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In firewall management, an 'inbound rule' specifically refers to rules that manage incoming network connections. These rules are essential for controlling what traffic is allowed to enter a network or a server. When a firewall receives incoming traffic, it evaluates the packets against the defined inbound rules to determine whether to allow or block the connection based on criteria such as IP addresses, port numbers, and protocols.

By effectively managing inbound traffic with these rules, organizations can safeguard their networks from unauthorized access while permitting legitimate access required for applications or services. This is critical in maintaining network security and ensuring that services are reliably accessible to authorized users.

The other options do not accurately describe inbound rules as they pertain to firewall management; for example, outbound rules would pertain to the traffic leaving the network, while rules that prevent all incoming traffic may inadvertently block legitimate connections. Additionally, logging of failed connections relates more to monitoring and auditing rather than rule management.