A firewall is a program or hardware-software solution that filters incoming and outgoing network traffic. It acts as a protective wall between the user's device and the network, as well as between the local and global networks. A firewall is also called a firewall or a firewall, these are three equivalent terms. Such software scans incoming/outgoing data packets, conducts analysis in real time and, based on the results of the check, allows or blocks them.
In simple terms, it is a filter through which data passes when transferred to a computer from the network and vice versa. What a firewall protects against and does not protect against, what it can be useful for and who can use it - read the article.
What types of attacks does a firewall protect against?
The firewall is designed to protect against the following types of cyber threats:
Backdoor access. These are attacks using vulnerabilities in the software installed on the PC: the operating system, utilities, applications. Such gaps can be found everywhere, including Windows, they allow a hacker paraguay whatsapp number database to access the device, send and receive traffic from it. A firewall blocks such actions.
Phishing. A fraudulent scheme in which a user is sent to a fake (phishing) site that is a perfect copy of a well-known web resource. For example, it replicates social network login pages or online banking payment pages. The user enters personal data, and it ends up in the hands of an intruder. The firewall prohibits connections to suspicious sites.
Remote access hacking. Using a remote desktop, a user can control a computer over the Internet, i.e. remotely. Hackers can intercept this access and steal important data. The firewall is designed to prohibit the transmission of such traffic.
Route redirection. Data packets are transmitted over the network via specific routes, and this type of attack involves changing the path of the information so that the end device does not “suspect” anything.
DDoS attacks. Since the main task of a firewall is filtering, it helps to cope with the influx of huge amounts of traffic. Blocking works on both incoming and outgoing packets if your device is used as an attacker.
What is a firewall?Image by rawpixel.com on Freepik.
What types of attacks will a firewall not protect against?
It is important to understand that the firewall's area of responsibility includes only network traffic. That is, data that comes and goes via network channels. The firewall cannot protect you from viruses and worms that are already on your computer. If the device is infected, it will not be able to detect it, much less eliminate the malicious code. This function is performed by an antivirus, so for greater security, both software tools should be used. The same applies to information received via external media (USB drives, memory cards, disks). The file system is scanned by an antivirus program - the firewall is powerless here, since it is designed for something else.
In addition, for high-quality traffic scanning, the firewall must correctly recognize the data. If it is encrypted at any of the OSI levels, the filter will let it through. For the same reason, it does not cope with tunneling when using VPN. If the settings allow everything that is not prohibited, encrypted traffic will easily pass filtering even if there are threats inside.