if not, it is rejected. The firewall tracks the state of each connection and the packet’s sequence to ensure it is part of a valid communication