Firewalls for the Common User

A Firewall is a built in protection system for computers.
The firewall is there as a first line of defence to protect a computer from unwanted intruders.
For the home user the most lightly entry point for unwanted snoopers  to a home system is via the Internet.

A firewall is software that combines a list of instructions and rules that are applied to data that transfers in and out of a computer.  The firewall determines whether the data is allowed or denied entry to the computer.

Microsoft’s Windows Operating Systems come preloaded with a Firewall setup. It is good practice to regularly view your Firewall settings to ensure that the firewall is turned on to provide the optimum protection. It is also important to download and install updates when you are notified and not to leave them for another day to install and run. If a firewall is not already installed on your operating system it is a very easy to obtain and install one.  Go to Microsoft’s website and download the firewall and follow the wizard instructions to install and run the firewall. The computer will need to restarted to activate the firewall.

Software and Hardware firewalls

Software firewalls are the most common firewalls on home computers. They typically provide protection against attack using Trojans programmes, e-mail worms, viruses, malware and spyware. A good software firewall will run quietly in the background and use very little of a computer s power.
Hardware Firewalls are not very common in home use. They are mostly used by people that either occasionally works from home or run a small business from their home. They provide an extra layer of security for the user at home and the business network they are connecting to. The hardware firewall is a physical device often fitted in as part of a broadband router.

Advantages to using Firewalls

Firewalls are the first line of defence from network attacks when connected to the internet. They help to stop your computer being used as a proxy to attack other computers. Computer users mostly see this if their e mail or social media accounts have being hacked and everyone in their contacts list start to receive spurious or malicious messages and data. They can stop intruder’s viruses from monitoring user’s transaction on sites such as Amazon, Ebay or online banking to gain access to the users financial details. 

Restrictions / Disadvantages to using firewalls

Firewalls while being able to block some attacks by Trojans, viruses malware etc. they are not as good as specifically written anti-virus and anti-malware applications. They will not protect a computer from attacks from internal attacks. For the home user an internal attack often arrives through data downloaded from an external connected flash drive or hard disk.

In summary, a firewall if activated is an excellent foundation for protecting your computer. however it is wise to compliment a firewall with strong ant-virus, anti-malware and anti-spyware programmes.
Always be cautious when opening e mails from unknown sources.  Never open and run executable files even from known contacts until you have verified their authenticity.

When browsing the internet be careful of clicking on pop ads offering great deals or other web content that that may attract your curiosity. Not everything is what it seems. If it  looks too good to be true, then it probably is. Just because it quacks and looks like a duck does not mean it’s a duck. If it looks like a scam, it probably is.

Keep all programs installed on your computer up to date by installing the latest patches when you are notified by the supplier.

And it is important and good practice to back up and copy your data on a regular basis.