Software Firewall
A software firewall or host-based firewall runs on a each server or workstation rather than being a separate device or hardware appliance. In some cases, host-based firewalls are available as part of the operating system or the user can download and install one from software firewall vendors. The host-based firewall settings can vary from host to host and can protect the host from attacks on the local network as well as from other networks.
The value of a host-based firewall is that it works against threats that pass through the network firewall. For example, if an attacker uses a malicious email to compromise one of the network hosts, and it attempts to spread to neighboring computers, the host-based firewall will block those attempts. Using a host-based firewall is an important step in preventing reconnaissance, lateral movement or the spread of malware. Once an attacker compromises a workstation, he or she may use tools to scan the network looking for further targets. The host-based firewall can frustrate the attacker's efforts to discover other hosts on the network or prevent access to those hosts. In some cases, malware will automatically attempt to spread to other workstations. The network administrator enables the host-based firewall on workstations to help prevent the malware from spreading.
The administrator can enable the Windows Defender Firewall on Windows 10 by typing Firewall & network protection in the search box. Click the Firewall & network protection search result and this opens the firewall settings dialog box. The Windows Defender Firewall can be enabled on the Domain network, Private network and the Public network. The Domain network is usually found at a workplace. This is where workstations are joined with a server that is a domain controller, and it centrally stores user accounts and computer accounts. The Private network is a network at home or work where the other devices on the network are generally known and trusted. The Public network is at an airport or coffee shop. It is best practice to enable the Windows Defender firewall on all three of these network locations. The computer user or network administrator uses the network location profiles to set more restrictive access for public locations versus allowing greater access for the private or domain networks. The network administrator can use the host-based firewall on servers to allow only necessary network connections provides protection against attacks and malicious activity.
The host-based firewall controls both inbound and outbound network traffic. For outbound traffic, the workstation sends out traffic to the servers, printers and to the Internet. The Windows Defender Firewall does not generally block any outbound traffic unless the administrator or computer user turns on blocking for it. There are other software firewalls available such as ZoneAlarm by Checkpoint. ZoneAlarm checks applications against a database of known safe programs. It alerts the user when a suspicious program accesses the network from his or her workstation. Some host-based firewalls use intrusion prevention policies to detect and stop attacks.
The value of a host-based firewall is that it works against threats that pass through the network firewall. For example, if an attacker uses a malicious email to compromise one of the network hosts, and it attempts to spread to neighboring computers, the host-based firewall will block those attempts. Using a host-based firewall is an important step in preventing reconnaissance, lateral movement or the spread of malware. Once an attacker compromises a workstation, he or she may use tools to scan the network looking for further targets. The host-based firewall can frustrate the attacker's efforts to discover other hosts on the network or prevent access to those hosts. In some cases, malware will automatically attempt to spread to other workstations. The network administrator enables the host-based firewall on workstations to help prevent the malware from spreading.
The administrator can enable the Windows Defender Firewall on Windows 10 by typing Firewall & network protection in the search box. Click the Firewall & network protection search result and this opens the firewall settings dialog box. The Windows Defender Firewall can be enabled on the Domain network, Private network and the Public network. The Domain network is usually found at a workplace. This is where workstations are joined with a server that is a domain controller, and it centrally stores user accounts and computer accounts. The Private network is a network at home or work where the other devices on the network are generally known and trusted. The Public network is at an airport or coffee shop. It is best practice to enable the Windows Defender firewall on all three of these network locations. The computer user or network administrator uses the network location profiles to set more restrictive access for public locations versus allowing greater access for the private or domain networks. The network administrator can use the host-based firewall on servers to allow only necessary network connections provides protection against attacks and malicious activity.
The host-based firewall controls both inbound and outbound network traffic. For outbound traffic, the workstation sends out traffic to the servers, printers and to the Internet. The Windows Defender Firewall does not generally block any outbound traffic unless the administrator or computer user turns on blocking for it. There are other software firewalls available such as ZoneAlarm by Checkpoint. ZoneAlarm checks applications against a database of known safe programs. It alerts the user when a suspicious program accesses the network from his or her workstation. Some host-based firewalls use intrusion prevention policies to detect and stop attacks.
For most workstations, it is generally best practice to deny all inbound access and make exceptions for trusted inbound traffic where necessary.
Host-based firewalls usually provide a mechanism for logging. Host-based firewall logs can be voluminous, but may be useful during an incident response to determine the source of an attack. The network administrator will want to monitor changes to the host-based firewall to alert him or her to the possibility of a compromise.
Host-based firewalls usually provide a mechanism for logging. Host-based firewall logs can be voluminous, but may be useful during an incident response to determine the source of an attack. The network administrator will want to monitor changes to the host-based firewall to alert him or her to the possibility of a compromise.
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