Say what a firewall is
Answer the box that asks whether to let a program through.
A firewall decides which conversations from outside are allowed to reach your computer. Almost all of them are refused.
One runs on the computer, another in the box your internet arrives through. On a Windows computer both are usually on already. A Mac’s own firewall starts switched off, so at home the box does that job.
Key points
- A firewall refuses connections from outside that nobody here asked for
- You already have two of them, and both are switched on
What to remember
- Blocking breaks nothing you cannot undo here.
- Blocked can be undone. Allowed tends to last.
Try this
Look in your computer’s security settings for Firewall and check that it says on.
Practice: Say what a firewall is. Your first lesson is free, with no account or card; the rest are part of a Lantern plan. Interactive lessons require JavaScript.