Today we are going to talk about What is Firewall in sort language? All of us human beings keep one thing in mind for doing any small or big work in our life and that is “safe” that means security. As people already save money for their future, so that later when they need money, then there will be no need to spread their hands in front of anyone. For the safety of their children, parents stay with them at every step. Bodyguards are kept for the protection of those who are big celebrities and ministers. “Law” has been made for the safety of the people living in every country. Every day on the border, the brave soldiers of our country give their lives for the safety of all of us.
The life of all of us human beings is in one way or the other in the circle of security, due to which we are breathing in peace. In the same way, the computer also needs a protection so that it can be kept safe from virus and malware and all the data kept in the computer cannot be caught by any other unknown person. The name of that security is “Firewall”. Those who use computer and Internet more must have heard the name of firewall. What is Firewall? Why is this necessary? Today I am going to tell you about this.
What is Firewall?
Firewall is a system to keep computers safe, which protects all types of computers and their networks from intruders, hackers and malware. Firewall protects our computer from aggressive software that secretly comes inside our computers and passes all personal details to the hackers sending that software who takes very wrong advantage of it.
Firewall is a type of security scheme that resides either in the form of a software program or as a hardware device, so whenever our computer connects to the internet, this firewall prevents the traffic coming towards our computer from coming in. is. For example, let me tell you that whenever we go to a website using the internet on a computer, or watch some videos and simultaneously download them, or anything else on the internet other than this. While working, the firewall stops whatever traffic is coming towards our computer, it creates a wall all around in our computer’s network so that any unwanted software comes in the computer and installs itself. It should not happen or any unwanted files should not come in the computer, due to which the virus can attack on the computer and delete all the data
Firewall only gives space to those things that we allow users to come in, apart from this no malware or virus is allowed to come inside. In the same way, even if a virus is already present in our computer and many computers in a room are connected together in a network, even then the firewall prevents the virus of one computer from going to other computers. This means that the firewall acts as protection from both sides.
What are the types of Firewalls?
There are two types of Firewall, one is Hardware Firewall and the other is Software Firewall.
#1 Hardware Firewall
Hardware Firewalls are already present in all Routers nowadays, whose job is to prevent virus from going from one computer to another. For example, suppose 10 computers in a room are connected to the same network and firewall has been enabled in the router or modem being used there, then all the computers that are connected to that router will have Firewall starts working automatically. Whenever any work is done on the Internet through computers, the firewall there protects the computers from viruses and malware. Every request emanating from the computer comes out in the form of a data packet and the ID of the network is also associated with it, so whenever a reply to that request comes from the server, the same network ID is associated with that packet. That the firewall gets to know that that data is correct. Apart from this, if any other packet tries to enter with that packet, then the firewall stops it outside.
The second function of the firewall is that if a virus comes from anywhere in a computer, then that virus cannot leave that computer and reach the other computer, the firewall also takes care of it well.
#2 Software Firewall
In new generation Windows Operating System like Windows 7, 8, 10, Vista, XP etc. Firewall is already inbuilt and it remains “on” by default so that the computer can be completely secure. If you want, you can change it according to your need by looking at its settings in Computers. Apart from this, many antivirus are also present in the internet like Avast, McAfee, Norton, QuickHeal etc. All of them also have the same firewall. Whenever we install new software or games in our computers, a popup box appears in our computer in which firewall asks permission from user whether you have to install this program in your computer because Windows firewall blocked this program. If we want, we can install the program by ticking that option. Software firewalls work in the same way in computers and keep our personal data safe from hackers and viruses.
What Is Firewall Configuration?
A firewall plays a very important role in community security and has to be suitably configured to maintain organizations protected from information congestion and cyberattacks.
It is possible by configuring domain names and Internet Protocol (IP) addresses to maintain the firewall protected. Firewall policy arrangement relies on network type, such as public or private, and may be installed with safety rules which block or permit access to stop possible attacks from hackers or malware.
Appropriate firewall configuration is vital, as default attributes may not offer maximum security from a cyberattack.
Why Firewall Configuration Is important?
Improper firewall setup could lead to attackers gaining unauthorized access to secure internal networks and tools. Because of this, cyber criminals are continuously watching out for networks which have obsolete servers or software and aren’t protected. Gartner emphasized the dimensions and size of the matter, forecasting that 99 percent of anti virus breaches would be brought on by misconfigurations in 2020.
