What is a Firewall?
A firewall helps to limit online access to only those with proper authorization. Consider a firewall as a virtual wall that separates a trusted environment (such as corporate or home networks) from an untrusted environment (such as the Internet) by controlling and regulating the traffic between these two environments such that the trusted environment is protected from any harmful activity (such as viruses, worms or intrusion attacks) initiated on the untrusted side.
The firewall is all about prevention. It is software that lets the “good” Internet traffic pass while blocking the “bad” Internet traffic. It protects your computer against hackers and malicious Internet traffic such as worms and Trojan horses. The firewall controls both the sent and received traffic.
A firewall is simply a program or hardware device that filters the information coming through the internet connection onto your system. It is a system designed to prevent unauthorised access to your computer or network. The primary function of a firewall is to let authorised traffic pass through, while the unauthorised traffic gets blocked.
