Windows systems seem to face endless security issues, and online villains are something that experts can exploit. Despite having a strong and effective built-in firewall, Windows PCs need to be protected from online threats in addition to blocking viruses, trojans, rootkits, and hackers from infiltrating the system.
What are the commonly used firewall software downloads for Windows? It is essential to set up a firewall as a security measure to protect systems and other network devices from any attacks. So, the 10 best Windows firewall software are discussed further. Here, you need to understand what a firewall is and its requirements.
What is a firewall and why do we need it?
Firewalls as an allusion can be referred to as a physical fire barrier that prevents any damage. Technically, a firewall is seen as a virtual barrier against internal or external cyberattacks that can harm a computer. A firewall is a security system that checks for unauthorized or unauthorized access to a private network.
To stop the attack, install the software package inside the PC to protect the entire network from hackers.
Having dedicated firewall software can help mitigate the following:
- It will control the apps and programs that may share your data and that don’t have the authority to collect or transmit your information.
- It will create a barrier between you and the hackers so that they don’t harm you or your system.
- It acts as a filter, scanning the data and sifting out infectious data so it doesn’t get into your computer.
Source: Security Antivirus
A collection of the best firewall software for Windows
Firewall software monitors online activity and blocks all potential intrusions and attacks. Finding the right one among the many products can be very difficult. That’s why we’ve provided you with a list of the best firewall software that you can install right away.
1. GlassWire
Popular firewall software recommendation for Windows: GlassWire proactively protects against all incoming and outgoing online attacks. The moment you install this firewall software window, it protects your operating system. Unlike other software, GlassWire doesn’t bother the user every time something goes wrong, but blocks it immediately.
Features:
- Cautionary Alert – Warns users about network-related changes
- Monitor other PCs on your network and notify if any unknown devices are connected to your Wi-Fi
- Track data usage
- Visual Network Monitoring – Identify past and present network activity with charts
- Network Inspection Toolbox
- Wi-Fi Evil Twin Detection – Get alert notifications when the app finds new Wi-Fi hardware with the same network name nearby
- Lock mode
- Featuring sparklines that allow you to observe the health of your system without having to launch the app every time
This Windows 10 Firewall has a lot of exciting features that can be very useful for users who really care about their security and privacy. Totally a must-have app for your Windows PC.
2. ZonelAlarm
The first software on our list of best firewall software downloads for Windows has been around for a long time, ZonelAlarm protects your PC from all kinds of cyberattacks, including identity theft, malware, viruses, phishing attacks, spyware, ransomware, and more.
Features:
- In fact, a firewall with an antivirus program
- Customizable interface
- Scan for inbound and outbound connections
- Protect applications and other software from infection
- Block unwanted traffic from entering your network
- Free firewall software, system resources as light as a feather
- Provides daily credit monitoring to provide victim recovery assistance (a feature available in the U.S. only)
- Comes with an online backup in case of any loss or accidental deletion
- With multi-layer securities:
– Public network protection
– Wi-Fi protection
– Real-time security updates
Trusted by over 100 million users worldwide, ZoneAlarm is the number one firewall software for Windows 10.
3. TinyWall
A collection of the best firewall software for Windows? Firewall software that is highly recommended for Windows 10 users to protect against almost any online threat. The software hides your computer’s ports to defend against hackers and blocks infectious programs that can transmit your valuable data over the Internet.
Features:
- Pop-up ads are not displayed
- Powerful scanning options for inbound and outbound connections
- Customizable options to change the protection against attacks
- Comes with Wi-Fi protection
- Real-time alerts if anything goes wrong
- Instant firewall configuration, so it’s perfect for beginners
- Built-in host file protection
- Dedicated LAN control options
- There is a whitelist to add websites that are safe to access
As the name suggests, Tiny, the software also takes up about 1MB of hard drive space. The app integrates the use of hotkeys, so if you just want to approve an app for access – just press the hotkey combination and click on the app’s window.
