One of the biggest threats while you are connected to
Internet or a network is unauthorized users’ access. As soon as a computer is
connected to a network or Internet, it is exposed to malicious users and
programs which can crash or corrupt hard disk content, exploit CPU resources
and disable security software. At times, such attacks can be more detrimental
that it may cause physical damages to an equipment connected to the PC. That’s
when a firewall plays pivotal role by standing between the network or the
Internet and the computer. The firewall allows and disallows connections on the
basis of predetermined set of rules set by users. Hence, installing firewall is
necessary to protect vital and sensitive information from being exposed to
malicious users or network.
So, what does a
firewall do?
Security threats are evolving to be stealthier and more
sophisticated; that’s why firewalls are designed to be more robust to take care
of changing security concerns. Major functions of firewall include
- Hiding internal network addresses
- Distinguishing a trusted network and a protected zone between the Internet and a network wherein it can place email and web servers.
- Executes pre-defined security policies
- Reporting security threats and suspicious activities
- Carries out gateway defense
With an antivirus
installed on a computer, do you need Firewall?
Firewalls are designed to provide first-line of protection which
works alongside an antivirus. But, remember, firewall is a not a substitute of
an antivirus since traditional firewalls have some limitations; traditional
firewalls cannot prevent cannot work in many areas of security concerns
including viruses, Trojan horse, keyloggers, spyware and adware, worms, emails
containing phishing and spam attacks and linked contained in those mail messages.
That’s why you need antivirus which provides total combined security of a
firewall protection as well as the protection of antimalware, antispyware,
anti-rootkit, browser protection plus additional support of parental control
and antispam.
