What is a proxy firewall and how does it work?

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What is a proxy firewall and how does it work?

A proxy firewall is a type of firewall that acts as an intermediary between an internal network and the external network. It works by intercepting all incoming and outgoing network traffic and evaluating it before allowing or denying access. Instead of directly connecting to the internet, the internal network communicates with the external network through the proxy firewall.

When a request is made from the internal network to access a resource on the external network, the proxy firewall receives the request and evaluates it based on predefined security rules. It then establishes a connection with the external network on behalf of the internal network and retrieves the requested resource. The proxy firewall inspects the data packets, filters out any malicious or unauthorized content, and only allows the safe and authorized data to pass through to the internal network.

Similarly, when data is sent from the internal network to the external network, the proxy firewall intercepts the data, inspects it, and forwards it to the intended recipient on the external network. This process helps protect the internal network from potential threats by acting as a barrier between the two networks and filtering out any potentially harmful traffic.

Overall, a proxy firewall provides an additional layer of security by acting as an intermediary and inspecting all network traffic, ensuring that only safe and authorized data is allowed to pass through.