Firewall software is not simply one little program, but rather, a series of security protocols designed to keep malicious code and hackers out of your computer. It works simply on the connection level. As in, it can stop bad code from getting in, but once a virus is on your computer, you’ll need a scanner to actually do something to get rid of it.
There are a few different firewall types, and the best software will usually combine two or more of them into the full package.
Packet Filtering
A packet filter will look at each and every little packet of information entering or leaving a network, and will either accept or reject these packets of info based on a series of user defined rules. The great thing about packet filtering is that, for one, it’s incredibly effective, and it puts the control in the hands of the user.
The downside is that the configuration process can be a little tedious, as you are literally making dozens and dozens of decisions for your firewall. Most firewalls come with default settings, of course.
Application Gateway
An application gateway applies security mechanisms to a number of predetermined applications, including FTP and Telnet servers. This is a very effective method, but it does have a downside. It can actually degrade the performance of the applications it’s looking at by eating up valuable memory.
Circuit Level Gateway
A circuit level gateway works to simply clear the road, as it were, allowing for a connection between one and another user, or one and another network, to work freely and uninterrupted by checks, by simply administering a check once the connection is first initiated, and performing no further checks after the fact.
Proxy Server
A proxy server intercepts all of the messages entering and leaving the network. This method also serves to effectively hide the network addresses.
The downside to this method is that it can also eat up a lot of memory by scanning every single message, though it is incredibly effective.
A firewall is a great way to cover up holes in your security, but it’s not the whole answer. Firewalls won’t block spam or popups, and they won’t kill viruses. If you want full protection, combine your firewall with something like McAfee Security Center and you should be covered on every possible front from spyware to viruses to hackers to identity theft to worms.
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