Computer Hacking & Firewalls

This week I have decided to explain about computer hacking and firewalls i.e. how firewall safeguard the user from hackers.

About Hacking

Hacking refers to, when a group or single user is trying to gain access to someone’s computer via networks. Before accessing someone’s computer, hackers have to bypass the security settings before they can gain access this is where a firewall comes into play to safeguard you.

The list below shows what hackers can achieve once they gain access to the computer system:

• Can monitor on what the user is doing.

• Obtain computer programs and alter their settings.

• Obtain private and confidential data and copy or even cut it to their computer, for example; credit card numbers, bank account details, user passwords for e-mail accounts and other types of accounts online are all at risk.

• Format the users hard drive

• Make changes to computer settings

• Once they have got hold of the users data, the data can be sold onto malicious groups, which my lead onto identity theft issues further down the line.

• If they use your personal information for drug dealing and other sorts of malicious crimes, then you might get a criminal record and you might have to prove that someone’s stole your I.D.

How firewall security works?

Firewalls are barriers that protects against unwanted access from unknown users, hackers or users that are blocked from the network system. Firewalls work by allowing and denying ports on the network or IP address.

If someone outside the network was trying to hack into the network system they will be denied access from the network because it will deny access by blocking their IP address or port using TCP/IP module. In simpler terms a firewall is to protect the network by blocking malicious software or applications outside the network, which might be used by hackers.

There are two types of firewall, which are hardware firewalls and software firewalls .

Diagram on how firewall safeguard the network system: