By: Stephen Grisham
Sr.
What Does a Firewall Do?
Firewalls are absolutely vital for keeping network security in force. The
firewall stops and controls the traffic that comes between your network and the
different sites you go to. A firewall is an integral part of a company's network
protection, and it acts to keep in force the network security policy. It can log
inter-network activity with efficiency. It can also reduce a network's
vulnerability. Whenever an organization is connected to the Internet but is not
using a firewall, any host on the network has direct access to all resources on
the internet. If you don't have a firewall, every host online can attack every
host in your network.
What is a Firewall Incapable of Doing?
Firewalls are incapable of determining whether network content has a harmful
purpose. Frequently they are unable to safeguard against attacks from within
(although they may log the activity on the network, if the culprit utilizes the
internet connection to commit the offense). If a connection does not pass
through the firewall, it cannot be protected by it. To put it another way,
should a person link up to the Internet via a computer modem and phone, the
network firewall is unable to offer them any safeguard. Firewalls offer minimal
safeguarding from attacks which are not already identified, and basic firewalls
furnish inadequate security from contact with online viruses.
Authentication of a network user
All that user authentication implies is a means of establishing as valid or
verifying the claimed identity. Usernames and passwords furnish this
verification, however this is not very powerful user authentication. If a
connection is not private, like an Internet hook-up that lacks encryption,
usernames and passwords may be duplicated and replayed. Strength in terms of
user authentication necessitates the utilization of encryption, like SSL
certificates. These certificates stop 'replay attacks' from occurring, for
instance when a username and password are obtained and 'replayed' for purposes
of admittance or accessibility.
Firewall-to-firewall encryption
Virtual Private Network, or VPN, is the term most often used for an encrypted
connection. Privacy is achieved by using encoded inputs. Of course, it isn't
really private. The private communication is carried by a public network such as
the Internet. VPNs were in use before firewalls, but as the technology has
grown, VPNs have come into play more. A VPN option is expected by most people
when dealing with a firewall vendor.
Other firewall functions:
- Firewalls are more and more being used to screen content. Some firewalls
also now scan for viruses. If you use a firewall for virus scanning, it can slow
down your performance, though. You have to scan for viruses all the time,
because each desktop is different and sometimes the firewall can't always
protect you from everything that you do. Especially when it comes to any
removable disks.
- URL Screening: Firewall regulated accessibility to the internet as well as
content filtering of both files and messages appears to be a practical extension
of a firewall. The drawback of utilizing a firewall for URL or content filtering
is minimized performance.
- To restrict the size of network space that any single user can occupy, or
restrict the amount of the network's bandwidth that may be utilized for given
purposes.
Stephen Grisham, Sr. is a copy writer for InfoServe Media, LLC. InfoServe
Media is a Houston, TX web design and web hosting company. Want to create
your website yourself? InfoServe Media also offers a way to create a web
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