What is the main limitation of host-based application firewalls?

• A. They only protect the host they are running on.
• B. They protect the entire network.
• C. They cannot enforce process-based rules.
• D. They automatically update virus definitions.

Answer: (A)

Host-based application firewalls operate on a single machine and filter traffic for that specific host and its running processes. Because their protection is tied to one system, they don’t extend to other devices on the network. If you need network-wide security, you’d rely on network firewalls or deploy host-based firewalls on multiple machines to cover the environment. The idea here is that protection is local to the host, which is the main limitation. Options about protecting the entire network, enforcing process-based rules in all cases, or updating virus definitions aren’t the primary limitation of host-based firewalls.