At the same time, ‘safe’ traffic is permitted in and out of the network as usual.Īnd just like a concrete firewall, your computer firewall can withstand attacks for hours or longer. In a fraction of a second your firewall will identify and block suspicious activity, keeping cybercriminals away from your computer. Every single piece of information passing through the firewall is checked to ensure it is ‘safe’. A computer firewall is much cleverer, monitoring traffic going in and out of your network. If a hacker does break into your home network, the firewall prevents the ‘fire’ (malicious activity) spreading.Ī construction firewall is just a dumb slab of concrete that can withstand heat and flame. It is increasingly common to see firewalls installed on computers themselves too – Panda Dome has a built-in personal firewall for instance. The firewall acts like a barrier, preventing hackers and malicious web traffic from spreading into your home network. Computer firewalls are very similarĬomputer firewalls are designed to do a very similar job, installed between two networks, like your house and the rest of the internet. This helps to minimise damage to the rest of the building and provides additional time for people to escape to safety. Should a section of the building catch fire, the firewall will slow or stop the spread. Typically made of concrete, firewalls are built into larger structures like terraced houses or office blocks and can withstand temperatures in excess of 400✬. In construction, a firewall is a specially toughened, flame-proof barrier designed to limit or stop the spread of a fire. The first firewalls can be found in the construction industry where they are an important safety design feature. There’s one built into your home WiFi router for instance, and your computer may use one too.īut how did a relatively boring technology get such a cool name? Why is it called a firewall? A name stolen from the construction industryįirewalls have existed for many years, long before the Internet became a practical reality – but not in the IT industry.

Firewalls have become a standard aspect of internet security.

What is firewall in computer