What can potentially be a drawback of proxy firewalls?

Proxy firewalls act as intermediaries between clients and servers, filtering and inspecting network traffic. One significant drawback of these firewalls is that they can introduce latency into network connections. This occurs because every request must pass through the proxy, which processes it before reaching its destination. Each transaction may involve additional time for the firewall to inspect traffic, manage sessions, or perform other functions such as encryption and decryption. As a result, users may experience slower performance compared to direct connections.

The other options do not accurately represent the nature of proxy firewalls. While some types of traffic might not be filtered, many proxy firewalls are designed to handle a wide variety of protocols effectively. Proxy firewalls also provide robust security features, enhancing protection through careful traffic inspection and access controls. Lastly, pricing can vary significantly based on the specific product and deployment needs, meaning they are not inherently more expensive than all alternative firewall solutions.