Security with Firewalls

A secure Internet connection is becoming hard to obtain. Depending on how a network is set up correlates to what security protocol needs to be put in place. One good step in obtaining a secure Internet connection with any network would be to setup a firewall. According to Jeff Tyson (2008), “A Firewall is simply a program or hardware device that filters the information coming through the Internet connection into your private network or computer system.” The previous quote implies that a firewall, at its simplest form, is just a filter. Firewalls can be software, hardware and a combination of both.

One type of firewall is a software firewall. Software firewall is typically software installed on the local computer. Most operating systems (OSs)–Windows, Mac, and Linux/UNIX—have a software firewall installed by default. According to National Cyber Alert System (2008), “If you don't have a built-in firewall, you can obtain a software firewall for relatively little or no cost from your local computer store, software vendors, or ISP.” Software firewalls are very easy to obtain and install on a computer system. Some software firewalls are Windows Firewall, Norton Internet Security, and Iptables from Linux. Software firewalls are good when a single computer is connected to the Internet.