What is a firewall and why is it important-
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| What is a firewall and why is it important |
Imagine our houses without a fence or the boundary wall. This
would make our property easily accessible to trespassers and robbers and place
our homes at great risk right? Hence fencing our property helps safeguard it
and keep trespassers at bay.
Similarly, imagine our computers and
networks without protection, this would increase the probability of hackers
infiltrating our networks. To overcome this challenge just like how boundary
walls protect our houses. A virtual wall helps safeguard and secure our devices
from intruders and such a wall is known as a firewall.
Importance of Firewall
Firewalls are security devices that filter the incoming and
outgoing traffic within a private network. For example, if you were to visit
your friend who lives in a gated community you would first take permission from
the security guard. the security guard would check with your friend if you
should be allowed to enter or not, if all is well your access is granted.
On the other hand, the security guard
would not grant permission to a trespasser looking to enter the same premises
here the entry access depends solely on your friend, the resident’s discretion.
The role of the security, in this case, is similar to that of a firewall. The
firewall works like a gatekeeper at your computer’s entry point which only
welcomes incoming traffic that it has been configured to accept.
Firewall filters the network traffic
within your network and analyses which traffic should be allowed or restricted,
based on a set of rules to spot and prevent cyberattacks.
How Firewall Works
Your Computer communicates with the internet in the form of
network packets that hold details like the source address, destination address,
and information. These network packets enter your computer through ports. The
firewall works on a set of rules based on the details of these network packets,
like their source address a destination address content, and port numbers. Only
trusted traffic sources or IP addresses are allowed to enter your
network.
When you connect your computer to the
internet, there Is a high chance of hackers infiltrating your network. This is
when a firewall comes to your rescue by acting as a barrier between your
computer and the internet. The firewall rejects the malicious data packet and thus
protects your network from hackers.
On the other hand, traffic from trusted
websites Is allowed access to your network. This way the firewall carries out
quick assessments to detect malware and other suspicious activities. Thereby
protecting your network from being susceptible to a cyberattack.
Types of Firewall
Firewalls can either be hardware or
software. Software firewalls are programs installed on each computer. This is
also called a host firewall. Meanwhile, hardware firewalls are equipment that
is established between the gateway and your network. Linksys routers are a good
example of a hardware firewall. Besides this, there are other types of
firewalls designed based on their traffic filtering methods, structure, and
functionality.
1. Packet filtering Firewall
the firewall that compares each outgoing and incoming network
packet to a set of established rules such as the allowed IP addresses, IP protocols, port number, and other aspects of the packets is known as a packet
filtering firewall. If the incoming network traffic is not per the predefined
rules that traffic is blocked.
2. Stateful Inspection Firewall
A variant of the packet filtering firewall is the stateful
inspection firewall. These types of firewalls not only examine each network
packet but also checks whether or not that network packet is part of an
established network connection. Such firewalls are also referred to as dynamic
packet filtering firewalls.
3. Proxy Firewall
Our next type of firewall is called a proxy firewall. This draws
close comparison to how you give proxy attendance for a friend. Like how you
take the authority to represent your friend. The proxy firewall pretends to be
you and interacts with the internet. They come between you and the internet and
thereby prevent direct connections.
This protects your device’s
identity and keeps the network safe from potential attacks. only if the
incoming data packet contents are protected is the proxy firewall transfer it
to you. They are also known as Application-level Gateway.
Applications of a Firewall
The firewall can spot malicious actions and block your computer
from receiving data packets from harmful sources. In addition, to prevent cyber
attacks, firewalls are also used in educational institutions and offices to
restrict users' access to certain websites or applications. It is used to avoid
access to unauthorized content.
Cyber Crimes
Cybercrimes
are today making headlines every day and individuals and companies must do
everything possible to secure their information. Hence, using security devices
that help safeguard our networks from falling prey to deadly cyberattacks is
the need of the hour.
Thanks for reading that’s all about Firewalls. If
you find it helpful then share it with your friends.
