If a firewall cannot keep up with traffic volume, it will ________.

• A. Continue passing all packets but slow operation
• B. Drop packets it cannot process
• C. Pass any packets it cannot filter
• D. Shut down, failing safely

Answer: (B)

When a firewall can’t handle the flood of traffic, it must prioritize security and keep the device from being overwhelmed. It does this by discarding or dropping packets it cannot process in time, rather than letting uninspected traffic through or shutting everything down. This default of dropping overflow packets helps prevent resource exhaustion from turning into a larger security risk. In practice, some traffic might be queued briefly, but once buffers fill, extra packets are dropped to preserve the firewall’s integrity and operation.