It might be important to mention from this point that the Windows default firewall may not be adequate enough to protect your computer from intrusion or anomaly. There is usually a need to combine this with other security solutions such as a reliable anti-virus and/or a host-based intrusion detection system.
Going straight to the point, we will be discussing the Host-based firewall available in the Windows Operating System, how to check if it is active and a simple way to access the firewall settings.
Accessing the firewall configuration in Windows 8 and above is really easy. The interface is also user friendly. From the start menu, search for Windows security and press Enter. It should take you to an interface similar to figure 1 below.
First of all, ensure the firewall is active for the Domain Network, Private network, and public network as seen in figure 1 above.
Next, click on “Allow an app through the firewall”, you should see an interface similar to figure 2 below showing what applications are allowed through the firewall. If you find an application that you do not use, or unsure about, remove it from the apps allowed through your firewall. Better still, click on the details tab to see more info about the app or feature before disabling its access through the firewall.
To remove an app or feature from allowed apps, uncheck the box(es). If any of the features you de-activate is really needed for an app or service you use, you will get a prompt to allow the feature or app through the firewall again anytime you launch the app. At least by doing this, you are now sure that it is useful for a legitimate app you actually use and not some random service or program being granted access through your firewall.
E.g., if a plug-in is needed for MS Word to work, and this plug-in needs access through the firewall; once you launch MS Word, your PC would prompt you to either allow or deny it access through the firewall without you having to go through any special configuration steps or settings. Since MS-Word in this example needs the plug-in to work, and the source is trusted, you can click on ‘yes’ to grant it access through the firewall again.
You can also do a basic confirmation check by pressing start and searching for ‘firewall’. Select Windows Defender Firewall and you should see an interface like figure 3 below:
Ensure the firewall state is set to ‘On’ for Private networks, Guest and Public networks. If you are having any challenges setting this up or configuring it properly, send us a DM on twitter @cyberphorm and one of our trusted IT guys within the CyberPhorm community will assist you for free.
In summary, unnecessary apps or features should not be granted access through the firewall as this could make your network or system more vulnerable. Having the Windows default firewall is useful to protect against many threats; however, may not be adequate on its own to protect your computer. It is therefore advisable to have more security solutions implemented to complement the firewall. A good security solution that can complement this is a reliable anti-virus such as Vipre Antivirus. The Vipre ant-virus is effective, yet simple to use and offers internet security as well to further reinforce the security of your data and computer either while using the internet, performing online transactions, downloading content etc. Click the link below to get a great deal on the best anti-virus out there.
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