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In the online grid security game, you are either secure or not; there exists no middle ground.
If a computer is connected to the Internet connection, it is vulnerable to online attacks.
The only difference is some computers could be more susceptible than others.
Data breaches had already exposed about 4.1 billion data in 2019.
It impacts their reputation, costs them in millions, and compromises their customer data.
This information is enough to understand that a barrier must be there to protect users from threats coming online.
The barrier we will discuss in this article is aFirewall.
So, lets put some light on this important aspect ofnetwork security.
What is a Firewall?
It establishes a kind of barrier between reliable internal and unknown external networks.
A web connection firewall is based on security rules toaccept,reject, ordropspecific traffic.
The aim of the firewall is to allow or deny the connection or request, depending on implemented rules.
Firewalls History
Theres an interesting story about the name firewall.
A firewall is inspired by a tangible object known as a firewall or a fire retaining wall.
It is installed inside buildings, separating two apartments.
The tool of this term incomputer networkingbegan back in the 1980s.
At that time, the internet was newly based on connectivity and global usage.
A first-generation web connection firewall used to monitor packets, in other words, bytes transferring between computers.
They are still used today, but modern firewalls have traversed a long path with technological development.
Second-generation firewalls came around 1990 performed the same work as packet filters, besides monitoring activities between two endpoints.
Stateful filters are vulnerable to DDoS attacks.
The third generation firewall that could understand protocols and applications like FTP, HTTP.
Hence, it could detect unwanted applications trying to bypass the connection firewall.
Types of Firewalls?
you’re free to find different types of firewalls, and sometime it might be confusing.
Here are some of the popular firewall types youll often hear.
They are mostly categorized under two types web connection-based and host-based.
They filter traffic by checking against firewall rules and protecting the connection.
They are installed on different web link nodes, controlling each outgoing and incoming packet or byte.
The firewall consists of an app suite installed on a server or computer.
Host-based firewalls can protect the individual host against unauthorized access and attacks.
Hardware vs. Software vs.
Cloud Firewall
A dedicated firewall that is installed within your connection and all the traffic traverse through this gear.
It could be an expensive implementation but often required in an organization to protect their networks.
Some of the popular hardware firewalls come from Cisco, SonicWall, Fortinet.
It is usually a virtual appliance or VM with firewall software installed.
There is plenty ofopen source firewallyou can explore.
They are customizable but offer lesser control over protection features and functions than hardware.
pfSenseis one of the popular open-source software-based firewalls.
Firewalls leveraging cloud solutions are cloud firewalls, pretty self-explanatory, right?
you could also call them Firewall-as-a-Service (FaaS), and they are similar to proxy firewalls.
SUCURI, Cloudflare, Imperva, Sophos are some of the popular cloud-based firewalls.
How does a firewall work?
A firewall maintains a set of rules which are applied to both incoming and outgoing traffic.
It matches the traffic against those rules, and if the rules are matched, it initiates the access.
For outgoing traffic originating from the server, the firewall lets them pass mostly (configurable).
If yes, then it permits; otherwise, the traffic gets blocked by the firewall.
Who needs a Firewall?
Its a common misconception that only large firms or financial institutions must use firewalls.
But the reality is different; every business must use a firewall irrespective of their size.
Hence, firewalls act as absolute saviors in these scenarios.
Both consumers and corporations can use firewalls.
Companies can use firewalls into their security information & event management strategy, cybersecurity devices, etc.
Use it to:
What are the benefits of Firewalls?
Installing a firewall in your online grid can suppress all the jitters associated with your computers security.
I guess you get an idea by now, but lets explore more.
By monitoring traffic entering the internet, a firewall keeps your internet safe.
Trojans or Trojan horses are a key in of malware that is dangerous for your rig.
They silently sit on your system and spy all the files present in it.
Whats more, it accumulates the information and sends it to a destined web server.
Hackers are always waiting for data pipe loopholes.
Once they see it, theres no looking back.
Apart from this, even your neighbors whom you might not suspect could advantage from your open connection connection.
Firewalls include access policies that you’re able to implement for certain services and hosts.
The reason is attackers may exploit some hosts, and hence your web link becomes vulnerable too.
So, blocking such hosts is the solution here.
it’s possible for you to enforce access policy on these hosts or services with the help of firewalls.
How to use firewall protection?
Similarly, MacOS has these options in System parameters > online grid > Firewall.
In addition, users deploy custom firewalls for their high-stakes websites and applications via Cloudflare, Sucuri, etc.
Therefore, it depends, and the answer isnt universal, unfortunately.
It will help you pick the one that can justify your web link needs.
It suddenly reduces the performance and bandwidth of attacked websites.
Hence, always go with a firewall that can offer or integrate with DDoS detection as well as prevention.
Just relying on firewalls is not enough; you gotta know when threats are inline.
Attack alerts remind you to check your firewall quickly to see whats going on.
It can also help you to determine the attack method.
But, if you allow them to enter the company web link remotely, it may involve security risks.
In this case, firewalls handle activities concerning VPNs for authorization, support, etc.
Thanks for the options available.
Depending on the budget and requirement, you might use hardware or software-based firewalls.
If your tool is hosted on thecloud hosting platform, then leveraging acloud-based firewallwill be a good idea.
There are plenty of choices and choose what works well with your utility.
Trust me, the cost of a data breach is way more than investing in a decent firewall.
So, dont take a stab at save the money here.
Conclusion
Firewalls are the first line of defense in your web connection.
If that line of defense is not maintained, it could cost you millions or harm your reputation.
