Virtual Firewall

Definition - What does Virtual Firewall mean?

A virtual firewall is a firewall device or service that provides network traffic filtering and monitoring for virtual machines. A virtual firewall is deployed, executed and operated from a virtual machine.

Techopedia explains Virtual Firewall

Virtual firewall formats include:
  • Stand-alone software
  • Integrated OS kernel component
  • A virtual security provider's dedicated hardware platform
A virtual firewall operates in a virtual area network (VAN) environment of connected virtual machines. A virtual firewall operates in two different modes:
  • Bridge mode: Like a traditional firewall, this mode operates by diagnosing and monitoring all incoming and outgoing traffic bound for other virtual networks or machines.
  • Hypervisor mode: In contrast, this mode is isolated from the actual network, resides in the core hypervisor kernel and monitors the virtual host machine's incoming and outgoing traffic.

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