If your home has an alarm system, surveillance cameras, or any kind of security equipment to prevent burglars, then you can compare it to a firewall. A firewall will monitor and limit connections to your computer from the Internet and other users. A computer without a firewall is defenseless and makes it easy for hackers or unwanted programs to invade your computer. There are two types of firewalls, hardware or software.
Routers are devices that act as hardware firewalls. They prevent other users and unwanted software from entering your network. Routers are not only great for firewalls, but can also be used to share and connect computers to a network. Some people use Network Address Translation (NAT) routers as firewalls, although the main purpose of NAT routers is to share an Internet connection with local computers. If you don’t have a router firewall, you can use a software firewall that will do the job.
There are many software firewalls, but only a few are free. Most software firewalls are shareware, trial or subscription versions. Some free versions only have a few features and if you want the full package you will need to pay. Windows XP comes with a decent firewall, but you need to make sure you have Service Pack 2 and the latest updates installed.
You can check if your Windows XP firewall is running by clicking Start / Control Panel / Windows Firewall, or else it’s My Computer / Control Panel / Network Connections / Right Click on your “Local Area Network ” and click properties / Click the Advanced tab and then click Settings. You can click to turn Windows Firewall on or off.
Software firewalls can be very complex, containing many functions. Some of the features are antivirus and antispyware, program control, email protection, and privacy control. These features help increase the protection of your computer, because a firewall alone can’t do it all. One downside of having a software firewall as opposed to a hardware firewall is that it will use up your computer’s resources to function. Make sure you have enough memory to prevent your system from crashing. Software firewalls can manage incoming and outgoing traffic by applying policies or rules. These policies will allow or deny your programs from accessing the Internet and prevent unwanted Internet programs from invading your computer. These policies are under the control of the owners and they can change any settings they want.
Firewalls can provide the user with greater security by protecting their computer from hackers, rather than not having a firewall at all. Hackers will try anything to get into your computer by searching through your computer’s ports. Your computer has many ports. They are used to connect to the Internet, but are sometimes left open. Hackers can send a virus or spyware to these ports and take control of your computer. To prevent this from happening, a firewall will make sure that all unused ports are closed.
If you plan to access the Internet without a firewall, it’s like putting your hand in a beehive. The risk of being bitten is high, and it is the same risk of your computer being hacked. Without a firewall, your ports will be open and make you vulnerable to hackers. Therefore, choose a suitable firewall that suits your needs. For more information, visit my PC Software Revealed blog for details on recommended software to keep your computer secure.