What is a firewall and why should I use one?
Another tool in your line of defense should be a firewall. There are two types of firewalls. Hardware firewalls and software firewalls. Basically a firewall is a program with a set of predetermined rules controlling what programs in your computer are allowed to pass data back and forth across the internet. Firewalls work in the background controlling inbound and outbound traffic and notify the user of any intrusion attempts on their system with a pop up message alert or it can run silently in the background. Hardware firewalls are suitable for use with a home network. A NAT router (Network Address Translator) can shield the network behind the router and can discard inbound data packets from hackers and port scanners and log any entry attempts or attacks. Software firewalls are necessary any time you connect to the internet. These alone will not deter a determined hacker but they can help to hide your data ports from hackers who look for open connections. Firewalls by themselves cannot
