Hosting & Infrastructure
Firewall
A security control that filters network traffic to block unauthorized access.
A firewall is a network security control, implemented as hardware, software, or both, that monitors and filters incoming and outgoing traffic according to defined rules, blocking connections that aren't explicitly permitted.
Firewalls are a foundational perimeter defense for systems holding ePHI, limiting network exposure and enforcing segmentation. Application-layer threats are addressed by a more specialized web application firewall (WAF).