Here at Spikceworks.com, we’ve been seduced by the parallels between the battle waged in one of today’s most famous and watched TV series (Game of Thrones) and that waged by firewalls.
And when things are done well, why do them again?
Here, then, is simply the translation (English -> French) of a point of view we overwhelmingly share, published a few weeks ago.
An epic analogy for the coming security war (without spoilers)
Even if users “know nothing” about how a computer like Jon Snow works, analogies can help everyone understand advanced network concepts.
“What is a firewall?” and “How do firewalls work?” are security questions many have asked about computer networks.
Fortunately, it’s easy to learn the basics or teach why firewalls are important, using an epic example.
Firewall: wall of fire and wall of ice
Photo credit HBO via wikia.com
If your network is a castle, your “firewall” is a protective wall that surrounds it to keep enemies out (be they hackers or an army of ice zombies) but still let harmless messages through.
A firewall controls whether data is allowed through, using gates that can be opened or closed to accept or block incoming requests.
In computing, this kind of door is called a port.
To reduce the risk of enemies invading your castle or network, you should close as many ports as possible, opening only those that absolutely must remain open.
Unlike the gigantic ice wall in “Game of Thrones” with a single point of entry, firewalls have thousands of ports, each for a specific type of data.
There are different ports dedicated to connections for e-mail, for the web, for databases, for file transfer, for VoIP, and even special ports for “Minecraft” and “World of Warcraft”.
Each port can be opened or closed by your command, based on the “firewall rules” you’ve specified (the power… Maybe we should start calling you “Lord Commander!”).
Network firewalls are usually physical hardware components attached to your network.
They are also based on software that you can install on a computer that can act as a firewall for your network if you don’t want to buy dedicated hardware.
Additional reinforcement: host-based firewalls
At this point, we’ve talked about network firewalls, which usually defend the perimeter, or outer edge of the network.
But what if there’s a breach in your perimeter wall, or the danger comes from within (traitors!)?
For this situation, a second type of firewall, a host-based firewall (sometimes called a personal firewall), can help.
Like a dungeon or any other building with locked doors behind the perimeter wall, personal firewalls add an extra layer of protection for the data behind them.
Personal firewalls also have an important advantage over network firewalls: they are mobile.
They go wherever the computer on which they are installed travels…
Whether it’s a tailor in “Westeros” or on the WIFI network at the Starbucks down the street.
In a sense, a personal “firewall” behaves like a royal guard, a group of knights who follow and defend someone all the time, even on the go.
You’ve probably come across a “firewall” before in the form of the “Windows firewall”, which lets you set rules by application, by port, or by the network your computer is connected to.
Photo credit winteriscoming
Firewalls: defensive measures in a hostile environment
Firewalls provide much-needed protection in a world full of threats.
At any given moment, malicious hackers are scanning the Internet for loopholes, like an open port they can exploit.
Minimizing what is exposed to the outside world is an important step in securing your network, and firewalls exist to do just that…
Put a barrier between you and your enemies.
In conclusion, when it comes to anything involving sensitive data, you should be careful. After all, the web is often dark and full of terrors.
