Do I Need A Firewall

Anyone who uses a computer needs to take computer security very seriously. You rely on your computer on a daily basis and will want to get the most out of your computer as possible. This means that you will also want to protect your computer from danger.

The Internet

The internet is basically a large network of computers which are all connected together. This makes it very easy for viruses to spread from computer to computer very quickly. If your computer is connected to the internet then you are at risk and must install the right security software. One essential piece of security software is a firewall.

What Is A Firewall?

A firewall is a barrier between you and the internet. There are two main types of firewall: these are software or hardware firewalls. They filter the traffic from your home network and the internet. You need to use a firewall whenever you access the internet because it provides you with invaluable protection.

A firewall separates the internet from the home network. This splits the network in two which makes it easy to decide which network traffic you should trust. Computer firewalls will help to protect you from viruses, DOS (Denial of Service) attacks, hacking and worms. These threats are always around on the internet and that's why you must use a firewall to protect you.

A firewall will also help to protect your identity. Hackers may be able to access your computer and steal your personal information if you don't already have a firewall in place. Most firewalls will automatically start separating home and foreign network traffic. You might need to do some configuration before you can start using them but most of them will work out of the box with only minor configuration.

Why Do I Need A Firewall?

You should know what a firewall does by now which is the main reason why you would want one. But you might not be aware of what it's actually doing. Whenever networking traffic is passed through the firewall it will decide exactly what to do. You can set the firewall up with a number of rules to block traffic from certain sources.

A basic firewall will only handle incoming software but the best quality firewalls will also screen outgoing connections as well as incoming connections.

The normal use for firewalls is to protect your computer from public networks such as the internet. Large companies will also need firewalls and antivirus applications and these can be hardware utilities instead of software tools.

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With the advent of wireless Internet, more and more computer users are entering the world of cyber space.

Yet, while these users are well aware of the importance of the protection of their computer when hooked up to regular internet providers, they are often oblivious to the fact that the same cyber dangers, and in fact even more, exist in the world of WiFi.

What you may not know is that same Internet connection that makes it possible to check your email from the comfort of your bed also makes it easier for hackers to access your personal information.

It is for this reason, the sharing of the wireless Internet connection, that protecting your computer when wireless is even more important than ever before.