When it comes to protecting our Windows computer, just a good antivirus is not enough. In addition to protecting ourselves from malware, we must also pay special attention to threats that come through the Internet. Even in applications that connect without permission to the network and communicate secretly with a server (usually controlled by hackers). And this is where the firewalls, better known as Firewall, come into play .
A firewall is, in broad strokes, a barrier that acts between our computer and the Internet. All connections, both incoming and outgoing, must be validated by this software (or hardware, since there are also physical firewalls). In case of being suspicious or malicious, traffic is blocked to protect our security. Of course, we can also configure rules to choose which applications can connect to the Internet and which cannot.
Choosing a good firewall is just as important as choosing a good antivirus for Windows 10 . Next, we are going to see what are the best firewalls we can use to protect ourselves from the threats that can come through the Internet.
The best firewall for Windows 10
Windows Firewall, the best ally of Windows Defender
As we always remember that the Microsoft antivirus, Windows Defender , is the best we can use, it is also necessary to indicate that the firewall of this operating system is one of the best we can trust.
This firewall is completely free and is part of Windows Defender, so it is installed and activated by default. It is very easy to configure and use and has a black list and a white list where you can customize the connections.
The problem with this firewall is that in order to perform some advanced configurations, we must search the menus a lot. Certain configurations, such as creating custom rules, are not intuitive at all.
Luckily, there are programs designed to help us configure the Windows firewall, such as the following.
TinyWall, a must have for those who use Windows Defender
TinyWall is a simple program designed to help us control and configure the Windows 10 firewall much better. This program runs on our computer, does not consume just RAM, is very light and allows us to make configurations that would otherwise be much more complicated
This software has machine learning systems, quick access to disable the firewall or block all traffic and even allows you to create temporary rules for our firewall.
We can download TinyWall for free from the following link .
Comodo Free Firewall, one of the most veteran alternatives
As in antivirus it has never finished fitting, Comodo’s firewall has been, for years, one of the best we can use on our computer. This is responsible for controlling all traffic on our computer, analyzing connections and protecting us from all kinds of threats. It has a complete database and also integrates with the cloud to protect us from even the newest threats.
This firewall has advanced features, such as the possibility of running new programs in a sandbox, black and white lists and, in addition, it is one of the easiest alternatives to use. A real gem for those who care about their safety.
We can download Comodo Free Firewall for free from the following link .
ZoneAlarm Free Firewall, one of the best known since the time of Windows XP
The ZoneAlarm firewall has been protecting users since the time of Windows XP. In his years, he was one of the best known, the most effective and the most complete we could find. And also totally free.
This firewall has a very clear and easy to understand interface. By default it is configured to offer the best possible configuration for most users, but if we want, we can take this security to a new level and fully customize it. It has several different security modules, and even with a Game Mode that disables the firewall while we play on the Internet to avoid connection problems.
The bad side of this firewall is, on the one hand, that its interface is old and neglected. CheckPoint hasn’t updated it for years. And besides, if we are not advanced users, some options can be really confusing. And if that were not enough, in the free version we see ads that ask us to install the ZoneAlarm antivirus. Something not recommended, really.
We can download ZoneAlarm Free Firewall for free from the following link .
Firewalls included in security suites
Most paid security suites, such as Kaspersky, Bitdefender or McAfee, among others, have their own firewalls designed to integrate with the antivirus itself and protect us from threats.
If instead of using Windows Defender we choose one of these paid antivirus, then we can also rely on the firewalls that are included in them. At the end of the day we are paying for a comprehensive security service, what less to take advantage of.
What should I look for in a good firewall?
Choosing a good firewall is similar to choosing a good antivirus, but in broad strokes easier. Firewalls are not based on complex virus databases, but their operation, although it has its complexity, is simpler: to analyze incoming and outgoing traffic.
Therefore, the most important thing when choosing a software of this type is, first, to look for an option that has frequent support and updates . Otherwise, hackers will surely know of a vulnerability that would make this security software useless.
In addition, we must ensure that the option chosen consumes few resources , because otherwise it will make our computer go slow and, in addition, will prevent maximum enjoyment of current fiber connections.
A careful interface and simple configuration options are also two important factors when choosing our firewall.
