Firewall Functions

• Firewall software functions as the front-line of defense against unwanted probes into the information stored on each individual computer. This includes the type of software on the system and the custom data created by the computer owner. All firewall software provides some level of protection against unauthorized intruders, protecting the computer from communication to and from unauthorized connections, making the computer virtually invisible to cyber-criminals and other intruders randomly searching the Internet for vulnerable computers or other smart appliances.
  
  

Levels of Protection

• Firewall software is created with different levels of security algorithms. Microsoft Windows, for example, comes with the most basic firewall built into the operating program. The purpose of the Windows Firewall is to provide entry-level firewall protection until the Windows user activates the security solutions offered by Microsoft's strategic partners, usually Norton or McAfee security solutions.
  
  The most advanced firewall software will protect and monitor all 65,535 communication ports, which allow access to the Internet. Advanced firewall software will ask permission from the computer user before any communication is approved, inside or outside the computer.
  
  

Firewall Features

• The two specific features consumers should look for in their firewall software are:
  
  Built-in Intrusion Detection (IDS), which alerts users when someone is attempting to access their computer. IDS protection is similar to a home protection system; it acts as an intruder alarm system for the computer.
  
  MD5 signature verification, which is a mathematical algorithm that creates a digital signature for programs and applications. It is one of the most powerful and reliable security protection methods used today for checking malicious code that may have been embedded into a trusted program or file.
  
  

Firewall Misconceptions

• The main misconception when it comes to firewall software is that all firewall software is created equal. People go for a low-end free firewall or just stick to using the Windows firewall, never realizing cyber-criminals and teenage hackers have already created counter measures to circumvent the firewall without the computer user ever realizing they have been compromised.
  
  Consumers must realize every level of computer security must be analyzed to see which software security components work best with the next level of security.
  
  

Expert Insight on Firewall Software

• Never look for a free firewall solution as the first line of Internet security defense. Don't skimp on low-end firewall software solutions to protect against professional hackers. Of all the layers of security on a computer, the firewall should be the best a person can afford.
  
  And if highly sensitive data is stored on the computer, locate a high-end broadband router, which will include an Internal firewall. This will give a double layer of firewall protection and will ensure if a cyber-criminal penetrates the router firewall, the internal firewall software will stop or slow down the hacker so preventative counter measures can be initiated.