Built-in firewall. What is Firewall

In a world of rapidly developing technologies, it is impossible to do without protection from malware it is forbidden. According to statistics, a computer with Internet access that does not have protection remains uninfected for two minutes. It is for this reason that this useful program, like a firewall that .

Firewall

A firewall is a program whose name translates from English as “burning wall”; it creates a barrier between the computer and the information entering it. There is an equivalent to this program - . And this name is extremely apt, since it reflects the essence and purpose of this device, because thanks to its functional capabilities, this program increases the degree of computer protection.

This is a kind of wall of fire that passes through the flow of information from the Internet, clearing it of unnecessary and harmful debris. So, the computer on which the firewall is running is always protected.

Along with protecting against malicious files, the firewall also prevents malware from being sent to other computers or the Internet. Firewall is built into the operating system Windows program, the purpose of which is to prevent the penetration of malicious files, viruses, Trojans, and worms that enter it via the Internet. The firewall was developed and adapted for others operating systems, for example, for Linux OS.

When installing Windows, the firewall will be enabled by default. However, it can also be disabled if it interferes with the correct operation of the program or downloading files from the Internet. Firewall is capable of blocking the user's connection to programs that are not in the list of allowed ones. Thus, every unidentified program will be blocked by the firewall automatically. It is possible to configure the firewall in accordance with the user’s personal preferences, for example, so that when a program is blocked by the firewall, a corresponding notification pops up.

Of course, a firewall is a necessary and useful program for any computer. It helps prevent illegal intrusion into the system and keeps it secure by preventing it from being sent to other devices. Also, in addition to the firewall built into the system, experts recommend installing other antivirus programs, since the firewall does not always cope with the onslaught of viruses.

What is Firewall?

Translated from in English word firewall, translated as “burning wall.” Many users call it a wall or firewall. People very often call a firewall simply a wall or wall.

Let's figure out what a firewall is and why it is needed. Firewall provides a barrier between the network and the computer, or in other words, it is a filter. This program monitors your computer's connections, analyzes them, and makes a decision whether to allow the connection or not. That is, the program only passes what the user himself has allowed. It is clear that no one can give an absolute guarantee, but if someone tries to hack your computer, the wall will be a tangible barrier for him. Everything will still depend on the experience of the hacker.

In simple terms, a firewall can be compared to your home. The house has doors. You keep all the doors locked, and you wouldn’t really want anyone to be able to come to you through open door. By analogy, you need to be interested in ensuring that no one else can just enter your computer - control it and obtain various data from it. There are locks on the doors of the house. To let a friend in, you open the lock. Firewall works the same way. It can only access or launch from the Internet those programs that you allow it to do. All other programs will be blocked from access to both Internet input and output.
It turns out that you are placing a guard between your computer and the Internet, which will allow only what is necessary and important for you to pass through, and will delay everything else.

For maximum computer protection, you need to make the correct settings. It is recommended to allow connections only to programs that really need it. And at the same time the program must have access only those ports on which she works. This may seem complicated at first, but firewalls have configuration assistants that provide prompts to make the configuration process easier. The main thing is to carefully read the service messages that will appear during operation.

Firewall has two types of walls - personal and corporate. A personal wall is a program that is installed on a personal computer, and a corporate firewall is installed on the gateway between the Internet and the local network.

The personal firewall has a built-in training mode, which makes it easy to understand how the program works and what to allow for a connection and what to deny. If the program on the computer is not suitable for the firewall, then a system message will appear and the user will be able to decide for himself whether to grant permission to connect or deny it. Today there are a sufficient number of personal firewalls, and among them it is easy to choose the most suitable one. They differ in type, interface, paid and free, but in essence they are practically the same. That is, you choose the program that will be more convenient for you to use.

Corporate firewalls are configured by the system administrator, which completely protects the entire network from attacks.
You can check the functionality of the firewall program using the LeakTest utility. To do this, you need to run the utility, click “Test” and then you need to answer the firewall request, answer “Allow once”. The program should tell you - “Firewall Penetrated”. This is necessary in order to check the Internet connection and the server that is used for testing. Then click the “Test” button and respond to the firewall program’s request with “Deny once.” The program should give the message “Unable to connect”, which will mean that the firewall has blocked the connection.

