Microsoft introduced Windows Firewall in Windows Operating systems starting with some versions of Windows XP. After Windows XP came Windows Vista, Windows 7 and Windows 8 who all were packed with inbuilt firewall from Microsoft. The inbuilt firewall is very good for the operating systems. Without the firewall Computer systems are very vulnerable to attacks from connected external networks or Internet. Now a day’s almost all the PC’s have Internet connection and this necessitates the presence of a firewall program in your PC. Windows Firewall is now available in the latest operating systems and Windows support is provided for problems with Windows Firewall also.
Windows Firewall is provided a companion for defending Windows platforms by Microsoft. This companion is Windows Defender. Windows Defender assists Windows firewall by removing and blocking hardware's and livewares entering the systems through network connection or other media. Windows Firewall together with Windows Defender provides a very good security system for new Windows platforms.
Windows Firewall is designed with an option for the user to add exceptions for trusted programs and websites. Exceptions can be added by accessing the Windows Firewall settings in Control Panel. Windows Firewall can also be used as a combination with external firewall and third party firewalls for intense security. This option increases the flexibility and effectiveness of Windows Firewall.
Microsoft provides security updates for Windows which includes the updates of Windows the Firewall. Certain versions of Windows platforms designed for Banks and other extra security required systems are given additional security options with the Windows Firewall. The Windows Firewall provided in those cases are far more secure and effective compared to the normal Windows Firewall.
You have the option for logging Windows Firewall traffic so that you can list dropped and successful connections. It will also record the details of the connections made. Below are some instructions for activating and using Windows Firewall log:
• Open Run option from the Start Menu and type in “%windir%\system32\logfiles\firewall\”. After that click OK.
• Open the recent log of Windows Firewall by double clicking on ‘pfirewall.log’ (Use Notepad). For the old log double click on ‘pfirewall.log.old’.
• The File will be written in fields and details under each field.
• You can save it to another file for further use. Data after a certain time will be deleted automatically.
Windows Support sites provide helps on reading and understanding Firewall logs.
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