What exactly is a firewall?
A firewall is software or hardware that helps prevent hackers and some types of malware from getting to your computer through a network or the Internet. It does this by checking the info that’s coming from the Internet or a network and then either blocking it or allowing it to pass through to your system.
Note: A firewall isn't the same thing as an antivirus or antimalware app. Firewalls help protect against worms and hackers, antivirus apps help protect against viruses, and antimalware apps help protect against malware.
Windows Firewall comes with Windows and is turned on by default. Only one firewall should be active on a computer at any given time.
Occasionally, the Windows Firewall may ask you to verify if a connection to your computer is legitimate. You may see the following prompt. If you know that the connection is one that you initiated, it should be safe to ‘Allow Access’, however if you are unsure, feel free to take a screenshot and send it to the Service-Desk for validation before continuing.
