What is the purpose of a firewall?

While you see adverts all over the internet proclaiming "the world's safest firewall", for many companies, it is a foregone conclusion that the average user knows what a firewall is. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. This article will introduce the definition of firewall to the reader. Additionally, it will explain the importance of having a firewall.

What's the purpose?

In simple terms, the purpose of a firewall is to stop your computer from allowing unauthorised access. While it is similar to an anti-virus, it also has many important differences. How is it different from an anti-virus? A firewall does not contain a database of virus signatures like an anti-virus program would. It rather patches up holes in your system to allow hackers to infiltrate it without having a virus already on your machine. Keep up-to-date Of course, there are many different methods of blocking these attacks by hackers. Keep in mind that many hackers brute force IP addresses until they find an unprotected one. This is why it is imperative that you keep up-to-date in computer security.

Different types of firewalls

There are two main different architectures of firewalls. They are hardware based firewalls and software based firewalls. Software-based firewalls Your PC firewall is most likely software-based. This means that it is just a program that you installed on your computer, and should not be your first line of defence. Note that you need not pay for this, as most software-oriented firewalls do exactly the same thing. In short, they analyse incoming packets and port traffic (packet filter). If you do not know what these terms mean, independent research is recommended.
Hardware-based firewalls Hardware-based firewalls are normally installed on your modem or router. These detect traffic at their first entry point, before they are allowed to enter into your computer. Normally, these function by denying traffic attempting to access certain ports or they deny traffic using disallowed protocols. One such example is a NAT firewall, which maintains your network structure. Download.com If you need a free firewall, Download.com is a great resource for finding such products. Still, always research the company and software before using and installing the firewall.