ISC2 CC Network Security Practice Question
A company deploys a firewall that inspects packet headers and maintains a state table to track active connections. It drops any incoming packets that do not match an established connection. What type of firewall is this?
⚠ Common exam trap
CC often tests the difference between stateful and stateless firewalls; candidates may confuse stateful inspection with packet filtering because both inspect headers, but stateful maintains connection state.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Stateful inspection firewall
A stateful inspection firewall maintains a state table that tracks active connections and only allows packets that match an established connection. It inspects packet headers and maintains connection state, dropping packets that do not match. This is the definition of a stateful inspection firewall. It operates at the network and transport layers and provides better security than simple packet filtering.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
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Application proxy firewall
Why it's wrong here
An application proxy firewall terminates and rebuilds each connection at layer 7, acting as an intermediary; the stem describes header inspection with a state table, not proxying. It is tempting because proxies also track sessions, and would be correct if the firewall fully mediated application traffic.
- ✓
Stateful inspection firewall
Why this is correct
Stateful inspection builds a state table of active connections and permits only return traffic matching an established entry, dropping unsolicited inbound packets. This matches the described behaviour of tracking sessions rather than evaluating each packet statelessly.
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Next-generation firewall
Why it's wrong here
A next-generation firewall adds application identification, intrusion prevention and TLS inspection; the stem describes only header inspection plus a state table, which is stateful inspection. It is tempting because NGFWs also maintain state, and would be correct if the device decoded applications or enforced user-aware policies.
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Packet filtering firewall
Why it's wrong here
A packet filtering firewall examines individual headers statelessly, with no state table, so it cannot track established connections or drop unmatched inbound packets. It is tempting because it also inspects headers, and would be correct if the device filtered purely on source, destination and port without connection awareness.
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official ISC2 exam blueprint
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