Firewall - what is it? A useful feature in the operating system or an ineffective security tool? Before answering this question, we have to figure out what a firewall does and how to properly configure it.
General information
For the successful operation of the computer, it is necessary to protect it from getting into the system of viruses. They can penetrate both through the global network, that is, the Internet, and through specialized applications that you, for example, purchase or download, as well as through removable media (flash cards, disks). There are many programs to protect your computer. Some of them only deal with PC protection, others provide a barrier to Internet parasites, and still others can do both. So, firewall - what is it? Special software that deals with packet data filtering. At the same time, they are checked for compliance with the parameters set in the system, which are set by the user himself (you can also use the default settings). In operating systems of the Windows family, the firewall function is built-in, and all that is neededto make it work is to activate it. It is also possible to install third-party software that performs it
functions.
Firewall functions
As a system protector, this feature prevents viruses from infecting files on your computer and keeps your computer running properly. At the same time, during your "wandering" on the global network, the firewall (what it is, we discussed earlier) analyzes the data that is transmitted over the Internet in the form of packets, compares information about them and, if they contradict the security policy and do not comply with the specified rules, blocks them and prevents them from accessing your PC.
How do I set up a firewall?
In order for the program to work correctly and not make it difficult for you to work on the Internet, you need to correctly and correctly configure it. That is, write your own rules. Below, we'll walk you through how to set up Windows Firewall. The user only needs to activate it. This can be done like this:
- go to "Start";
- select "Control Panel";
- find "Windows Firewall";
- check if the application is enabled in the opened window, if not, then activate it.
The second step is to set up allowed connections and exceptions. This is done in two ways: either you yourself prescribe the program (those programs) whose access is denied, or eachevery time the system encounters an attempt to launch a new application, set a rule (that is, allow access or deny). You do not have to constantly choose, once you specify the rule for the system, you can forget about it. That is, the computer will independently apply it every time. You can deactivate the rule at any time through the "Control Panel" - "Windows Firewall". It's up to you to decide whether you should use the standard system defender or install a third-party application, but according to experts, the latest versions of the Windows OS have an excellent firewall installed. What is it, you now know!