4. Comodo Firewall
What are the commonly used firewall software downloads for Windows? It would be unfair to talk about the best free Windows firewall and the lack of Comodo firewall in the list. The way this software allows users to easily add programs to the blocklist makes it a much easier to use application.
Features:
- An ad blocker is available
- Customize your DNS server
- With a virtual Kiosk feature, it makes it easy to prevent any program from entering or leaving the network
- Very specific and advanced settings are also provided for maximum convenience
- Provides a rating scan option that allows you to determine the trustworthiness of a program or process
- Compatible with Windows 10, 8, and 7
- Has a simple sandbox feature to stop malware from entering its tracks
- Enables users to control permissions for different networks and programs
- Timely alerts about any suspicious files/folders or programs
Before you start using this firewall software for Windows 10, keep in mind that Comodo Firewall will change your default homepage and search engine. If you want everything to be the same in the first place, you must deselect the option during the initial setup.
5. NetDefender
Best Firewall Software Download for Windows: NetDefender is another best free firewall software with tons of features. As the most basic of all software, NetDefender has easy-to-use options and settings.
Features:
- User-friendly and simple interface
- Great for newbies
- No annoying pop-ups
- Not only does it block incoming traffic, but it also blocks applications from connecting to the network
- Allows you to block FTP connections and other protocols used on the network
- Port scanner included
- Easy setup
- Create/edit/delete rules to allow or deny access to specified IP addresses.
- Protect your PC from spoofing, ARP, and other forms of connection manipulation
This Windows 10 Firewall shows all the activity on your system so that you can easily monitor what your computer is doing in the background. It also shows all the current and past servers your PC is connected to so that you can check for potential threats and even block them if needed.
6.OpenDNS
Popular firewall software recommendation for Windows: OpenDNS is a fairly powerful firewall for Windows 10. Equipped with advanced security measures, keep an eye out for threats trying to sneak in through social networking sites.
Features:
- Simple and straightforward interface
- Non-invasive
- Automatically block untrusted content
- Lots of filtering options
- Excellent internet control options
- An easy way to change how your router handles traffic
- Excellent control over how you want the Internet to behave
- It has 90 million users worldwide
- An award-winning firewall software for Windows
OpenDNS is accurate protection against cyber attacks. An all-in-one solution that includes antivirus, anti-theft, and much more.
7. PeerBlock
PeerBlock is an app that does it all, providing the highest level of security against all inbound and outbound threats. This free firewall software instantly blocks communication with threatening ads, spyware, and more.
Source: start64
Features:
- Defend against unwanted traffic from user-specific IP addresses
- Light up system resources
- Easy to set up, only ask for the websites, programs, and ports you want to block at install time
- Best for people who share a lot of files and documents every day
- You can make your own blacklist
- You can also view and clear history, logs, and other notifications for effective operation
- It’s a great platform for those who aren’t too familiar with computers because it doesn’t require advanced knowledge to use it.
PeerBlock keeps you safe from every virtual danger. Unlike the other firewall software for Windows 10 mentioned in the list, PeerBlock starts working as soon as it is installed.
8.Outpost Firewall Pro
What are the commonly used firewall software downloads for Windows? Outpost Firewall is a pretty good piece of software that lets you control who your PC talks to on the Internet. A firewall adds multiple layers of security to your computer without impacting your PC’s performance.
Features:
- Simple yet effective interface
- Comes with system and application protection
- Comes with file/folder lockers
- Program Activity Tracker, which reviews system modifications in real-time to understand which applications are misbehaving
- Set restrictions on the programs you install to customize the level of security
- Comes with four customizable layers of security
- multilingual
- The system resources are not very heavy, and the file size is only 16.63 MB
- Ensure wired and wireless networks are protected from eavesdropping
This Windows firewall program provides all the components needed to secure, secure, monitor connections, adjust security levels, and control the state of the system according to the user’s needs and requirements.
