| What is a Firewall?The term "firewall" illustrates a | | | | incident a Trojan was being used to operate the web |
| system that protects a network and the machines on | | | | cam. All the activities being done in the house were |
| them from various types of attack. Firewalls are | | | | being telecasted on the websites."Spies:Spies are out |
| geared towards keeping the server up all the time and | | | | to get secret information. It may be difficult to detect |
| protecting the entire network.The primary goal of a | | | | break-ins by spies since they will probably leave no |
| firewall is to implement a desired security policy; | | | | trace if they get what they are looking for.A personal |
| controlling access in both directions through the firewall, | | | | firewall, therefore, is one of the methods you can use |
| and to protect the firewall itself from compromise. It | | | | to deny such intrusions.How Firewalls work?Firewalls |
| wards off intrusion attempts, Trojans and other | | | | basically work as a filter between your application and |
| malicious attacks.Personal Firewalls:They are meant | | | | network connection. They act as gatekeepers and as |
| for the home user in a networked environment. They | | | | per your settings, show a port as open or closed for |
| aim to block simple attacks, unlike the enterprise level | | | | communication. You can grant rights for different |
| firewalls that the corporate world uses at the server | | | | applications to gain access to the internet and also in a |
| or router end. There are many ways to implement a | | | | reverse manner by blocking outside applications trying |
| firewall, each with specific advantages and | | | | to use ports and protocols and preventing attacks. |
| disadvantages.Are they really needed?Nowadays | | | | Hence you can block ports that you don't use or even |
| organizations and professionals use Internet technology | | | | block common ports used by Trojans.Using Firewalls |
| to establish their online presence and showcase their | | | | you can also block protocols, so restricting access to |
| products and services globally. Their endeavor is to | | | | NetBIOS will prevent computers on the network from |
| leverage digital technology to make their business | | | | accessing your data. Firewalls often use a combination |
| work for them.All the organizations and professionals | | | | of ports, protocols, and application level security to give |
| are shifting from Dialup to broadband and getting a | | | | you the desired security.Firewalls are configured to |
| fixed IP. It has led to an increase in security attacks, | | | | discard packets with particular attributes such |
| bugs in everyday working. This does not mean that | | | | as:Specific source or destination IP addresses.Specific |
| Dialup being anonymous dynamic link or the firewall of | | | | protocol typesTCP flags set/clear in the packet |
| the ISP network make you pretty safe.Now if your | | | | header.Choosing a firewall:Choose the firewalls which |
| machine was under attack, you must have wondered | | | | have the ability to ward of all intrusion attempts, control |
| what went wrong making your system crash | | | | applications that can access the internet, preventing |
| suddenly. So I would rather like to say, it's not | | | | the malicious scripts or controls from stealing |
| necessary for anyone to actually know about you or | | | | information or uploading files and prevent Trojans and |
| your IP address to gain access to your system.If you | | | | other backdoor agents from running as servers.The |
| system is infected or prone to intrusions, then beyond | | | | purpose of having a firewall cannot be diminished in |
| the anonymity of your Dialup connection or a dynamic | | | | order to gain speed. However, secure, |
| IP, your system can be hacked.Types of | | | | high-performance firewalls are required to remove the |
| AttacksIntrusion:There are many ways to gain | | | | bottleneck when using high speed Internet connections. |
| unauthorized access to a system. Operating system | | | | The World-Wide-Web makes possible the generation |
| vulnerabilities, cracked or guessed passwords are | | | | of enormous amounts of traffic at the click of a |
| some of the more common. Once access is attained, | | | | mouse.Some of the good firewall performers available |
| the intruder can send email, tamper with data, or use | | | | in the market are below:BlackICE DefendereSafe |
| the system privileges to attack another | | | | DesktopMcAfee Personal FirewallNeowatchNorton |
| system.Information Theft and Tampering:Data theft | | | | Personal FirewallPGP Desktop SecuritySygate |
| and tampering do not always require that the system | | | | Personal FirewallsTiny Personal FirewallZone |
| be compromised. There have been many bugs with | | | | AlarmZone Alarm ProMost of these firewalls are free |
| FTP servers that allow attackers to download | | | | for personal use or offer a free trial period. All the |
| password files or upload Trojan horses.Service | | | | personal firewalls available can't ensure 100% security |
| Attacks:Any attack that keeps the intended user from | | | | for your machine. Regular maintenance of the machine |
| being able to use the services provided by their | | | | is needed for ensuring safety.Some of the tasks |
| servers is considered a denial of service attack. There | | | | advised for maintaining system not prone to |
| are many types of denial of service attacks, and | | | | intrusions:Disable file and print sharing if you are not |
| unfortunately are very difficult to defend against. "Mail | | | | going to be on network.Update your antivirus signature |
| bombs" are one example in which an attacker | | | | files regularly.Use a specialized Trojan cleaner.Regular |
| repeatedly sends large mail files in the attempt at filling | | | | apply security patches to your software and operating |
| the server's disk filesystem thus preventing legitimate | | | | system.Don't open email attachments if you have don't |
| mail from being received.Types of | | | | know the contents it may contain.Don't allow unknown |
| AttackersJoyrider:Not all attacks on computer | | | | applications to access to the internet or to your |
| systems are malicious. Joyriders are just looking for | | | | system.Regularly check log files of your personal |
| fun. Your system may be broken into just because it | | | | firewall and antivirus software.Disable ActiveX and |
| was easy, or to use the machine as a platform to | | | | java and uninstall windows scripting host if not |
| attack others. It may be difficult to detect intrusion on a | | | | required.Turn off Macros in Applications like Microsoft |
| system that is used for this purpose. If the log files are | | | | Office and turn macro protection on.Check the open |
| modified, and if everything appears to be working, you | | | | ports of your system and see them against the |
| may never know.Vandals:A vandal is malicious. They | | | | common list of Trojans ports to see if they are being |
| break in to delete files or crash computer systems | | | | used by some Trojan.Log Off from your internet |
| either because they don't like you, or because they | | | | connection if not required. Being online on the internet |
| enjoy destroying things. If a vandal breaks into your | | | | for long duration gives any intruder more and sufficient |
| computer, you will know about it right away. Vandals | | | | time to breach system security.Unplug peripherals like |
| may also steal secrets and target your privacy."In an | | | | web cam, microphone if they are not being used. |