Understand Firewalls

About firewalls

What is a firewall? - A firewall protects your computer from attacks by unauthorised users, either internally (from an organisation's own users) or externally via the internet... [Read More]

The future of firewalls - All PCs and networks need a firewall simply because as the internet continues to grow and more users gain access, more malicious people will try to gain illegal access to networks, sometimes just for the sake of it, or to steal confidential data or damage users PCs... [Read More]

Why install a firewall - Leaving your PC or network exposed to the internet without any protection is similar to leaving your car unlocked... [Read More]

Types of firewalls - Describes the types of hardware and software firewalls you can purchase... [Read More]

Benefits of a firewall - The first benefit of a firewall is that it secures a computer network from hostile intrusions... [Read More]

Disadvantages and potential pitfalls - Because firewalls inspect every piece of information transferred between users sending information or people downloading information from the Internet, they can slow down the network... [Read More]

Buying and installing firewalls

Six steps to successfully buying a firewall - Identify the needs of your organisation and your users. Understand your requirements, test and systems... [Read More]

Points to remember when installing a firewall - It is highly recommended that you have a professional company install and maintain your firewall unless you have an IT person responsible within your organisation that can do it... [Read More]

Firewall case studies

10 Steps to Corporate Security - A simple guide for your business... [Read More - pdf]

Securing a Mid-size Business Network with Solutions from Symantec and AIS Delivers $98,000 in Annual Savings - Insurance Technologies, LLC needs to protect its intellectual property, as well as the data of the top-tier financial institutions that make up its client base. The firm turned to Symantec and Advanced Internet Security, Inc. for... [Read More - pdf]

Ensuring Safe, Secure, and Highly Available Customer Information with Symantec Information Integrity Solution - With a wealth of customer information that must be kept both secure and available, Farmers & Merchants Bank requires a resilient infrastructure. The bank turned to Symantec to deliver... [Read More - pdf]

Shielding Small Business with Symantec Security Protection - Hemenway Business Service needed to protect its systems, and the systems of the small businesses it serves, against viruses, spyware, and other intrusions. After beta testing... [Read More - pdf]

Questions and answers

What is a firewall? - A firewall protects your computer from attacks from unauthorised users either internally (from your organisation’s own users) or via the internet. It is also used to stop users accessing certain websites... [Read More]

How does it work in practice? - The firewall is able to do this by inspecting information (sent and received) as it leaves and enters the network. If it spots any suspicious activity it will alert either the user or the IT department and will also put any suspicious files into quarantine ready for inspection... [Read More]

Why is it called a firewall? - The term is borrowed from ship building. When ships were designed and built, they were sectioned or partitioned so that in the event of a fire, the partitions would prevent the fire from spreading... [Read More]

Do I need a firewall? - In a word, yes! Without one, you are leaving your PC or network wide open to people who may wish to steal data or damage your PC... [Read More]

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In summary about firewalls

A firewall is an essential element of a security policy for any organisation, small or large.

What type of firewall to run, or whether to choose a hardware or software option, will depend on the size of your organisation and if it has many remote users. For small entities with maybe less than 10 PCs it may be more practical to have a software firewall on every PC but any more than this will probably necessitate a hardware firewall.

The key to a successful implementation of a firewall is to ensure that it is correctly installed, regularly updated and that you set proper policies to meet the needs of your organisation and users.

Glossary of terms

1. Packets - When information, for example an email, is sent via the internet, the email is broken down into pieces of information or ‘packets’ of information. The packets include vital information including who has sent the information and its destination. This ensures that the information is sent to the correct destination.

2. Backup - A backup is a copy of all information, such as documents, spreadsheets and email, that is recorded onto another medium, such as CD, DVD, or memory stick so that in the event of a PC becoming infected by a virus or if a hard disc breaks, the data can still be accessed from the CD, DVD etc.

It is advisable that a backup is taken at least once a week to minimise any data loss. Imagine losing six months of hard work without being to retrieve it. This can have terrible consequences on an individual or organisation.

3. Malware - A computer virus is a way of describing a computer programme that has been written specifically to cause damage to your PC. In essence, it is a piece of software that is written to cause as much havoc as possible.

There are many types of viruses including worms, phishing, rootkits, and Trojan horses. They are collectively known as malware.