What determines the order in which rules are applied in a firewall configuration?

The order in which rules are applied in a firewall configuration is determined by the priority of the rules. Each rule in the firewall can have a specific priority level assigned, which dictates the sequence in which the rules are evaluated. When a packet arrives at the firewall, the rules are assessed starting from the highest priority (often the lowest numerical value) down to the lowest priority.

If a packet matches a rule, that rule is executed, and no further rules are checked. This approach ensures that more specific rules can be evaluated before more general ones, allowing for better control of traffic flow and security.

Other factors like source IP address, type of traffic, and time of day do not inherently determine the order of rule evaluation—they can influence which rules are matched but do not affect the prioritization and evaluation order inherently established by the firewall’s configuration.