Hello again! In case you missed my last post a couple of weeks ago, I’m going to be putting up a series of “Words to the wise” – those technical words that sound really confusing at first, but are simple once someone’s just told you what they mean, in plain English. The last one was “Open Source”. This week it’s “Firewall”.
The term “Firewall” originally referred to the fireproof walls that were designed to prevent the spread of fire from one room or building to the next. They were typically made of brick, steel or another type of inflammable material that would effectively limit the spread of fire. In the IT world, Firewalls serve a similar purpose, minus the fire. A computer Firewall limits the data that can pass through it, and protects the machine from damage by unauthorized users. So, for example, the Firewall would stop a certain file downloading onto your computer from the internet, if it detects a threat from that particular file. A lot of routers have a built in Firewall, and they can be configured to let in certain amounts or types of data from certain websites on the Internet.
Hope you found that interesting. I will be back in a couple of weeks with another Word to the Wise!
Georgia