How Firewalls Work

At their most basic, firewalls work like a filter between your computer/network and the Internet. You can program what you want to get out and what you want to get in. Everything else is not allowed. There are several different methods firewalls use to filter out information, and some are used in combination. These methods work at different layers of a network, which determines how specific the filtering options can be.

Firewalls can be used in a number of ways to add security to your home or business. Large corporations often have very complex firewalls in place to protect their extensive networks. On the outbound side, firewalls can be configured to prevent employees from sending certain types of emails or transmitting sensitive data outside of the network. On the inbound side, firewalls can be programmed to prevent access to certain websites (like social networking sites). Additionally, firewalls can prevent outside computers from accessing computers inside the network. A company might choose to designate a single computer on the network for file sharing and all other computers could be restricted. There is no limit to the variety of configurations that are possible when using firewalls. Extensive configurations typically need to be handle and maintained by highly trained IT specialists, however.

For home use, firewalls work much more simply. The main goal of a personal firewall is to protect your personal computer and private network from malicious mischief. Malware, malicious software, is the primary threat to your home computer. Viruses are often the first type of malware that comes to mind. A virus can be transmitted to your computer through email or over the Internet and can quickly cause a lot of damage to your files. Other malware includes Trojan horse programs and spyware. These programs are usually designed to acquire your personal information for the purposes of identity theft of some kind. There are two ways a firewall can prevent this from happening. It can allow all traffic to pass through except data that meets a predetermined set of criteria, or it can prohibit all traffic unless it meets a predetermined set of criteria.

Comodo Firewall Pro uses the latter way to prevent malware from installing on your computer. This free software f firewall , from a leading global security solutions provider and certification authority, use the patent pending “Clean PC Mode” to prohibit any applications from being installed on your computer unless it meets one of two criteria. Those criteria are a) the user gives permission for the installation and b) the application is on an extensive list of approved applications provided by Comodo. With this feature, you don’t have to worry about unauthorized programs installing on your computer without your knowledge.

Comodo Firewall Pro is rated as a top firewall recommended for both beginners and advanced users. It has a number of unique features including “Defense +,” an advanced Host Intrusion Prevention system System (HIPS), which prevents changes to critical system resources. This software is highly customizable, so that you can adjust it to suit your specific needs.

Vijayanand working as an online marketing co-ordinator in Identity Theft team in Comodo, a leading Internet Security provider, offers various Internet Security products and services including Comodo Firewall Pro rated as a Top Firewall (CNET Download.com 5 Star Editor's Rating) Trust Marks, Website Security Certificates, PCI Scan, Identity Theft Prevention and Identity Fraud restoration services among others.

Please Rate this Article...                  5 out of 54 out of 53 out of 52 out of 51 out of 5  Not yet Rated

More Articles From - Home | Internet And Businesses Online | Security

• 7 Obvious (But Often Ignored) Ways to Prevent Identity Theft - By : Fred Jones
  
• 7 Identity Theft Scams to be Weary Of - By : Fred Jones
  
• Top Four Worst Reasons to Travel Somewhere - By : Fred Jones
  
• The Penetration Tester: Keeping Computer Systems Safe - By : Ribvar Shafeei
  
• The Importance of Getting a Checkpoint Engineer to Secure Company Network - By : Ribvar Shafeei
  
• Areas of Work Where a Juniper Engineer Works Best - By : Ribvar Shafeei
  
• Choosing the Best Network Security Services - By : Ribvar Shafeei
  
• Hiring a Security Consultant Can Bulletproof Your Network - By : Ribvar Shafeei
  
• Norton internet security 2009 - By : Nikola Simanic
  
• Anti Virus Software, a Must Have For Every PC - By : Robert Thomson