Security...everyone is concerned about it. What can you do?
If you’re connected to the Internet, then it’s simple. You should run a firewall.
A firewall is a system designed to protect a computer network from unauthorized access, especially via the Internet. It is a system, or combination of systems, that enforces a boundary between two or more networks. So basically, a firewall is a barrier to keep destructive forces away from your computer and files.
What the Firewall Does
The firewall is simply a program or piece of hardware that filters the information coming through the network. Let’s say you’re connected to a corporate network like the one here at Erickson. There may be rules set on the firewall that say, out of the 500 computers inside this company, only one is permitted to receive public FTP (file transfer protocol) traffic, allowing FTP connections only to that one computer and preventing them on all others.
A company can set up rules like this for FTP servers, Web servers, Telnet servers, and so on. In addition, the company can control how employees connect to websites, whether files are allowed to leave the company over the network, and so on.
The same principles apply to the home user. You may decide to run a Web server on that high speed connection of yours. If you do, a firewall is a must. Just like in the corporate network you can direct the right kind of traffic to the right place.
Protection From Hackers
There are many ways crafty hackers can gain access or abuse unprotected computers:
- Remote login
- Application
- SMTP session
- Operating system
- Denial of service
- E-mail bombs
- Macros
- Viruses
- Spam
- Redirect bombs
- Source routing
You can stop hackers cold in their tracks. A properly configured firewall will block these attempts without any problem.
Complicated? Not Really