Firewalls provide protection against outside cyber attackers by shielding your computer or network from malicious or unnecessary network traffic. Firewalls can also prevent malicious software from accessing a computer or network via the internet.

Why a firewall is important?

A firewall can help protect your computer and data by managing your network traffic. It does this by blocking unsolicited and unwanted incoming network traffic. A firewall validates access by assessing this incoming traffic for anything malicious like hackers and malware that could infect your computer.

Is a firewall really needed?

A firewall is a critical component of keeping your machine safe on the internet. ... You need a firewall. It's simply too risky to let your computer sit “naked” on the internet unless you really know what you're doing. The good news is, you probably already have one and don't need to do a thing.