The Role of a Firewall in the Year 2018

RapidVPN/ January 14, 2018/ Blog/

With the roles that computers play in our daily lives, it is imperative to know as many things about them as possible. Most of us know how to send and receive emails; do simple word processing and the like. But it is just as important to understand those parts of our computer that could protect us from computer problems down the line.

One such component that helps us protect our computer is a firewall.

What is a firewall?

A firewall is created to keep any danger or “e-threats” from spreading on your computer. It filters information that comes on to your computer system via a network, or from the Internet.

Over the years, firewalls are known to have been protecting internet users who have them activated. You may ask:

  • Is a firewall still effective?
  • What is the role of a firewall in the year 2018?

Having a firewall installed is one of the best choices you will ever make. A firewall has so many roles to play; in fact, there are quite a few things that a firewall can protect your computer from. A few things include computer viruses, spam, and email bombs.

Here’s a detailed explanation of the role of a firewall in the year 2018

The role of a firewall in the year 2018

  • Viruses control

Viruses are probably some of the most well-known threats to your computer. Viruses do varying degrees of damage. Some minimal, some can erase all of your data, or even steal vital information. It is a small program that can copy itself to various computers. However, with a firewall installed, you deny viruses the chance to take over your PC.

  • Spam Filter

Often, spam is more irritating than it is dangerous. But, depending on the source, the links within some of these messages can harm your computer if you click on them.  A firewall will help you filter spam messages to where they belong.

  • E-mail Bombs

An e-mail bomb will usually come from someone you know. For whatever reason, somebody will send you the same e-mail so many times – like hundreds or thousands of times – that your e-mail system is so full that you cannot accept any more messages. A firewall will prevent this from happening.

There are a lot of other roles that a firewall is capable of playing in the year 2018. Some computer operating systems already come with a firewall built in for you. If your system does not have one built in, you can always install firewall software on your computer with an Internet connection.

Is a firewall still effective or needed in the 2018?

With so many security threats on the internet, you have 7 out of 10 chances of getting of having your computer infected by a virus, Trojan or worm, of course without a firewall installed.

Except you wouldn’t mind having important data (for example, credit card details, social network login details, etc.) stolen, you definitely need a firewall installed.

Bottom line: A firewall is effective, and you need to install one in the year 2018, if you don’t want your online security compromised.