What Is a Firewall and How Does It Protect Your Computer?

If you do not want to expose yourself to the increased risk that other users can access your data without being asked, you definitely need a firewall. Nowadays, this should not be missing on any computer with Internet access. It prevents attackers from gaining access to your computer and from viewing and changing your data. The firewall not only prevents this but also prevents attackers from leaving data on your system. Many attackers only gain access to foreign systems for one reason, namely to leave malware behind. This endangers the security of your PC and your data to a considerable extent.

The use of a so-called desktop firewall is therefore mandatory if you want to optimally protect your PC against malware of any kind. You should therefore find out more about the topic here.

What is a firewall?

The firewall is a kind of filter between the computer and the Internet or any other form of network. Among other things, it checks whether programs want to and are allowed to access the Internet or your computer from the Internet. With a query, the user usually decides for himself whether the programs receive the required access rights or not. It protects against unauthorized access from inside and outside.

Not only programs are affected by protective measures. If third-party computers want to gain unauthorized access to your own computer, it immediately blocks the unauthorized attempt at access and informs the user of the computer's IP address. Some firewall programs also provide information about the rough location of the attacker.

However, your PC is not completely cut off from the outside world through use. The IP address of trustworthy computers (e.g. from your own network) is entered by the user in a home network list or you can approve the access of a third-party computer, as when accessing programs, via a query. This means that the computer's IP address is classified as trustworthy and the computers in a network can communicate with one another unhindered.

The firewall regulates the data traffic from your computer to the network/internet, but also from the network/internet to your PC. This blocks unwanted programs or unwanted data traffic. This protective function makes it ideal for defending against attacks from the Internet and for protecting your own PC from malicious malware such as malware.

Why is the mission so important?

This question was more or less answered in the previous section. This is because it regulates the data traffic between your computer and the Internet and is now a must on any computer with an Internet connection.

If you do not use a firewall, other people can easily gain access to your computer. Not only does this endanger the security of your computer, but your personal data is also in extreme danger. Once a stranger has gained access to your system, they can view your data and change or delete the data. Not only that, but it can also leave data on your computer. However, this is rarely useful data. It is more likely to be malware, such as computer worms or Trojans, that spy on your PC or cause significant damage.

So if you want to create optimal protection on your PC, a firewall must not be missing. Only by using a firewall in conjunction with an antivirus program like total security can approximately optimal protection against attacks from the network and comprehensive virus protection be guaranteed.

Which protective functions are offered?

A firewall offers the following protective functions:

• Control of access to the Internet and network
• Protection of data traffic for incoming and outgoing connections
• Active control of applications
• Protection of privacy
• Alerting suspicious activity

The protective functions are extensive, but they also have their limits. The benefits of a firewall can be compared to that of a seat belt in a car. There are also scenarios for this in which it cannot completely protect the driver. That is why it is important to be aware of the limits and not to surf the Internet carelessly or to blindly trust any software.

How has the firewall evolved over the years?

The term firewall comes from the English-speaking area and is used to mean a stone wall that was supposed to protect against overarching flames in the event of a fire. The term has also been used in the computer world since the late 1980s. There it is referred to as a security system, which protects a computer or an entire network from unwanted access from inside or outside. The firewall is therefore an important part of a good security concept against malware such as malware.

Originally, the firewall was a very complex and expensive system that was used exclusively in the company, government, and military networks. It was precisely these areas that were particularly at risk at the beginning of the computer and internet era and were often exposed to attacks by cybercriminals. The version used there shielded the respective network from criminal attacks and was based on a hardware solution. This type of firewall is also called an external or hardware firewall and is still used successfully in larger computer networks today.

It soon became clear, however, that it was not only economic or government institutions that were the target of criminal attacks. Private individuals were not spared the attacks from the Internet either. So a possibility had to be developed that would provide a high level of protection against these attackers without spending a lot of money and time. This is how the desktop firewall (also called personal firewall) came about. The mode of operation and the protective functions are similar to the original hardware firewall, but it is only specialized in protecting the desktop PC.

What kind of firewall should you use on your PC?

Firewalls are divided into two types. You have already met both of them:

• Personal firewall (or desktop firewall)
• External firewall (or hardware firewall)

Personal firewall Personal firewalls were developed

to protect the incoming and outgoing data traffic on your home PC. This is installed locally on your computer and can, for example, prevent the PC from being infected by a computer worm. It also protects your computer from possible remote access by an intruder. You will also be informed of suspicious activity if malware tries to connect to the Internet.

External firewall

The external firewall is used to restrict data traffic between two networks. These devices are unsuitable for domestic use and are mainly used in company networks to control data traffic.

Home users should therefore fall back on a personal firewall, which is already integrated into most security suites from well-known manufacturers. In connection with the antivirus program also included, you kill two birds with one stone if you buy such a security suite.