If you are not already aware of what a firewall is, it is a security system that is put in place to control any incoming or outgoing network traffic in order to protect your computer from any maliciousness. Because of this, you want to make sure that there are no holes that will allow bringing in any malicious activity.
Now, maybe you’re thinking that your firewall is so strong there is no way there could be any holes in it. Well, did you know that creating holes or ports in your security system is as simple as allowing a program to communicate through the firewall? By doing this you are unblocking a port. Each time a port is unblocked; your device becomes less and less secure, which makes it more possible for malicious software and hackers to get a hold of your system.
There are a couple of ways in which you can find out what holes or ports are opened in your firewall. One way to do so is by scanning your device’s port. This can be done by downloading a scanning system or by physically going through the unblocked programs in your device.
Here is how you can manually do it on a Windows system:
- Â Â Â Â Go to control panel
- Â Â Â Â Select system & Security
- Â Â Â Â Click on Windows Firewall
-     Select “Allow a program through…â€
- Â Â Â Â Uncheck all the programs you wish to not have firewall access
For a more extensive look into your firewall, you could also contact M&H Consultants to handle this business for you.
If you are ever contemplating on unblocking a program into your firewall, there are a couple of points you should keep in mind. One point is that if you open a port, it will remain opened until you physically close it, even if the program is not being used at the time. Another point is that adding programs to a list of allowed programs rather than allowing the programs to directly communicate through the firewall can be a much safer for your device.
Categorised in: Uncategorized