Then the EXE file of the LeakTest program should be renamed so that the name matches the name of the browser, if for Internet Explorer, then this is IEXPLORE.EXE, and for Opera – OPERA.EXE, and for other browsers, look at the name in the properties of the shortcut in “Start”. And when you try to start or when establishing a connection, the firewall will give you a warning that the program is not the one for which the rule was created. If there is no such warning and the connection is established, that is, the message “Firewall Penetrated” appears, then any virus will bypass the firewall by simply renaming the file, which means that this firewall must be urgently changed to another.

A check the firewall operation installed on your computer can be found on our website.

(translated from English Firewall– can be designated as a fire wall, fire partition), otherwise called firewall- This special application, which allows only those connections that are permitted by the owner of the computer, and thus protects your computer from outside interference.

By the way, the firewall keeps under control not only incoming connections, but also outgoing ones. That is, even if a virus somehow got onto your computer and tries to “leak” your personal information to someone on the Internet, it will be detected, at least attempts to “leak” information will not escape the attention of the program.

Now no one will be able to get into your computer and extract your information. Uncontrolled traffic leaks have been stopped.

The best firewalls

Now let's see what the most are:

#1

Comodo Firewall- interface

Today it is one of the most powerful firewalls, which allows you to block the loading of advertising and active content of web pages. He also controls suspicious email. These firewall capabilities are implemented using special algorithms that filter network traffic and keep open connections under control.

In addition, these algorithms are capable of detecting and prohibiting any suspicious actions that are carried out both on your computer and outside it, on approaches.

#2

ZoneAlarm Free Firewall - interface

Another good firewall that has abilities unusual for firewalls to protect your personal computer from various online dangers - ubiquitous hackers, spyware and many others. How he does it? Zone Alarm Firewall prevents even the most sophisticated hackers from accessing your protected computer, making it seemingly invisible to anyone on the Internet.

It is also capable of blocking the possible sending of any information without permission, and also protects all programs and the main operating system of the “protected” PC from any kind of malicious programs.

#3

Windows Firewall Control - interface

This is a fairly convenient firewall that can control all ports and Internet traffic. In addition, it can block potentially dangerous web pages and advertising pop-ups (so-called pop-ups). Installing the program will not be difficult even for a novice user.

Other firewalls

This is not a complete list of existing firewalls; their selection is quite large:

• Kerio Personal Firewall– the most “advanced”;
• Lavasoft Personal Firewall– simpler, but no less effective;
• Tiny Firewall Pro – best protection for small networks;
• Webroot Desktop Firewall and etc.

The essence of the problem

When they talk about computer security, most users think about fighting malware computer viruses. But viruses- this is not the only problem awaiting a PC user on the Internet.

Perhaps you have noticed that, even if you have anti-virus software installed on your PC with updated databases, you very often lose necessary files, although at the same time he behaves calmly and does not react in any way? Or another case - the Internet limit that you expected to use for a whole month suddenly melted away in a few days? Have you encountered this? Well, consider yourself lucky so far. But there are also those who are not so lucky...

So, why do these strange things happen? Actually the explanation is simple. But first, a little explanation. As you know, every PC with Internet access has a unique IP address, kind phone number, consisting of 4 standard numbers, each of which can be from 0 to 255. Your computer needs an IP address to communicate with any other computer on the Internet.

Imagine a situation where several programs from your computer must interact with the Internet at the same time, sending and receiving some information. How do they determine whose data is where, and why don’t they get confused? For these purposes, in order to separate information flows and deliver it to the recipient, each PC is equipped with so-called "ports", the number of which is more than 65 thousand. They allow you to simultaneously work with the Internet a large number programs.

Suddenly one day you notice that a certain port N is showing some strange activity, it looks like someone unknown is trying to take over your computer. Maybe you told one of your friends your passwords, and now he is hacking your machine, trying to prank you? What if these are competitors of your company who somehow found out your passwords, and now they find out all your secrets, including financial ones? Everything is lost? What to do???

