Question

Which of the following are advantages of packet filtering firewalls? (Select all that apply.)

Option 1: The filtering mechanism requires a period to "learn" the typical network traffic patterns so it knows which packets to filter.
Option 2: Cannot perform stateful traffic filtering.
Option 3: Can operate at high speeds compared to IDS/IPS.
Option 4: Uses DPI to guard against viruses like Code Red.

Answer 1

Packet filtering firewalls operate at high speeds and do not require a learning period to filter packets. However, they cannot perform stateful traffic filtering or use DPI to protect against viruses.

Step-by-step explanation:

Potential advantages of packet filtering firewalls could include their ability to operate at high speeds when comparing them to systems such as Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) and Intrusion Prevention Systems (IPS). They are designed to perform basic networking checks without needing the additional processing that more sophisticated tools require. However, they do not inherently require a learning period to understand typical network traffic patterns as more adaptive security systems might, making this not an advantage of packet filtering firewalls. In addition, packet filtering firewalls generally do not perform stateful traffic filtering; that is a feature of stateful firewalls. Nor do they use Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) to protect against viruses, as this is a feature of more advanced firewall systems or antivirus solutions.