According to a recent study conducted by a major cyber-security firm, only less than half the online population understands the term firewalls, or even knows if they have one enabled on their PC. Firewalls are much more important in a corporate or work environment. They not only keep the corporate network safe, but can also optimize traffic routing and provide a whole range of other benefits. If you're connected to the internet, you are a potential target of an array of cyber threats, such as hackers, keyloggers, and Trojans that attack through unpatched security holes. This means that if you, like most people, shop and bank online, then you are vulnerable to identity theft and other malicious attacks. A firewall works as a barrier or a shield between your PC and cyberspace. When you're connected to the internet, you're continually sending and receiving information in small units called packets. The firewall filters these packets to see whether they meet certain criteria set by a series of rules. And after that, it blocks or allows the data. This way, hackers cannot get inside and steal information, such as bank account numbers and passwords from you.
Basic firewalls, such as the one included in your operating systems, only monitor incoming traffic by default. This may give you a false sense of security. Keep in mind that outgoing traffic with your credit card information, bank accounts, and social security number is not protected. A good firewall will monitor traffic in both directions, that is both your incoming data and your outgoing data, keeping your private information safe. In addition to preventing unauthorized access to your PC, it also makes your PC invisible when you're online, helping prevent attempted intrusions in the first place. Firewalls are one of the most critical parts of a network. It's the first line of defense that your system has against attacks or unwanted visitors. And it makes all the difference in ensuring that your data is protected. pfSense is a highly versatile, open source routing and firewall software. With thousands of enterprises using pfSense software, it is quickly becoming the world's most trusted open source network security solution. pfSense has all of the features you would find in a commercial firewall solution and more. And it is absolutely free. And better yet, you can customize pfSense based on your organization's requirements and create a unique solution that is perfect for you. In this book, you'll learn about pfSense, all of its key features, how you can install and deploy it, as well as the different tasks you can perform.