Normal settings on many firewalls and protocols such as the File Transfer Protocol (FTP) don’t supply the essential degree of security to keep systems protected from cyberattacks. Organizations must ensure standard firewall setup meets the distinctive needs of the own networks.
How To Configure a Firewall Properly?
There are Five rule to Configure a Firewall Properly.
#1 Secure the Firewall
Securing a firewall would be the key first step to ensure only authorized administrators have access to it. This includes activities such as:
- Update with the Latest Version.
- Never placing firewalls into manufacturing without proper configurations set up.
- Deleting, disabling, or restarting default accounts and altering default passwords Utilize specific, secure passwords Never utilizing shared user account.
- When a firewall will be handled by multiple administrators, then added admin accounts should have restricted privileges according to individual duties Disabling the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP), which gathers and organizes information on devices on IP networks, or even deleting it for protected usage.
- Restricting incoming and outgoing network traffic for specific programs or the Transmission Control Protocol.
#2 Establish your Firewall Zones and IP addresses
It’s very important to spot network resources and assets that have to be guarded. Including creating a structure which sets corporate resources into zones based on similar purposes and the amount of danger.
A fantastic instance of this is servers–like email servers, virtual private network (VPN) servers, and internet servers–put in a committed zone which restricts inbound online traffic, frequently known as a demilitarized zone (DMZ). An overall rule is the more zones generated, the more protected the system is. But, having more zones also needs more time to handle them. Using a community zone structure based, it’s also important to set up a corresponding IP address structure that unifies zones into firewall interfaces and sub interfaces.
#3 Configure Your Access Control Lists (ACLs)
ACLs allow organizations to ascertain which traffic is permitted to flow in and out of every zone. ACLs behave as firewall rules, which associations can use to every firewall interface and subinterface.
ACLs must be created specific to the specific destination and source port numbers and IP addresses. Every ACL should have a “deny all” rule generated in the end of this, which empowers organizations to filter unapproved traffic. Every interface and sub interface also requires an outbound and inbound ACL to make sure only approved visitors can attain each zone. It’s likewise a good idea to disable firewall management ports from public accessibility to protect the settings and disable unencrypted firewall control protocols.
#4 Other Firewall Services and Logging
If your firewall can also be capable of acting as a dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) server, network time protocol (NTP) server, intrusion prevention system (IPS), etc.), then go right ahead and configure the services that you want to utilize. Disable all of the additional services which you don’t mean to utilize.
To meet PCI DSS demands , configure your firewall to document for your logging server, and be sure enough detail is included to satisfy demand 10.2 through 10.3 of this PCI DSS.
#5 Test Firewall Configuration
In a test environment, confirm that your firewall functions as planned. Do not forget to confirm that your firewall is blocking traffic which needs to be blocked in accordance with your ACL settings. When you’ve completed testing your firewall, your firewall ought to be prepared for production. Never forget to keep a backup of your firewall setup saved in a safe location so that all your hard work isn’t lost in case of a hardware failure.
Now keep in mind, this is merely an overview that will assist you realize the significant measures of firewall setup. When utilizing tutorials, or even in the event that you choose to configure your personal firewall, make sure you have a safety expert review your settings to be certain that it is installed to maintain your data as secure as you can.
Conduct Firewall Continually
Together with your firewall in creation, you’ve completed your firewall settings, but firewall direction has only started. Logs have to be tracked, firmware should be upgraded, vulnerability scans have to be done, and firewall rules have to be assessed at least every six weeks. Last of all, make certain to record your procedure and be diligent about doing these continuing tasks to make sure your firewall proceeds to safeguard your network. Firewall monitoring and management are crucial to ensuring the firewall continues to be planned. Including tracking logs, doing vulnerability scans, and frequently reviewing principles. It’s also very important to record processes and deal with the configuration consistently and faithfully to ensure continuing security of the community.
Mistakes To Avoid While Setting Up Firewall Configuration?
Configuring a firewall May Pose Problems, which May commonly be Avoided by avoiding common Errors, for Example: Utilizing comprehensive policies or the incorrect firewall configurations could lead to host difficulties, such as Domain Name System (DNS) and connectivity problems. Ignoring outgoing traffic may pose a threat to networks. Relying solely upon a firewall for network security or non invasive authentication methods may not shield all corporate tools.
Conclusion
Whether it is hardware or software, it is very important to use firewall in computers because there are many malicious sites in the internet which can sneak into our computer and steal the data. I hope you know what is Firewall, and why is it important? Would have understood. If you have not used it in your computer till now, then definitely do it and keep your computer safe.
