Which type of firewall operates as a software application filtering traffic on a host machine?

A host-based firewall operates as a software application filtering traffic on a host machine. This type of firewall is installed on individual devices, such as computers or servers, to monitor and control incoming and outgoing network traffic based on predetermined security rules. It is beneficial in protecting the specific host from unauthorized access and various types of network attacks.

The importance of host-based firewalls lies in their capability to enforce security policies at a granular level on end-user devices, rather than relying solely on external devices to protect the network. They can provide additional layers of protection in environments where network-based firewalls may not be sufficient.

Network-based firewalls, by contrast, are positioned at strategic points within the network to filter traffic for multiple devices, focusing on traffic flows instead of individual device protection. Next-generation firewalls offer advanced features such as application awareness and deep packet inspection but often encompass both network and host-level attributes. Application-layer firewalls operate at a higher layer in the OSI model to filter traffic based on specific application data but do not necessarily reside directly on the host machine like a host-based firewall does.