First of all, you just need to calm down. Do you remember the most popular questions in our country (and not only in ours)? Yes, yes, yes - “What to do?” and “Who is to blame?” You will find the answer to the second question yourself, but you will find the answers to the first question in this article. In order to avoid such dangerous situations, it is necessary to ban your computer from communicating on all ports that cause suspicion, that is, communication will only be with those with whom we ourselves want. The perfect solution, isn't it? And this can be done with special software called firewall.

Bottom line

If your computer has a standard operating system installed, for example, a fairly modern Windows XP with SP2 service pack, then you already have a built-in firewall.

Well, you've learned about another way to protect your PC. Remember - you shouldn’t skimp on computer security; restoring everything will be much more expensive, both in money and time.

31Oct

What is a Firewall (Firewall)

Firewall or Firewall is a computer program whose purpose is to protect your computer from viruses and. The firewall monitors network traffic entering the operating system and helps stop malware that tries to access the user's personal information. In addition, the terms Firewall and Firewall have another definition. These terms are commonly used to describe fire-resistant capital walls, which in theory should protect houses from fires in densely built areas.

What is a Firewall (Firewall) - meaning, definition in simple words.

In simple words, Firewall (Firewall) is special protective computer programs, which constantly scan data received and sent to the Internet. Figuratively speaking, these are virtual walls that protect your computer from the dangers of the Internet: viruses, rootkits, spyware, etc. Although it's worth noting that a firewall is not the only or most reliable source of protection for your computer. As a rule, to ensure the greatest security, a firewall (Firewall) always works in conjunction with antivirus and anti-spyware software.

In most cases, the firewall is installed directly on the work machine (PC), but sometimes, as in the cases of various offices where there are many computers, the firewall is installed as a physical device ( but more on that later). Windows operating system users do not need to install a firewall themselves ( separately), since the OS initially has its own - Windows Firewall.

Firewall - how it works, in simple words.

Without going into complex technical details, the work of the Firewall can be described as follows. When a user launches an Internet-related program such as a browser or computer game, the computer connects to a remote website and sends information about the user's computer system. However, before data is sent or received, it passes through a firewall ( firewall), where depending on set parameters, the data will be skipped or stopped.

Figuratively speaking, in the process of its work, the firewall acts as a kind of border guard or customs officer who monitors everything that is exported and imported onto the computer. In addition, his responsibilities include checking data packets for compliance with the required parameters. Thus, a firewall can help stop existing malware such as Trojan horses and other spyware from running. In simple words, the screen simply will not transmit the data collected by these programs to the Internet. But this, of course, is all in theory, since such malicious programs are constantly being improved and learn to deceive firewalls.

What is a Hardware Firewall and how to protect your network?

A hardware firewall is physical device, which connects a computer or network to the Internet using certain advanced security techniques against unauthorized access. Wired routers, broadband gateways and wireless routers include hardware firewalls that protect every computer on the network. Hardware firewalls use different types of security to protect the network: packet filtering, stateful packet inspection, network address translation, and application-level gateways.

Packet Filtering Firewall checks all data packets sent to and from the system. It forwards data based on a set of rules defined by the network administrator. This hardware firewall inspects the packet header and filters packets based on source address, destination address, and port. If a packet does not comply with the rules or meets the blocking criteria, it is not allowed to pass through the computer or network.

Dynamic packet filtering or stateful packet inspection, this is a more complex security method. This firewall monitors where the packet came from to figure out what to do with it. It checks whether the data was sent in response to a request to receive additional information or it just appeared on its own. Packets that do not match the specified connection state are rejected.

Another way to ensure security is a network address translation (NAT) router. It hides a computer or network of computers from outside world, representing one publicly available for Internet access. The firewall IP address is the only valid address in this scenario, and it is the only IP address presented to all computers on the network. Each computer on the internal side of the network is assigned its own IP address, valid only within the network. This security option is very effective because it allows you to use only one public IP address to send and receive information packets. Which in turn significantly minimizes the possibility of introducing malware. This hardware firewall is usually implemented on separate computer on the network, which has the only function of working as a . It is quite complex and is considered one of the most secure types of hardware firewalls.

