No Entry: Allow ... Firewall, the Fire-Wall of Your Data and Privacy

Desktop firewalls and personal firewalls have a vivid history behind them. In the past, these were used as complex systems exclusively in the networks of government agencies, companies, and organizations. Today, in view of possible threats, the fire protection walls should be a natural inventory in the digital security kit of every home user and internet surfer. 

The Basic Assumption Is: Firewall Software Offers Sufficient Protection of Data and The Internet.

Nonetheless: the protection of privacy and data is a holistic concept and cannot be achieved simply by installing desktop firewalls. Because: The most important firewall is the user himself. Important additional security measures such as setting up antivirus software, anti-tracking tools, and anti-spyware tools, as well as generally prudent behavior, are just as much a part of the security concept as a regularly updated router or a constantly updated operating system. Also, read 20 tips for safe and anonymous surfing.

What Is a Firewall and How Does It Work?

A personal firewall is a network packet filter, but not part of the network. The firewall for the desktop computer uses defined rules to filter incoming and outgoing traffic or data traffic between your own computer and the public and non-secure network, the Internet. The firewall, as a "fire protection wall", decides based on defined security guidelines which programs on one's own private computer can be accessed from outside and warns of attacks. A firewall can be installed as a program on the computer or built into the routers that access the web.

In contrast to the personal firewall, the external firewall, or also called hardware firewall is differentiated for the network.

 The greatest possible protection for personal data only exists if all data traffic runs through this interface and only applications that have been checked by the firewall have access to their own computer.

Attack Methods Used by Cyber Criminals and Firewall Work Areas

One of the most important tools used by cybercriminals is port scanners. Data spies send requests to ports and wait for an answer. This affects, for example, certain groups of IP addresses that are consistently examined for security gaps in the network. If a port is open, malicious programs try to crash the system and use the open port, for example via massive and faulty data packets - so-called Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks and botnets. The task of a firewall is to seal off the corresponding ports and to recognize and prevent such denial-of-service attacks.

Other attack methods are:

·         IP Spoofing. The manipulation of data packets. Hackers send data packets with falsified sender addresses to a computer, establish connections in the local network and penetrate here.

·         Packet Sniffing. "Sniffer programs" track down passing data packets. The fish out discreet information such as user names and IDs and use them for cybercriminal activities. It becomes easy for spy programs when data is transmitted unencrypted.

A firewall blocks all ports detect DDoS attacks and bot attacks and prevents the manipulation of data packets and the detection of data.