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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