9. Evorim Free Firewall
Best Firewall Software Download for Windows: Evorim Free Firewall software is another simple yet effective tool to combat the various types of dangers that your PC may face. This full-featured, professional firewall has gained millions of followers over the years and ranks among the top 10 best free Windows firewall software.
Features:
- Helps regulate internet traffic
- Access notifications, and if any non-regulators access your Internet, you’ll receive an instant message
- Paranoid mode, if you switch to this mode, no software can access the network without your prior consent
- Credulous mode, if you are not afraid of revealing privacy
- Cooperative mode if you want to operate this firewall in parallel with other firewalls to get value-added features
- Touch-friendly, with a UI optimized for touch-sensitive devices
- Prevent telemetry
- multilingual
- Detect viruses/malware/spyware and other threats
This specialized third-party security solution allows you to control access to your PC. Thus, fully protect your system.
10. AVS Firewall
Finally on our list of popular firewall software recommendations for Windows, but not in our consideration, AVS Firewall can prevent more than just internal and external connections. But it also blocks all infective registry changes, flash banners, pop-ups, and malvertising.
Features:
- Easy-to-use interface
- Has a parental control feature that lets you block a clear list of websites
- Block unwanted ad banners
- Compatible with Windows 8,7, Vista, and XP
- It also has the “AVS Registry Cleaner” download feature at the time of installation
- The system requirements are not very high and can even be compatible with older computers
- Free firewall software and feather-light system resources
- Control internet traffic when your internet access is restricted
With IP addresses allowed and banned, the procedure is easier than ever before. The software has a list of malicious IP addresses, ports, and programs that can be harmful to your PC. You can either browse the list and block/unblock accordingly, or you can search for URLs and add to the list.
Frequently Asked Questions: A collection of the best firewall software for Windows
1. How does a firewall protect the system from bad actors?
At its most basic, a firewall program works like a filter between your PC/network and the Internet. The firewall simply examines the electronic data from the network and compares it to the assigned predefined rules. If the data matches the rule set, it is allowed to pass. If not, it will be blocked. Sophisticated firewalls block suspicious addresses, malicious sites, and prevent unauthorized access.
2. Can firewalls be hacked?
While this is the rarest scenario, cybercriminals can bypass firewalls if they are not properly tuned. A misconfigured or poorly maintained firewall can easily be hacked and compromise your system. For example: if your PC has vulnerabilities in the form of applications and programs, cybercriminals can get into your system. All they need to do is convince you to click on the admitted link or visit the compromised website.
3. What makes a firewall the ideal software to protect a private network?
Basically, a good firewall software can protect your computer from prying eyes. But that’s not enough; The ideal firewall software should also have certain additional features:
- Robust threat protection
Choose a reliable firewall solution that is up-to-date and capable of handling the emerging tactics used by hackers.
- Provides complete control over each program
An effective firewall software should be able to apply policies to individual users, allowing and blocking specific applications as needed without compromising security.
- Real-time updates and reports
The ideal firewall solution is one that provides real-time alerts for any attacks that are in progress. This will help users react to scenarios more effectively and take necessary actions.
- Simplified security infrastructure
A reliable firewall program should have basic security infrastructure components, including antivirus protection, spam filtering, deep packet inspection, and application filtering.
- Price
Last but not least, cost is a factor to consider when choosing the right firewall software. Not only should it fit within your budget, but it should also balance the investment with the potential cost of doing nothing.
Since malicious attacks are the leading cause of data breaches today, the value of firewall programs is obvious. The estimated cost of a data breach is $150 per stolen record, FYI!
Summary
Although firewall software is the first line of defense against all online threats. Even they have features that your antivirus might miss.
Keep in mind, however, that these firewall programs are not intended as a final solution to protect you. As users have to be very careful while browsing the internet and follow good security habits to avoid falling into a vicious cycle of cyberattacks.
