An Overview of Firewall Software
The amount of malicious software on the internet continues to grow making the need for firewall software greater now than ever before. Malicious software also referred to as attack programs by IT professionals is one of the major causes for identity theft. They also can wreak havoc on computer systems and can cause massive amounts of data destruction.
This is very damaging to businesses and very disheartening to individuals. After all the information stored on a machine whether personal or professional is important otherwise it wouldn’t be there. Everything from pictures to financial transactions can be destroyed and recovering is sometimes impossible unless you make weekly backups. Using firewall software can prevent this from happening by blocking attack programs from entering your computer in the first place.
Firewalls work by blocking the communication ports on your computer. These ports are software ports meaning that they are part of your operating system and not part of your physical computer itself. These ports are what your operating system uses to send and receive information across the internet ranging from simple text files to videos and music. Malicious software attacks your computer by entering and exiting these ports through various means.
Most operating systems don’t use all of their ports in day to day operations and there are many that are left open. The average operating system has 40,000 to 70,000 or more of these communication ports. Firewalls block the ports that your operating system does not use to protect against attack. This is so nothing can just walk right in and destroy your system.
As the attack programs have become more complex firewall software has advanced as well. Currently firewalls not only block the ports that aren’t used but also monitor the ports that are used for suspicious activity. This has the annoying side effect of blocking legitimate programs and some games but most firewalls ask you for input when they detect something. In most cases w hen this happens you are allowed to tell the firewall that the program is legitimate and to allow it through or to block it completely.
Unfortunately the firewall can’t identify the program itself so making the right decision still lies in the user’s domain. Clicking allow for a program that you know and trust gives it access to the internet to complete its work. However clicking allow for a program that you’re unsure about can lead to an infection or worse.
Viruses aren’t the only things running around out there and failure to protect your system can lead to more problems than destroyed data. Aside from asking for confirmation or denial on an unknown program most firewalls won’t bother you for anything other than a software update. This means that you won’t be notified of everything that the firewall blocks unless you set it up to tell you every time.
Firewall software is essential for keeping your computer protected and preventing infection. Prevention is the best possible cure with all things in life and that includes computer viruses. Everything from our personal information to our favorite games is stored on our computers. Malicious software can still make it through if you intentionally download it or click the allow button. The firewall can’t protect against user error so don’t click on or allow for anything suspicious.