Which statement differentiates a host-based firewall from a network firewall?

Which statement differentiates a host-based firewall from a network firewall?

• A. Network firewall sits on a single device; host-based sits at network perimeter
• B. Host-based runs on a single device; network firewall sits at network perimeter
• C. Host-based is only hardware; network firewall is software
• D. Both are identical in scope and deployment

Answer: (B)

The main idea here is where the firewall operates and what it protects. A host-based firewall runs on a single device—the host itself—and filters traffic to and from that machine, enforcing rules for that specific device. A network firewall sits at the network perimeter, filtering traffic between networks or segments and safeguarding multiple devices behind it rather than just one. That placement and scope explain why the statement describing a host-based firewall as running on a single device and a network firewall as sitting at the network perimeter is correct. This setup also helps you see why host-based firewalls are great for protecting individual computers or servers, while network firewalls guard the overall boundary of the network. The other options mix up where these firewalls sit, or wrongly describe hardware versus software, or claim they’re identical, which doesn’t reflect how they’re actually deployed.

The main idea here is where the firewall operates and what it protects. A host-based firewall runs on a single device—the host itself—and filters traffic to and from that machine, enforcing rules for that specific device. A network firewall sits at the network perimeter, filtering traffic between networks or segments and safeguarding multiple devices behind it rather than just one. That placement and scope explain why the statement describing a host-based firewall as running on a single device and a network firewall as sitting at the network perimeter is correct. This setup also helps you see why host-based firewalls are great for protecting individual computers or servers, while network firewalls guard the overall boundary of the network. The other options mix up where these firewalls sit, or wrongly describe hardware versus software, or claim they’re identical, which doesn’t reflect how they’re actually deployed.