If the owner of a computer connected to the global Internet does not know what a firewall is and does not take any measures to protect information, then he is unjustifiably at risk. According to statistics, a computer with open ports (no firewall) is at risk of infection every 2-5 minutes.
Everyone has heard that a huge number of different malicious programs exist. And stories of potential dangers are one worse than the other. Although focusing CRT monitor beams to a single point or erasing a BIOS chip has long been a thing of the past, giving way to practical benefits for malware creators, it is absolutely necessary to protect data on a computer while on the Internet.
Before answering the question “what is a firewall”, it is necessary to indicate that the antivirus and firewall are two different things. Do not confuse these terms! Some viruses are spread by running an infected file on a “clean” system. And it doesn’t matter who exactly launches the infected program - the user or the operating system (autostart function). But others use the capabilities of the global network to spread, without requiring a direct launch. It is obvious that if the first ones can recognize anti-virus protection programs, then they are practically powerless against network infection.
To answer the question “what is a firewall”, consider a simple example. A computer connected to the network is a house with many windows and doors. Some doors are designed for guests, as they lead directly to the living room, others for cats and dogs, etc. The same is with windows: one must be constantly ajar, as a thread passes through it, with which the child talks with another neighbor , another opens periodically, and the third is deaf. Obviously, keeping them all “wide open” is quite dangerous, because any thief can easily take anything out of the house.
Windows and doors in this example are network computer ports. If the user does not know what a firewall is and has not installed the appropriate program, then all ports are open. Through them, you can access information on your computer: directly steal or infect the system with malicious code. Firewall is a special program that closes the "extra" ports and allows you to flexibly configure the work with the necessary. By analogy with the house, it is a guard who accurately determines where the visitor is desired and where not. The name comes from the English. Firewall (wall of fire). The term firewall is sometimes used - it is a German synonym. You can check the status of computer ports on the Russian 2ip site.
The firewall is part of the Windows system, but it is quite simple, so it is recommended to pay attention to specialized products. There are a lot of them and everyone will find the best solution for themselves.
Users who want to completely secure information on their computer should try to use comprehensive software solutions. Usually in their name is the word "Security". For example, Kaspersky Internet Security, Comodo Internet Security, Norton Internet Security, etc. These programs combine a high-quality antivirus and firewall. However, many such solutions are distributed on a fee basis. At the same time, there are both free firewalls and antiviruses. So, by installing, for example, Avira Free (free) antivirus and Comodo Firewall, you can organize reliable protection against malicious programs. All firewalls provide various protection options, so before the final choice you need to try the selected "applicants". For example, the firewall, which is part of Dr.Web, when user programs try to access the Network, displays a dialog box with options. This can be convenient if any “without demand” program wants to go online.