Which packet filtering method does NOT keep track of connections?

The correct choice highlights the method known as stateless packet filtering, which operates without the ability to monitor or maintain records of the state of network connections. Unlike stateful packet filtering, which evaluates each packet in the context of the state of the traffic flow (such as whether a packet is part of an established connection), stateless packet filtering evaluates each packet individually based solely on predefined rules without considering previous packets.

This fundamental difference means that stateless filtering can be faster and consume fewer resources, as it does not need to track ongoing connections. However, it is also less secure, as it cannot make informed decisions based on the context of connections, potentially allowing malicious traffic to pass through if the ruleset is not specifically configured to block it.

In contrast, the other filtering methods, such as stateful packet filtering and the various types of Access Control Lists (ACLs), inherently involve connection tracking. Extended ACLs and standard ACLs, while they may differ in complexity and capabilities, still function based on established connections in some capacity, allowing for more nuanced traffic management than purely stateless methods.