A firewall is a computer software program that can prohibit all illegal or unapproved data from entering into your computer through outside networks. These firewalls are the tools that provide the user with improved security on your device. They act as an integral element within the framework of your system to provide complete security.
The firewall can work as a protective wall between the Internet and your computer. All those unwanted traffic that can attack your device from the outside world is stopped from entering into the system through these firewalls. There are both hardware and software-based firewalls that are available.
The USB firewall sticks known as USG and Armadillo are also available. This article can help you to provide extensive security to protect your device from hackers. Internet connection is essential for every computer and hence it is vulnerable to attacks from hackers. The hackers intend to gain access to the data that are stored in the computer.
When the laptop or computer gets a constant internet connection, there is more danger to your device. To protect the device from such harmful attacks, this wonderful tool known as the firewall is available.
What is A Firewall And How Does It Work?
- A firewall can be hardware or software that enables hackers from gaining access to the computer. It is a device that is installed on the network to check the traffic that crosses the network.
- A firewall is similar to an antivirus. The difference between firewall and antivirus is that firewall protects against attacks from hackers and internet worms whereas antivirus protects against viruses.
- A firewall is a must if your computer is connected to the internet. The host-based firewall can supervise the device along with the internet connection firewall.
- Both the firewalls work for the same purpose to stop all the unwanted traffic from entering into your system. It will keep track of all the traffic that crosses the network section thereby stopping illegal entry.
- The firewall attains all these tasks by analyzing the data packets upon the already set up rules. Only if the data packs are accepting these rules, they will be permitted to enter by the firewalls. Suppose the rules are not followed by the data packs, then the firewall will reject and block these data packs from entering.
- In the present era, the job of these firewalls is to defend the computer or other device of an individual, company, or administration from such malware.
- The firewall prevents hackers from stealing information from the servers. By using a code wall, the firewall isolates the device from the internet and inspects the data packet on both sides to determine whether it should be blocked or allowed to pass.
- It is the responsibility of the firewall to check the origin and the destination IP address of all the packets at the same time filtering all the unwanted malicious sources.
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What Are The Advantages Of Implementing A Firewall In An Organization?
- To protect the organization from internal threats, as the enemy can be within the company. The user’s access to unwanted sites can be blocked with a firewall being installed. Through the VPN connections, firewalls enable the remote workers to obtain secure access to the network of the company.
- To keep the network safe and all the functionality of the company up to date.
- To protect the corporate data of the company so that the loss of valuable company information can be avoided.
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The List Of Best Free Firewalls
1- Murus Lite
Murus Lite enables the user to confirm even the sophisticated network settings. They do it by dragging and dropping the items, moving sliders, checking boxes, etc. This is a free firewall for Mac that can be used by a beginner. The Murus Lite firewall can prevent unwanted networks from incoming and outgoing, denying internet access to certain controlled apps. By regulating the app network the Murus lite firewall has the potential to prevent and manage individual data leakage.
Pros
- There is no need for any complex or time-consuming workflows.
- Enhanced PF configuration window.
- The firewall is easy and user-friendly
Cons
- It has the primary entry-level features
2- Hands-off
This firewall can monitor and control the apps on your drives and system. It also keeps track of the invisible action that enables you to make conscious decisions while transferring your personal information when connected to the web thereby preventing the leakage of any information that needs to be kept confidential. It can even stop certain unfiltered data from entering into your device. The firewall is free to use, but the upgraded version comes with a price of 14.99 dollars per year.
Pros
- It protects from network parasites and worms.
- It enables flexible configuration
- The user can run even the untrusted apps safely by using this firewall.
Cons
- The premium version of this firewall is quite expensive.
3- Icefloor
The configuration can be done easily with just a few clicks. This firewall has an easy interface and it even provides a detailed guide to set up the app. This firewall can protect from harmful external attacks, trojan viruses, and malicious software. All your private information can be easily protected for free of cost.
Pros
- The default OS X PF configuration files are not amended.
- It can oversee both incoming and outgoing connections using filtering rules and bandwidth.
Cons
- This firewall is not updated for a certain period.
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4- Lulu
This is a free Mac OS firewall that can block all those unauthorized outgoing connections. The Lulu firewall can block any unknown outgoing connections. This firewall is designed for detecting the malware of any unofficial network connection. The operating system components or the data transferring of any third-party apps to the remote servers can even be blocked by using this firewall.
Pros
- It can automatically block unwanted data
- Well designed firewall
- Sends the user notification when the app attempts to connect to any remote server.
Cons
- The outbound connection attempt is only restricted on Mac devices.
5- Peerblock
Peerblock is supported by Linux and it is a successor to PeerGuardian. The IP addresses that are blacklisted and their incoming and outgoing internet connections on the internet are blocked by PeerBlock. The blacklisted hosts are being updated regularly. Many functions are being offered by PeerBlock for free. A black list that has been constantly updated by the home site enables one to select the list. The IP and HTTP trackers, destination, protocol of the tracker, and the source of IP address can be enabled and disabled. The program and the activities can be customized.
Pros
- Open-source
- It can block the whole list of the IPs
- It can also block pop-up ads from the websites.
Cons
- To understand the problem, basic IT knowledge is essential.
6- TinyWall
You must try using TinyWall if you are searching for a lightweight PC firewall solution. You will need about one megabyte space on the hard drive for the TinyWall program to operate. If you are not interested in frequently supervising the application, then TinyWall is the best choice. As the program works in the background, there are no warning pop-ups. Its features include block lists by domains and ports, white lists, password locks, application access restriction, Ipv6 support, etc.