Basic problems with firewalls.

There are several common problems problems that may occur as a result of using a firewall. The most common problem is that in addition to malware, the firewall often blocks normal traffic that we need. Some websites may have limited access or not opening up because they were misdiagnosed. Quite often, problems arise with online games, since the firewall often recognizes such traffic as malicious and blocks the programs. Based on this, it should be noted that although a firewall is a very useful thing, it needs to be configured correctly so that it does not spoil life with its prohibitions.

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Any operating system must have at least some kind of protection. Windows has two security functions - firewall and Windows Defender. The concept of “firewall” itself has several meanings, but in this material the firewall option will be discussed.

What is a firewall?

Firewall (firewall) – is a firewall in Windows system, preventing unauthorized access to a computer from the Internet and local networks, as well as prohibiting or allowing applications to connect to the network.

In simple words, a firewall is a wall or a closed door that only opens to those who are allowed to. In Windows, restrictions are usually placed on software that communicates with the Internet. Now we have understood the concept of a “firewall,” but how to configure it correctly to provide protection for your computer?

How to set up a firewall (firewall) on Windows 10?

This is what he does in the offices. System Administrator, so it wouldn’t hurt to have the skills to set up a protective software. At home, anyone can change the computer settings as they want, but within reason.

Setting up a firewall after installing Windows 10 is very simple. First you need to figure out how to enable or disable protection, since problems with the firewall raise various critical errors, which can be corrected by simply disabling or enabling the protective function.

One way to access the firewall settings is as follows:

• We use the following key combination on the keyboard: Win + I. Then go to the “Updates and Security” section;


• Go to the “Windows Defender” subsection on the left;


• Click on the button on the right “Open Windows Defender Security Center”;


• In the open window, select the “Firewall and network security” option.

Here it is new interface, in which the settings are a little confusing for a newbie. If you don’t like the layout of the functions, you can, of course, return to the old, familiar interface, as shown in Windows 7 and 8. To do this, click on the search on the taskbar and enter “Firewall”, selecting the result.

When you are in the firewall window, in the tenth version of the system you can see two items - “Private network” and “Public network”. Both of these options contain options to disable the firewall for the connected network. Here you can block all incoming connections by checking the box.

To allow programs to connect to the network through a firewall, you need to find the “Allow applications through a firewall” item below. A window will open where changes to the parameters will be made after clicking the “Change parameters” button.

If the checkbox is checked, software exchange via the network is allowed. Typically, permissions are set only for Microsoft applications. If there are problems with the firewall, there is an option to resolve them " Troubleshoot network connection". Use it whenever possible.

By going to the “Notification Settings” section, you can see options that allow you to display notifications about blocked programs in the system. If you have configured the settings incorrectly, you can “Restore Defaults”. This option is on the main screen.

How to add a program to an exception in the firewall?

1. In the main firewall window, go to “Firewall notification settings”;


2. Click on the “Virus and threat protection settings” option;


3. Go to the “Exceptions” section and click on the button in the “Adding and removing exceptions” item;


4. Now click the “Add exception” button and select the element that is not malicious in your opinion. You can add files, entire folders, specific file types, and processes.

Additional firewall features

You can enable or disable the following features in Anti-grayware and anti-malware settings:

• Real-time protection - if you disable this protection, it may result in active work those programs that have been blocked.


• Cloud protection – allows you to protect data in the cloud.


• Automatic sending of samples – to Microsoft server Data is sent about detected malicious components.

The remaining settings have already been discussed above.

Setting up a firewall on Windows 7 and 8

In the presence of outdated versions operating systems, setting up the firewall is a little different:

1. Open the firewall from Control Panel.


2. The necessary settings are located on the left side of the window, and access to them is faster than in Windows 10.


3. To enable the firewall, click on the “Turn Windows Firewall on or off” option button. Immediately after this, check the “Enable...” checkboxes.


4. You can also immediately reset settings to default, enable application communication in the firewall, and configure notifications.

Firewall Security Rules

In the window on the left, go to the “Advanced options” option. A window will immediately open where you can configure rules for incoming and outgoing connections for applications.