What is a firewall? Useful feature in the operating system or ineffective protection tool? Before answering this question, we have to find out what the firewall does and how to configure it correctly.
General information
For the computer to work successfully, it is necessary to protect it from viruses entering the system. 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 available to protect your computer. Some of them are engaged only in protecting PCs, others provide a barrier to Internet parasites, while others can do both. So, firewall - what is it? Special software that filters packet data. In this case, they are checked for their compliance with the parameters set in the system, which the user sets himself (you can also use the default settings). On Windows operating systems, the firewall function is built-in, and all that needs to be done for it to work is to activate it. It is also possible to install third-party software that runs it
functions.
Firewall features
Acting as a system protector, this function allows you to avoid viruses on your computer, and supports the correct operation as a whole. At the same time, during your “wandering” over the global network, the firewall (what it is, we examined earlier) analyzes the data that is transmitted via 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 blocks their access to your PC.
How to configure a firewall?
In order for the program to work correctly and not interfere with your work on the Internet, you need to configure it correctly and correctly. That is, to prescribe your own rules. Below we will talk about how to configure Windows Firewall. The user only needs to activate it. This can be done as follows:
- go to the "Start";
- select "Control Panel";
- Find the item "Windows Firewall";
- in the window that opens, check if the application is turned on, if not, then activate it.
The second step is to configure allowed connections and exceptions. This is done in two ways: either you yourself prescribe the program (those programs) that are denied access, or each time the system encounters an attempt to launch a new application, set a rule (that is, allow access or deny). You don’t have to choose constantly, once you specify the rule for the system, you can forget about it. That is, the computer will use it each time on its own. You can deactivate a rule at any time through the “Control Panel” - “Windows Firewall”. Is it worth using a standard system protector or is it better to install a third-party application, you decide, but, according to experts, the latest versions of the Windows OS have an excellent firewall. What is it, you now know!