Week 8 - Firewalls

Our reality today has become almost fully virtual.
Everyone is somehow and in some way connected through the internet.
Sometimes we do not realise that whatever we post on the internet can actually be seen by almost anyone. Hence, in the recent years security on the internet has become an important aspect. Security for your computer/laptop and security for yourself and your identity on the internet. And this was what was covered in lecture this week.
I will be covering one aspect of the security component of the net in this entry and it would be on firewall.

So what is a firewall?

A Firewall is a computer program that monitors the flow of information from the Internet to your computer. There are two different types of firewall available for you to use - Hardware Firewalls and Software Firewalls.

A Hardware Firewall is a physical piece of equipment that sits between the Internet and your computer. An example of a hardware firewall is a broadband router, a common form of Internet connection. The benefit of using a hardware firewall, is that it has the ability to protect multiple computer systems that are connected to it at the same time. This makes it an effective firewall for use in businesses that have multiple computers connected to the Internet, as well as in homes that have more than one computer system.

Software Firewalls work in the same way as a hardware firewall, by monitoring and blocking information that comes to your computer via the Internet, however software firewalls must be installed as a program on your computer. These software firewalls can either be installed from a computer disk that you have purchased, or downloaded over the Internet. Software firewalls are the most common type of firewall. Programs such as Norton 360, Norton Internet Security, ESET Smart Security, and Kaspersky Internet Security all have a firewall bundled within them.