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Firewalls in Simple Terms

Since I supply Broadband and often set it up for my customers, I sometimes come across people who don't have a firewall. Even those that do, are often unsure of what it does.
I think that the best way to think about a Firewall is to compare it to the security in your home.
To prevent people breaking in, you will have locks and bolts and perhaps an alarm.
A firewall does the same on your computer. It prevents unauthorised access. Just as you can let in anyone to your house, so you can override your firewall and let a program in. If your firewall doesn't recognise a program which is trying to gain access as 'safe', it will block it and, generally, ask you whether you want to grant permission. How do you know what to do? The safest response is always to deny permission. Then, if some program that you want to use stops working you can reconsider your decision. If it is something you don't recognise, refuse and look it up in Google to see if there are any references.
If you let something in that turns out to be a 'bad' program, most good firewalls will recognise the fact and stop it contacting the internet and spreading to others via your computer.
If you don't have a firewall that is up to date and funds are tight, then you can download one for free here http://tinyurl.com/rak67
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