Firewall Help
What is a firewall?
A firewall is a program or piece of equipment that is designed to stop access to your computer that is not requested and likely not wanted. Both a software and hardware firewall will perform the same functionality. It is simply the design that separates them.
A hardware firewall is a separate piece of equipment that you would connect to your network, or individual computer, to act as a buffer between you and the internet. Hardware firewalls are usually built into wired and wireless routers by default, there are also such things as a standalone firewall that is not a router. A hardware firewall will stop unwanted requests immediately after the modem and do it’s best to filter out what is wanted and unwanted traffic. This does typically tend to be the most secure type of firewall available to you.
A software firewall is a program you download to the individual computer. A simple web search will turn up any number of both freeware and purchasable firewalls, which one that you would want is entirely up to you and your preferences. Software firewalls are just as secure as a hardware firewall as long as you do regular program upkeep, anti-virus scans and operating system updates. If you do not do this upkeep, a wrong file or wrong website can corrupt your firewall and leave you vulnerable to attacks.
Do I need a firewall?
Ultimately, that is for you to decide. If you have sensitive material on your computer, it is highly suggested to have some sort of firewall to protect yourself. If not, the choice is entirely up to you on your level of protection.
Do firewalls protect against viruses?
In some cases, yes, they do. There is a difference between the type of virus that they defend against and the type of virus that gets downloaded onto a computer. The type of virus that a firewall defends against is an internet worm. A worm will actively seek out unprotected computers and try to infect that computer. This is where a firewall comes in handy as it can block the incoming requests and turn the worm away.