CompTIA ITF+ Practice Test 2025 - Free CompTIA ITF+ Practice Questions and Study Guide

A firewall primarily protects against unauthorized access to a network. It acts as a barrier between a trusted internal network and untrusted external networks, such as the internet. By monitoring and controlling incoming and outgoing network traffic based on predetermined security rules, a firewall can prevent unauthorized users from accessing the network. This includes filtering out potential threats such as hackers, malware, and other malicious entities that may attempt to exploit vulnerabilities or gain unauthorized access to sensitive information within the network.

While data loss can occur due to various reasons, a firewall does not directly prevent it. Similarly, software bugs and hardware failures pertain to issues that may arise in system performance and reliability rather than network security. Therefore, the primary function of a firewall is indeed focused on managing access and safeguarding the network infrastructure from unauthorized intruders.