Master the Certified Healthcare Leader Challenge 2025 – Lead the Charge to Success!

The primary function of a firewall in a network is to filter authorized data and protect against attacks. A firewall acts as a barrier between a trusted internal network and untrusted external networks, such as the internet. Its main role is to monitor incoming and outgoing network traffic and determine whether it should be allowed or blocked based on a set of security rules.

Firewalls can protect against various types of threats, including unauthorized access and attacks that can compromise the network's integrity. By filtering the data that passes through, firewalls help ensure that only legitimate, safe communications reach the network and that potentially harmful traffic is stopped.

In contrast, the other options focus on different aspects of network and data management, which are not the primary functions of a firewall. Enhancing system performance and speed relates more to optimizing network traffic rather than securing it. Storing backup data securely addresses data management and storage solutions, while managing user access and permissions pertains to identity and access management, which, while important, is distinct from the primary function of a firewall in network security.