Pros
- There are no pop-up ads which can be annoying
- Free firewall program
- Lightweight
- Boasts auto-learn feature
Cons
- For every web-enabled program, the user will develop the exceptions manually.
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7- ZoneAlarm
From the start of Windows XP, the ZoneAlarm firewall protects the users. When it was launched, it was the most effective, leading, and extensive software. It comes with both paid and free versions. The free version is specifically for Internet users, the premium version offers the user more advanced features and 24/7 online support. The annual cost of the premium version is 14.95 dollars. It provides the user with an easy and intuitive interface and also the best configuration. The ZoneAlarm program has many safety modules and also has a game mode that can deactivate the firewall at the time of playing internet games to avoid connection issues.
Pros
- Anti-phishing
- It gives a Free 5 GB cloud backup
- The document can be safely downloaded
Cons
- There is no security against the exploit attacks.
8- Comodo
This is one of the best free firewalls that can be used on your computer. The software can monitor all the traffic on your computer, safeguard against security threats, explore the connection, etc. All those users who deeply care about the safety of their computer when they are connected to the Internet can take up Comodo as it is a real gem. Comodo also has the paid version. The premium version comes as a total security suite that the company offers. The full protection version of Comodo will cost about 17.99 dollars. There are advanced features of the Comodo firewall that include black and white lists, new programs in the sandbox, etc. It is also simple to use in a built-in windows firewall.
Pros
- It will block all types of internet attacks
- Fast and hassle-free online experience
- All the in and out connections will be monitored
- This firewall is beneficial for beginners in Cybersecurity
Cons
- The programs must be added manually to the block or allow list.
- By default, automatic sandboxing is not enabled.
9- AVS firewall
The AVS firewall has extra modules that offer protection like parental controls, pop-up blockers, registries, etc. Even though it does not provide customized features, the AVS firewall has multiple standard features along with add-on modules. It even gives three levels of protection that include the user, off, and high. The user protection allows the user to configure the decrees for connections. The high protection blocks all the connections and the off-level of protection can disable the firewall.
Pros
- It comes with rich features
- It monitors all the traffic
- A quality add on modules are available
Cons
- The firewall has not been revised for a long period
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10- Sophos XG Firewall Home Edition
This is an expert in the cybersecurity business and the software is even available to use at home. It is more advanced than the other standard firewalls. Along with a computer security system, it is also a network security system. This firewall software provides system security controls to be used at your business and the Sophia XG firewall home edition can be used by users at home for free.
Pros
- The home edition is free of cost
- It has an excellent collection of features
- It supports numerous Sophia-backed appliances.
Cons
- The installation of this software will overwrite the existing files and also the operating system on your computer.
11- Outpost firewall
This firewall gives flexible protection and it is well organized and secures its functionality. The configuration rules can be easily set and it functions efficiently conveying warnings to the users. Without creating further rules, it can record all the answers for the pop-up messages. The automatic rules and configured rules will be notified to the user. It also controls different threatening app activities like driver loading, memory injections, etc. This firewall gives a balanced interface with functionality.
Pros
- The rules Wizard feature
- Anti-leak control feature
- The folder and file lock feature is also available
Cons
- It is not being developed now
- There are many popup ads
12- Private Firewall
This firewall is no longer being developed and you will not notice this product even on their website. But, one can still download this firewall for free using Softpedia which is a software distribution platform. The firewall also has a host-level intrusion detection network that examines the log files on your computer and protects them from unauthorized deletion. The private firewall comprises blacklist and whitelist features, privacy controls, etc. It offers the user all the basic functionality, monitors the email activity, blocks all those infected websites.
Pros
- It blocks specific IP addresses that are dangerous
- The firewall is easy to configure
Cons
- The program needs to be monitored with caution to administer the privileges and to save the updates.
- This firewall has not been maintained since December 2013.
13- Glassware
This firewall enables the user to know the traffic, the data that are sent through your network thereby recognizing anything skeptical. The firewall allows you to view the information, any new online application will be notified, blocking or permitting is possible with just one click. This firewall is built based on windows, the premium version has certain additional features like webcam monitoring or microphone and also to monitor the remote internet connection.
Pros
- User-friendly app
- Block the unwanted program
- The incognito feature can stop the logging of any traffic that is harmful
Cons
- It provides certain advanced customizations
- The app needs to be blocked one after another, the user cannot block all at once.
14- Windows Firewall
This firewall is a part of Windows that is active and installed by default that prevents and blocks the entry of any suspicious sites from attacking your computer. The configuration is simple with just windows defender needs to be turned on. The firewall XP is not very effective like Windows 7. The Tinywall or Windows firewall notifier can be used to reinforce the functionality of the Windows firewall.
Pros
- It can block allowed sites from entering
- Most likely to remain free for a lifetime
Cons
- There is no inspection, monitoring, or proxy server communication.
Choosing The Best Free Firewall Security Software
- While choosing the best free firewall, pricing and planning are very important. The personal firewall can be cheaper while the professional firewalls can be more expensive.
- The cost of the firewall can have a direct effect on the functions and properties of the firewall.
- When coming to security features, a good firewall must be consistent, reliable, and able to perform the traffic analysis by filtering all those unwanted network communications from entering your computer.
- The firewall must be able to filter, supervise and detect all the threats, prevent the spread of harmful internet worms or hackers, and update the warnings coming through cloud technology.
Conclusion
A firewall contributes to securing the network by filtering all the incoming and outgoing system traffic that is based on a certain set of rules. All the legitimate network communication will be streaming freely and the unwanted network communication will be discontinued. Hope this article has guided you to choose the best firewall for your device.
