ISC2 CC Network Security Practice Question
A firewall that filters traffic based solely on source and destination IP addresses and ports without considering the state of connections is known as a:
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often confuse 'stateless' with 'stateful' — candidates see 'filters traffic' and default to the more familiar stateful firewall, missing the key phrase 'without considering the state of connections.'
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
✓
Stateless firewall
A stateless firewall inspects each packet in isolation, matching only on source/destination IP addresses and ports (Layer 3/4 headers) without maintaining any connection state table. Because it does not track TCP handshakes or session context, it cannot distinguish a legitimate return packet from a spoofed one. This is the defining characteristic described in the question.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Application proxy
Why it's wrong here
An application proxy operates at the application layer, mediating specific protocols rather than inspecting IP headers and ports, so it cannot classify traffic by those fields. It is tempting because proxies do filter connections, but they are chosen to publish and protect internal web applications, not to describe stateless packet filtering.
- ✓
Stateless firewall
Why this is correct
A stateless firewall inspects each packet in isolation against static rules for source and destination IP addresses and ports, maintaining no connection table. This directly satisfies the stem's constraint of filtering without considering connection state, unlike stateful firewalls that track sessions via a state table.
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Stateful firewall
Why it's wrong here
A stateful firewall tracks connection state in a state table, so it does not filter solely on source, destination and port; that contradicts the scenario's stateless requirement. It is tempting because stateful inspection is the common default, and it would be correct where return traffic must be permitted automatically without explicit rules.
- ✗
Next-generation firewall
Why it's wrong here
A next-generation firewall performs deep packet inspection, application awareness and intrusion prevention; it is not defined by stateless packet filtering. That description matches a stateless packet-filtering firewall. NGFWs are tempting because they do filter on IPs and ports, but their defining capability is application-layer inspection.
Visual reference
Go deeper
Related to this question
Key term
Firewall
A firewall is a network security system that monitors and controls incoming and outgoing traffic based on predetermined security rules to protect trusted internal networks from untrusted external networks.
Key term
Isolation
Isolation is the process of separating a compromised or suspicious system from a network to prevent the spread of malware or unauthorized access.
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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
This CC practice question is part of Courseiva's free ISC2 certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the CC exam.