Are you here looking for the free firewall software “Turtle Firewall”? which is based on network translation technology called netfilter. The advantage of this is that it can run on most Linux versions, web based and extremely east to configure thanks to its clear interface and powerful features.
All information related to Turtle Firewall has been moved to SourceForge including detailed description, screenshots, last updated version and docs. We have managed to store a user manual here – in case you wanted to install the software yourself.
This website no longer actively works on the software and is now an informational website based on firewall systems, news and instructional articles related to PC, gaming and hardware security. As a tribute to the software (we still think it’s a brilliant open source application, written by the talented developer Andrea Frigido) we are going to leave some legacy information – if only for nostalgic purposes.
Be warned though, the app hast not been updated for some years so there might be some better solutions for your needs, but for a simple but powerful networking firewall TF is a great tool to start learning with.
What is a network firewall and how does it relate to cyber security?
Acting as a shield between two computers or network device, a firewall is a barrier that can be figured to allow specified “traffic” in and out. Think of it as a virtual security guard, allowing the paid customers through the door but keeping the criminals and mischief makers out.
For PC games player, firewalls can often lead to frustration and annoyance because they can block incoming and outgoing traffic to gaming servers and cause lag. We suggest to overcome this issue that you purchase a computer based on the recommendations from PCPowerZone – they have a dedicated cheap gaming PC bundle section which we advise you to check out. On this web page they have listed computers that detail included free software that help with PC security including firewalls.
Personal firewall and mobile security
For personal use, a firewall is often installed as part of a security solution to protect your PC from viruses, malware and adware as these are the main types of threats or keeping out snooping tools that steal your credit card information or personal data that could be used to capture your identity.
The best way to secure your personal computer is to keep it updated with the latest Microsoft fixes, use the best all in one security solution and ensure your device drivers are kept up to date. A firewall can sometimes be annoying to home users because it can block out access to online gaming servers or social networking websites.
They need to be configured in the first instance, but they perform extremely well in fortifying your computer against unwanted threats.
For mobile devices such as cell phones, there are linux based tracking software available as open source, for iOS and Android devices we recommend you look at a phone tracker< which monitors all incoming and outgoing traffic on your cell phone.
How firewalls protect business
Data is big business and there are literally thousands of attacks carried out each hour of the day to try and steal data off a website or network. New governmental laws are now in place to ensure that large companies such as banks, financial institutions and health authorities protect stored data with the most stringent cyber security solutions.
That’s why company firewalls are amongst the most complex, expensive and powerful software apps available. IT administrators and the cyber team might want to stop staff from sending out emails containing sensitive data, restrict access to unsafe websites or limit the amount of time an employee can spend “surfing the net” during work hours.
If you think your system is infected and live in the UK then we recommend booking an appointment with a qualified PC repair specialist over at BIOS-Repair. They have good coverage and can save you a small fortune with downtime and replacement costs.
A firewall can also be deployed to protect a single computer against all access on the network. Imagine a situation where sensitive data is stored on a server such as military documents or state sensitive secrets – it would be necessary to deploy security protocols which include a firewall to lock out and deny all incoming traffic.
A Linux based firewall using Iptables
Because Turtle Firewall is based on Iptables we thought it would be helpful to include information on this command line-based utility for Linux systems that allows or blocks traffic using policy chains. Iptables is packaged with most Linux based releases and you can easily access it by using the command: “sudo apt-get install iptables”.
Printing out iptables references is also a good way to get started in Linux based firewall applications. If you can opt for a large format such as a 11×17 printer, then save the whole ref sheet in a folder, search online for further information on photo printer recommendations.
If you are not comfortable using command lines, then you can use a visual application such as TinyWall or Gufw for your Linux firewall but it’s fun to learn commands – just be careful when configuring rules on iptables as you could find yourself in a tricky situation of being locked out of your server.
The three basic chains on iptables are: input, forward and output and while we could list a whole set of rules and instructions on this page it’s best we left this for another web page. A good place to start learning about iptables is on the Digital Ocean website.