Here’s an article written by my husband on cyber security. I hope you enjoy!

‘A firewall is a piece of software (There are also hardware firewalls but we are going to discuss software only) that blocks or allows incoming or outgoing connections from your computer. There are many different types of firewalls and each one is different so lets start with the basics.

A firewall is basically a piece of software or hardware that blocks any unwanted connections from the internet or LAN. This means it blocks connections to the anti-virus charity, the anti-spyware centre, hackers, trojans, malicious proxy servers or any other unwanted connections. Some of the more common pieces of software that run on Windows XP or Vista are:

The most well known hardware firewalls are those that run on a variety of hardware including, but not limited to:

Now, let’s take a closer look at the definition of a firewall. It states that a firewall acts as a barrier between the outside world and the computer, and it allows only authorized connections. An firewall will checkpoint the computer and will ask the user if he or she wants to allow or block the connection.

So now we know a little bit about firewalls and hardware, but what do we know about firewalls on our computer? Hardware firewalls are very common and are found in most computers. The hardware firewall is a separate device that is connected between the computer and the outside world. When the computer has a firewall added to it, it is like putting a wall or a closed gate between the world and the computer. It provides a security net that makes it impossible to invade the computer without first knowing it. It is a device that protects your computer from the outside world.

Your home computer has both hardware and software firewalls. These mechanisms are great for keeping your computer protected. You will not have to worry about anyone breaking into your computer without your knowledge. When you are online, you can simply and safely browse the internet without having to worry about viruses breaking though your computer’s defenses.

The first type of software firewall was the setup program for your computer. This means that it was made to make certain that your computer had the features and capabilities that it needed. Many of these programs were made with the Microsoft operating system, but have been adapted to work with other systems such as Unix.

A hardware firewall is also a kind of program that will inspects your computer through a variety of devices like modems, network cards, and servers and will make sure that it has the capabilities that it needs to perform safely.

All of the above mentioned programs make sure that your computer has the capabilities that it needs to work properly. However, your computer is not completely protected from the dangers that are found online. You have to have a program that checks into the internet to make sure that there are no viruses threatening your computer.

This is where software firewalls excel. They are standalone programs that can perform scans from the computer or network to check for any viruses that may cause havoc to your computer. They will first check to see if the computer is infected. If that is the case, the program will take a look at the virus and try to repair it. If that is not the case, it will first check to see if the machine is vulnerable. This can range from settings like whether or not the computer is set to create passwords automatically or has any other administrative privileges.

Once it is determined that the computer is not vulnerable, it will take care of removing the harmful files and folders that are corrupt. Different programs will tend to delete different files, such as those that are used to generate passwords for logging in to accounts or those files that contain account information.

As far as keeping your computer safe, you can also install programs that will help keep your computer safe. Cookies are actually little programs that are saved in your computer that may help you remember log in information but it may also be a way for outside hackers to get into your computer. Having a good anti-spyware program can help make your computer safer. These programs will scan your computer for unwanted programs that can be used to attack your computer.

Of course, having a good anti-virus program is also very important. Anti-virus programs will scan your computer for viruses and remove them. Sometimes, there are things in the computer that may help a virus get to your computer. Spotting a virus when they are scanning the computer can help the virus get caught before it has a chance to infect your computer.

For everyday computer use, it is best to choose one of the standard programs that are available. Most of these standard programs can be used with any computer, regardless of the kind of operating system that you are running or the location that you are using the computer from.

Choosing the best program can sometimes be a bit of a puzzle for the person who uses the computer.’

Glenn Riley