Pros and Cons of Using a Firewall

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The main advantage of such programs is that they increase the overall level of system security. Firstly, the firewall protects the device from malicious incoming traffic by monitoring the activity of all applications that have access to the Internet. Secondly, it controls outgoing data, which significantly reduces the risk of leakage of confidential information and the likelihood of the device being included in a botnet - a network of infected machines controlled by an intruder. The user receives notifications every time the firewall notices suspicious activity and blocks any data packets.

But even such a useful tool has its drawbacks. Since traffic analysis is carried out in real time, the speed of receiving information from the Internet is noticeably reduced. Its processing requires time and resources (RAM, processor), so the overall performance of the computer drops. At the same time, some of the decisions made by the screen may be unjustified: if the filters are configured incorrectly, then receiving or sending even safe information may be problematic. This is due to another disadvantage - the complexity of the setup. To prevent the firewall from conflicting with other applications, you will have to set many rules for each separately.

What problems can a firewall cause?
As we have already said, due to the specifics of its work, a firewall can significantly reduce the system's performance. The more filtering rules it has and the more actively programs with online access are used, the more it will load the device. If the computer is powerful, this is not so bad. But if there are few resources, the drop in performance paraguay whatsapp number database will be noticeable. This can also cause a slowdown in data transfer. A firewall reduces the speed of the Internet connection, since it first passes all traffic through the filtering system, which takes time. Under normal conditions, this is not critical, but for some areas (for example, in online games) it is a serious problem.

It is also worth remembering about the possibility of false positives. Setting up a firewall is not easy, so very often users encounter blocking of safe, acceptable traffic. The program can take a regular data packet for a potential threat and not let it through, focusing on its internal algorithms. Conflicts between the firewall and antivirus, torrent, and other trusted applications are not uncommon.
Should I use a firewall?
If your device is connected to the Internet, such protection will not be superfluous. Usually, the OS already has a built-in firewall, you can turn it on and off whenever you want. We recommend using this tool when connecting to public wireless networks (Wi-Fi in hotels, airports, cafes).

If we talk about the corporate sector, the company's local network must be protected without fail. A firewall will reduce the likelihood of external intrusion, allow you to set restrictions on the use of certain programs by employees, and ensure secure data transfer via FTP and other protocols. The use of a firewall is recommended for educational institutions (schools, in particular), government agencies, public institutions with their own Wi-Fi, as well as organizations for which it is important to monitor the work of personnel and prevent the use of "non-core" programs and sites. In this case, it is better to install a hardware and software firewall so as not to additionally load work computers.

Conclusion
A firewall is a network traffic filtering tool. It helps protect against many types of attacks and threats, but it also has disadvantages that can worsen the operation of the device. Now you know why you need a firewall and in what situations it is necessary to use it. We hope that our article was useful for you.

Author: Eurobyte