A packet filter is a hardware device or a software program used for filtering the traffic that flows to your network of the PC through the internet connection. A packet filter examines all the flow of data and blocks any in coming traffic that it feels dangerous for your network or the PC.
Hackers and malicious softwares tend to target the interconnected computers because they are easy targets. Even the unconnected PCs or the networks are not safe from the hazardous attacks.
Safety factor:-
So it’s a packet filter that makes a network or a single PC safe and also acts to protect the data from being carried by malicious software or any hacker. The basic functioning of a packet filter is to act as filter between the good traffic and the bad traffic.
Although, firewall migration isn’t an easy thing but they can be installed by the help of any expert or any service provider without any headache.
Working:-
Packet filters are setup at each internet connection so that all the flow of data can be monitored carefully. They can also be used by setting them up according to the needs. These are simple security rules which are set by the administrator.
These rules permit the traffic to the FTP servers, Telnet servers, and web servers. This gives the owner or the administrator complete control over the traffic which flows to and from their networks.
The rules set up by you or the administrator are going to decide which files are transmitted out or in, which connections are made, who connects to the internet, etc.
In short all the two way traffic is controlled and monitored which gives the system administrator ease of providing security and protection.
Logic of packet filter:-
Normally three types of filtering mechanisms are used by the packet filters
Packet purity or its filtration:-
Packets of information are contained in the flow of data and the packet filters analyze the packets to figure out the unwanted and potentially dangerous data. This analysation is completed on the rules set by the administrator or you.
Proxy:-
In the case of proxies the packet filters imagine the role of recipient and sends the information to the node that has requested for it.
Inspection:-
In the third case of firewall migration instead of examining all the data in the packets the packet filter marks all the noticeable points in the outgoing requests and then monitors for the characteristics that match the incoming requests to decide for the relevant information.