What is the primary purpose of using a firewall on a Personal Computer?

The correct answer is To block unauthorised access and protect the computer.

Key Points

• A firewall is a network security device that monitors and filters incoming and outgoing network traffic based on an organization's previously established security policies.
• Its primary purpose is to establish a barrier between a trusted internal network and untrusted external networks, such as the internet.
• Firewalls can be hardware-based, software-based, or a combination of both.
• They can prevent unauthorized access to or from a private network and are essential for protecting sensitive data and resources.
• Firewalls use various techniques to control traffic, including packet filtering, proxy service, and stateful inspection.

Additional Information

• Firewalls can also be used to log and report on network activity, which can help in identifying suspicious activity and troubleshooting network issues.
• Modern firewalls can inspect secure sockets layer (SSL) and transport layer security (TLS) encrypted traffic to ensure that threats don't hide in encrypted connections.
• Advanced firewalls offer additional features, such as intrusion detection and prevention systems (IDPS), and can integrate with other security tools like antivirus software.
• The concept of a firewall originated from the physical firewalls used in buildings to prevent the spread of fire.