Which among the following are the purposes of deploying a Firewall ? 1. Examine each packet arriving from Internet 2. Prevent unauthorised access 3. Block suspicious activity 4. Interconnect telephones Select the answer using the code given below :

A firewall serves as a critical network security barrier that monitors and controls traffic between trusted and untrusted networks. Its primary functions include examining each data packet arriving from the internet through packet filtering, where it checks headers and contents against predefined security rules. By scrutinizing this traffic, firewalls effectively prevent unauthorized access from hackers or malicious actors attempting to reach private network resources. Furthermore, they are designed to monitor network traffic to identify and block suspicious activity or potential threats before they cause harm. While firewalls are used in VoIP environments to protect data privacy, their purpose is not to 'interconnect telephones' in a telephonic switching sense; that is the function of a PBX or gateway. Therefore, statements 1, 2, and 3 are correct purposes of a firewall.