If you use the internet regularly, then you are probably already familiar with how a Firewall works. If you have no clue, then this will give you an idea. To put it in the simplest way, a firewall is a barrier that keeps unknown and distrusted websites. Basically, it acts like a firewall for your computer.

How do you get a firewall? There are a lot of sites online that allows you to download a program that can protect your computer. Some of these services can be obtained for free but if you want to best and most thorough protection, then you can buy a hardware device that will be able to filter information and won’t allow it through if it will cause any harm to your computer.

When choosing a firewall, go for a program that has been trusted by many. Do not just go for something easy and free. Read reviews and get the one that will be the most compatible to your computer.

A lot of computers are now being upgraded to Windows 7 and if you are one of the many who has upgraded to Windows 7, then you might be interested to learn about the top firewalls that are compatible with it.  There are so many companies that offer software that would protect your computer but only a handful which actually does its job right. Here are the top 3 best Free Firewall to consider:

Comodo – It’s important for a software to be user friendly, and that’s just what Comodo is. You don’t need to be an expert to install this. It manages computer traffic well and blocks any virus or malware that dares to invade your pc. Your security setting can also be viewed easily.

Ashampoo- They actually do their words justice because they are indeed “Heavy duty protection for everyone.” You can use your computer at all times and always be protected from threats, trojans, viruses and malware. Can’t speak English? This software is translated in several languages making it easy to use.

Emisoft Online Armor – This online “armour” protects you in a very convenient way. Surf the web without having to worry about anything because it stops any malicious programs in their tracks.

Privacyware is well known for providing security software for Windows Web servers and personal computer. Today it has upgraded and added more feature by launching a new PC security product which is called Privatefirewall. What is the great thing about this? It is because it is compatible with Windows 8 OS. Privatefirewall promises to protect computers from hackers, viruses, trojans and other computer related attacks and has more features for Windows 8, which at this point is still a bit hard to find. It is now ranked among top performing computer defense and security. It has been tested and was given 5 stars after succeeding with the general bypass, spying and termination test. Greg Salvato, CEO of Privacyware said “Windows 8 is an innovative and ambitious desktop computing platform for which we are committed to providing an equally compelling and innovative Internet security solution. “Privatefirewall is distinguished not only by its multi-tiered defense architecture, but its small resource footprint, deep configuration capabilities and impressive and reliable ability to intercept malicious activity and prevent potential damage from a wide range of online threats. The combination of Privatefirewall and Windows 8 offers an exceptionally feature-rich and secure platform for personal and business computing.” No words should be added to this. We are all pretty much impressed.

China has always been big on making internet “not as accessible” as it’s supposed to be. It seems that they have outdone themselves once again as the Chinese authorities announced that they are tightening the restrictions once more. BBC reported that the change “ensure internet information security, safeguard the lawful rights and interests of citizens and national security,” This news is obviously not going to make residents happy as it is seen widely as a “right” for people. Some feel that it’s taking away freedom of speech and expression that they can do through social media but are not allowed to.

This will also hurt international businesses that are in China. One business man said “We are used to working between different offices and subsidiaries using Google Drive, which lets us save, share and work simultaneously on common documents. Well we can’t do that here.” The outcome of this is still unseen but it will definitely make business consider if they should still be in China or find another place.

One of the major concerns that the newest operating system from Microsoft, Windows Vista, is addressing is better overall security. The firewall version for the Windows Vista is designed for high configurability which also allows administrators to have greater control and management of system applications. The new firewall can filter incoming and outgoing traffic which gives it the capability to block access of outside machines that attempt to connect to your computer as well as applications in the local computer that are attempting to connect to other network systems. The ability of the console to function is categorized as single-machine mode where it manages a single computer or configured to regulate policies to multiple machines.

If you have been using the internet for a long time now, then it is likely that you know what Firewall is. But for those who just started to get in to the online trend these days and have no clue what firewall is, then here is a brief introduction for your better understanding. To describe it simply, a firewall is a hardware or software that checks information coming from the Internet or a network, and then either blocks it or allows it to pass through to your computer, depending on your firewall settings. If an incoming information is flagged by a firewall, then it will not be allowed through. To make sure your firewall is ON, you need to go to the Control Panel and click Turn Windows Firewall on or off. This will make sure that your computer is always protected. What it can’t prevent from happening is getting virus from emails or phishing scams.

Internet security is one of the major issues for any business these days. While cloud collaboration technologies like Google Apps are essential for those that need a way to let vendors easily gain access to your data, each vendor (from online retails stores to companies that post listing on job sites) that connects to your domain poses an additional security risk. This is why CloudLock, a one of the leading companies in cloud security and recipient of the Gartner Cool Vendor Award for 2011, has recently released their new product – the CloudLock Apps Firewall.

The CloudLock Apps Firewall makes it easier for businesses to manage security by “discovering all apps installed by end users and showing the extent of permissions and access available to each installed application.” It lets you classify applications and allow or ban them based on their risk profile, quickly secure your domain by revoking unapproved apps and notifying associated users, as well as easily spot new apps that are added to your Google Apps domain.

Image via CloudLock

A security research firm, Heise Security, is criticizing Leopard’s security, or more specifically, the system’s firewall.

The firm was highly critical and declared that the firewall failed every test. The tests revolved around Apple’s default configuration and whether the firewall configured correctly due to user input.

According to them, Leopard’s firewall is not activated by default and, even when activated, it does not behave as one should expect. Network connections to non-authorised services can still be established and even under “Block all incoming connections” , the most restrictive setting, it still allows access to system services from the internet.

Apply acknowledges that the system services that it communicated with in its tests did not seem immediately prone to exploit.

The Internet aside from being a repository of knowledge is also unfortunately a haven for malicious users that implement various types of attacks to penetrate computer system security with intent to cause damage. Securing the computer system has become the primary focus for both the individual and corporate users alike.

Internet security can essentially be broken down to three areas of concern, antivirus utilities, firewall protection and recommended practices (common sense). It is important that all of these three aspects be in place in your computer system to provide you adequate protection. Understanding the events that can lead to a compromised security is a necessity in computer protection.

Firewalls are often seen mainly as security utilities that help to keep malicious users out of computer networks. However, a more accurate description of firewalls is they are tools used for deterrent and enforcement of security measures meant to provide effective and efficient data, application and even network connection protection.

We are in a point in time where the smallest bit of data can be used as an advantage that can be transformed to billions of profit for a single enterprise. This is the reason that businesses have made securing communication networks a priority and an integral part of their practices. Firewalls help these enterprises to maintain the integrity of their data and keep their marketing secrets away from potential dangers.