What are the two primary categories of application firewalls?

• A. Network-based and Host-based
• B. Cloud-based and On-premises
• C. Software-based and Hardware-based
• D. Virtual and Physical

Answer: (A)

Application firewalls are categorized by where they operate relative to the protected systems: they are either network-based or host-based. A network-based application firewall sits at the network edge or between segments and filters application-layer traffic for all devices behind it, often as an appliance or virtual appliance, providing centralized enforcement across multiple hosts. A host-based application firewall runs directly on a specific server or workstation, enforcing policies for that machine’s applications and protecting the host even if traffic doesn’t traverse a separate network firewall. This distinction affects coverage and management: network-based firewalls protect many hosts from the outside, while host-based firewalls give granular control and visibility on a per-host basis. The other options describe deployment models or form factors, not the primary classification of application firewalls.