Firewalls
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There are three main categories of firewall and the costs vary greatly from one to the next. In this article
I will explain the main benefits of each and the main differences between them.
The three types of firewall are application firewall, software firewall and hardware firewall.
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Application Firewall
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An application firewall is a software firewall that runs on the machine that the firewall is protecting. Application
firewalls offer limited protection, stop worm type viruses, and script kiddie hackers.
The problem with application firewalls is the amount of addional software running on the same machine, a
vulnerability of crash could leave your machine open to attack.
Application firewalls are the cheapest solution and suitable for users and organisations that store a very few
customer details and account details.
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Windows Firewall
Windows firewall is the default firewall that comes with Windows. It offers limited protection, because it
is the most widely used, any vulnerability is quick exploited by newly released worms.
Zonealarm
A good firewall with many options to control internet access. Zonealarm provide a free version with limited
features that is perfect for home users. I have found Zonealarm to occasionally crash and prevent programs
accessing the internet.
Norton Firewall
Norton firewall is an excellent firewall, Norton firewall is a commercial piece of software that has similar
benefits and problems to Zonealarm.
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Software Firewall
A software firewall is an application firewall running on a stand alone machine. Software firewalls, such as SME
Server are very difficult to hack, even for an expert. Software firewalls have very few additional applications
running on the machine, so have very few vulnerabilities.
Software firewalls are cost effective, often provide additional benefits such as centrallised backup and file
sharing and they are a good solution for small businesses that store customer finance details or confidential
information.
Hardware Firewall
Hardware firewalls are the most secure kind of firewall, offering complete protection against a particular
kind of vulnerability. Hardware firewalls that protect against a wide range of vulnerabilities are very expensive
and recommended for organisations that store a very large amount of customer and confidential information.
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