What component defines how threats are inspected in a firewall?

The component that defines how threats are inspected in a firewall is an inspection policy. This policy outlines the rules and criteria under which incoming and outgoing traffic is evaluated for potential threats. It encompasses various parameters, such as the types of traffic to analyze, the specific inspection techniques to apply (like deep packet inspection or stateful inspection), and the action to take when threats are detected.

An inspection policy serves as the foundation for the firewall's ability to differentiate between benign and malicious traffic, ensuring that only safe content is allowed through while harmful elements are blocked or mitigated. By setting robust inspection policies, an organization can enhance its security posture significantly, adapting to evolving threats and compliance requirements.

In contrast, other components like an audit trail focus on logging and maintaining records of traffic passing through the firewall, a routing table directs how traffic flows through the network, and a traffic filter applies rules to permit or deny traffic but does not detail the methods used for threat inspection. Each of these elements plays a role in overall firewall operation, but it is the inspection policy that specifically governs threat detection and handling.